The Infamous 17% Rotten Tomatoes Film That Ended Sean Connery’s Career

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The 2003 film, based on the comic book series by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, is often called one of the worst blockbusters ever made and remains a notorious example of a Hollywood failure. Its impact went beyond just poor ticket sales, negatively affecting the careers of many people who worked on it.

When The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was released, critics universally disliked it, calling it a poor adaptation of Alan Moore’s well-regarded comic book series. Roger Ebert’s negative review was particularly impactful, and surprisingly, the film’s failure even led one major actor to consider retirement. Despite its bad reputation, a reboot is in development, offering a chance to fix the mistakes of the original movie and deliver on the potential of the source material.

Roger Ebert Destroyed Sean Connery’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I remember reading Roger Ebert’s review of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and honestly, I completely agreed with him. He wasn’t impressed – just one star out of five! He pointed out, in an article from Far Out Magazine, that the movie actually started promisingly, but quickly fell apart and became, in his words, just… well, an idiotic mess. It’s a shame, because the initial idea had potential, but it just didn’t come together. He and I both felt it lacked any real originality or a coherent story.

The movie starts promisingly, but quickly falls apart into confusing action and nonsensical plot points. The reviewer points out illogical events, weak dialogue, and unbelievable scenes, like a street race through Venice. These issues are just the start; a poorly written script, inconsistent tone, and strange steampunk style ultimately ruin the film.

In his review, Ebert points out that the team behind The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has the talent to create a truly excellent film. Director Stephen Norrington previously made Blade, a movie often credited with starting the current wave of comic book adaptations. The film also boasts a strong cast, including a memorable final performance by Sean Connery. However, despite these strengths, the movie ultimately doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

Honestly, I’m with Roger Ebert on this one – The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a real disappointment. It’s not just me saying that, either; it only got a 17% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences weren’t much kinder with a 44% score. It just doesn’t grab you, and the over-the-top action and weird conversations are made even worse by the strange steampunk look they gave it, which wasn’t even in the original stories. It feels like they just threw a bunch of things together and hoped it would work, but it really didn’t.

The 2003 film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, which wasn’t surprising. Although it cost $78 million to make, it earned $179 million worldwide (according to The Numbers), likely making it profitable in theaters. However, it wasn’t successful enough to justify a sequel, and ultimately, no one—including the cast—was satisfied with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Destroyed Sean Connery’s Career

A major consequence of the disappointing film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was the effective end of Sean Connery’s acting career. Connery, a globally celebrated actor best known for his iconic role as James Bond, also starred in popular movies like The Rock and The Hunt for Red October. Despite a brilliant career, one unsuccessful film led him to seriously consider retiring from acting.

Sean Connery was known for turning down roles he didn’t fully understand, and it’s possible he would have done the same with Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He’d previously rejected parts in big movies like Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings (which Ian McKellen eventually played in), The Matrix, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter. Connery admitted he didn’t understand Lord of the Rings even after reading the original books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Sean Connery had passed on several successful roles, so he decided to star in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen even though he wasn’t familiar with the original story or the work of its creator, Alan Moore. He likely saw it as a chance to recapture what he’d missed out on with roles like Gandalf and Albus Dumbledore. However, this turned out to be a mistake. Reports suggest Connery had a very difficult time during filming, often clashing with the director, Stephen Norrington. He later revealed in a 2005 interview with The Times that his negative experience on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a major factor in his decision to retire.

Sean Connery made only two films after 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, both in 2012. The first, the British animated film Sir Billi, is often cited as one of the worst animated movies ever made. His final acting role was as the narrator for Ever to Excel, a documentary about St. Andrews University. Connery passed away in 2020 at the age of 90, and didn’t take on another significant role after The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. While he’s remembered for a long and celebrated career, his filmography will always include the poorly received Sir Billi, which is believed to have contributed to his decision to retire.

Is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Getting a Reboot?

Despite a disappointing movie adaptation in 2003, the comic book series has remained popular for over two decades. Originally published in four volumes between 1999 and 2019, the comics feature classic characters like Allan Quatermain, Wilhelmina Murray, Captain Nemo, and others who are now in the public domain. The enduring fanbase continues to support the franchise, proving its resilience despite the unsuccessful film.

I remember a while back, there was buzz about turning Alan Moore’s comics into a TV show, but that idea quickly lost steam when it became clear the original creators wouldn’t be part of it. Then, 20th Century Fox was actually trying to reboot The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – and from what I heard, they wanted to stay much closer to Moore’s source material, with Mina Murray taking center stage. After Disney bought Fox, that reboot seemed to stall out completely. But now, it looks like things are finally moving forward again, which is exciting news for fans of the comics.

A reboot of the project was planned in 2022 for release exclusively on Hulu, intended as a movie with potential for future installments based on Alan Moore’s comic books. However, there’s been little information about its progress in the last three years. Despite the silence, fans of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen remain hopeful that this new version will be a more accurate adaptation of the original comics than the previous film.

The 2003 film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a major failure, harming the careers of those involved and even leading a celebrated actor to retire. Despite this, fans are optimistic about a new adaptation that stays truer to the source material, and hope it will finally overshadow the widely disliked original and allow it to be forgotten.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is available to buy or rent on Prime Video.

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2026-01-07 17:41