Jules Verne Movies

Not to be confused with Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, the Brendan Fraser adventure that was released into theaters the same year, this made-for-cable take on Jules Verne's classic tale stars Golden Globe winner Rick Schroder as the leader of a treacherous mission miles below the Earth's surface. Famed anthropologist Jonathan Brock (Schroder) has just accepted the most dangerous -- and exciting -- assignment of his entire career. Four years ago, Edward Dennison (Peter Fonda) -- husband of wealthy Martha Dennison (Victoria Pratt) -- mysteriously vanished while embarking on an expedition to the planet's core. Martha has never gotten over her husband's disappearance, and she's willing to pay Jonathan whatever it takes to locate the missing Edward. Now, in order to retrace Edward's footsteps and find the answer to Martha's biggest question, Jonathan enlists the aid of his nephew Abel (Steve Grayhm) and Edward's former partner Sergei (Mike Dopud) and sets off to Alaska in hopes of locating the secret gateway to the center of the Earth.

With Martha in tow, Jonathan, Abel, and Sergei make their way into the great unknown and discover something truly spectacular. Miles beneath the Earth's surface is a world teeming with undiscovered life, a place where prehistoric birds soar overhead and man-eating megalodons rule the underworld oceans. The most surprising discovery of all, however, is a primitive race of warriors who have never seen the sun. Edward has become the leader of these men, the God-like ruler of a secret kingdom. But while Edward is indeed considered a god among the people, there is a devil in this world as well. As a rival tribe prepares to launch an attack that could destroy all of civilization, Jonathan and the rest of his crew stage the most daring escape ever attempted. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The second of two network-TV adaptations of Jules Verne's speculative 1868 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this two-part ABC version originally aired on May 11 and 12, 1997, some two months after CBS's shorter -- and infinitely more faithful -- version. The year is 1886, and an unknown "creature" is terrorizing the high seas, causing merchant vessels to vanish without a trace. Enlisted by the U.S. government to find out what's really going on, oceanographer Pierre Arronax (Patrick Dempsey) and rough-hewn whaler Ned Land (Bryan Brown) set sail for uncharted waters. Ultimately, they are captured by the insane but honorably motivated Captain Nemo (Michael Caine), the inventor of the high-teach submarine Nautilus. This much can be found in the original novel. The rest of the film has less to do with Jules Verne than its does with the popularity of such theatrical features as Star Wars and Titanic, not to mention the then-prevalent specter of political correctness. Because he wants nothing more out of life than to slaughter whales, Verne's nominal hero Ned Land is transformed into the main villain -- while Pierre Arronax comes off none too sympathetically himself, depicted in an early scene as a wanton womanizer who sleeps with his own father's mistress. Also, a bit of gratuitous romance is thrown into the proceedings, with Captain Nemo suddenly acquiring a daughter, and another woman joining the storyline when the Nautilus makes a side trip to the lost city of Atlantis. Finally, what with Verne's good guys turning bad and Captain Nemo clearly certifiable, a new "hero" is introduced in the form of African-American crewman Cabe Attucks (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje). Oh, and did we mention that Nemo is actually a half-cyborg and a former Indian prince? This "new and improved" 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is only slightly less ridiculous than the 1916 silent film version, which also managed to add a love interest and a spectacular "flashback" sequence straight out of 1001 Arabian Nights. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jules Verne's classic tale of adventure is brought to the screen once again in this animated adaptation. When wealthy Phileas Fogg claims that a man can travel around the world in eighty days, one of his rivals challenges him to do it himself, and places a large wager to make matters more interesting. However, as Fogg and his man servant Passepartout set out on their epic journey, they discover their enemies have gone out of their way to make matters difficult for them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This is another retelling of the Jules Verne tale about an adventure to the earth's core. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Pierce Brosnan stars as adventurer Phineas Fogg in this adaptation of Jules Verne's classic story, in which to win a wager he must travel around the globe in 80 days or less. However, Fogg has been blamed for the theft of a large amount of money, and a detective (Peter Ustinov) is hot on his trail trying to catch him before he reaches the finish line. The supporting cast includes Eric Idle, Lee Remick, Roddy McDowall, and Christopher Lee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

After cannibalizing Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth in his 1977 film Where Time Began, Spanish director Juan Piquer Simon returned to the author with this substandard retelling of Mysterious Island. The story concerns a shipwrecked group who discover natural wonders and a gold treasure on a dangerous island populated by dinosaurs and living seaweed. Terence Stamp is the bad guy. Supposedly the most expensive film made in Spain to that point, it has an admittedly strong genre cast including Peter Cushing, Paul Naschy, and Ian Sera, but is really a cheesy monster movie likely to appeal only to children too young to be critical of special effects. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

In this film, a hot-air balloon is the vehicle for a wonderful adventure. As they sail across the equator, three men encounter a variety of strange and unusual sights. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Juan Piquer Simon, best known for such horror films as Pieces and Slugs, tackled the Jules Verne story with poor results. Kenneth More leads the expedition to the earth's core, where he and his party are menaced by gorillas, dinosaurs, and other assorted creatures. The special-effects are less than inspired, although More does his best in the lead and Spanish-horror fans will enjoy seeing veterans Jack Taylor and Frank Brana among the cast. Simon would return to Verne for inspiration with his 1981 film Monster Island. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

In this children's action/adventure movie, a team of Royal Geographical Society scientists, led by professor Fergusson (Hugo Stiglitz) take a balloon trip across Africa in 1862. Along the way, they have adventures with natives, rescue a stranded Englishwoman, and discover a gold mine. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This French film is one of the many efforts to film Jules Verne's novel, Mysterious Island. Here Captain Nemo is Omar Sharif, a seriously misanthropic man, who hides near a tropical island in his fabulous submarine. Flying in on a balloon are a number of refugees from a military dictatorship. The heroes of the story escape as Nemo battles pirates and an erupting volcano. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This adventure is loosely based on a Jules Verne novel and chronicles the lives of a group of marooned boys who are surprised when another shipwreck brings another band of survivors to their desert island in the South Pacific. Among them are British prisoners who threaten the little colony until the boys take care of them for good. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide