20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The mightiest motion picture of them all!

1954 • 127 min • Adventure · Science Fiction · Fantasy

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Synopsis

A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.

Our family guide

Best from age 7

Movie Knight Score

1000 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
71 Audience · 998 · 49%

Captain Nemo commands a technologically advanced submarine, the Nautilus, in this classic adventure. His vessel is encountered by a ship investigating mysterious sinkings, leading to a journey beneath the waves. The film explores themes of scientific discovery and isolation.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 0/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Some peril from giant sea creatures
Captain Nemo seeks revenge on those he believes wronged him
Characters are held captive on the submarine

What it models well

Curiosity and exploration
Intellectual pursuits
Innovation and technology

Talk about it after

Protecting the ocean and its creatures
The consequences of revenge
Balancing scientific progress with ethics

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Richard Fleischer • Crew: Earl Felton

Trailers & clips

Mick Garris on 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) Movie Trailer

Reviewer notes

Recommended
A stylish, colourful adaptation of perhaps Jules Verne's most famous story with James Mason as the superbly determined, if blinkered "Captain Nemo" who has decided that the best way to eradicate war is to destroy the tools of warfare. To that end, he targets warships at sea and sinks them by ramming them with his early ironclad submarine the "Nautilus". His tortured soul is cleverly epitomised by the rousing organ...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Wonderful Verne adaptation. Watched this one recently and was delighted to find it stands the test of time as one of the better Disney live action films on the market. A quality take on Jules Verne's advanced story of subs and the atomic threat that was soon to become ever so prominent in the public conscious. This adaptation is a corking sci-fi adventure that benefits from great work from all involved. The ...
John Chard, TMDB Community