Latest news with #Nautilus
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Review: ‘Nautilus' gives Capt. Nemo a swashbuckling origin story
Certain elements of Jules Verne's 1870 novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" have become a TV series, "Nautilus," on AMC, which picked up the show after Disney+, which ordered and completed it, let it drop. Created by James Dormer, it's not an adaptation but a prequel, or an origin story, as the comic book kids like to say, in which Nemo, not yet captain, sets sail in his submarine for the first time. Verne's imaginative fiction has inspired more and less faithful screen adaptations since the days of silent movies. (Georges Méliès 1902 "A Trip to the Moon," based partially on Verne's 1865 "From the Earth to the Moon," is accounted the first science-fiction film.) For a few midcentury years, perhaps inspired by the success of Disney's own "20,000 Leagues" - a film they continue to exploit in its theme parks - and Mike Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days," it was almost a cottage industry: "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "In Search of the Castaways," "Five Weeks in a Balloon." I grew up watching these films rerun on TV; they are corny and fun, as is "Nautilus," with fancier effects, anticorporate sentiments and people of color. We have seen Nemo played by James Mason, Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart, Ben Cross and Robert Ryan, but in "The Mysterious Island," Verne's sort-of sequel to "Twenty Thousand Leagues," he identified Nemo as an Indian prince, as he is shown here, played by Shazad Latif, deposed by an imperial power, his wife and child murdered. The character is usually a bit of a madman, and this Nemo - pigheaded, bossy - is not wholly an exception, though he is also a young, smoldering, swashbuckling hero and a man more sinned against than sinning. We meet him as a prisoner of the British East India Mercantile Company, "the most powerful corporation to ever exist, more powerful than any country," which is building the Nautilus in India with slave labor, in pursuit, says villainous company director Crawley (Damien Garvey), of "prying open and exploiting the Chinese market." I'm not sure how a submarine is supposed to do that, but, eh, it's a reason. Nemo has been collaborating with the submarine's inventor, Gustave Benoit (Thierry Frémont), who had accepted the corporation's money under the promise that it would be used for exploration - scientists can be so dense. Nemo, whom the professor credits as the mind behind the ship's engine, has his own use for the Nautilus and executes a hasty escape with a half-random crew of fellow inmates in a deftly staged sequence that borrows heavily from "Indiana Jones," an inspirational well to which the series returns throughout. And we're off. On the agenda: escaping, revenge and finding buried treasure to finance revenge. When the Nautilus, hardly on its way, cripples the ship they're traveling on - under the impression that the sub is under attack - the crew is joined, unwillingly, by Humility Lucas (Georgia Flood), a science-minded British socialite with super engineering skills, who is being packed off to Bombay to marry the abominable Lord Pitt (Cameron Cuffe). She's accompanied by a chaperone/warder, Loti (Céline Menville), a Frenchwoman who has a mean way with a dagger, and cabin boy Blaster (Kayden Price). And a little dog too. Sparks obviously will fly between Nemo and Humility - bad sparks, then good sparks, as in an Astaire and Rogers movie - and there are actual sparks from a bad electrical connection Humility works out how to fix. Apart from Benoit, Humility and Loti, a big fellow named Jiacomo (Andrew Shaw), who hails from nobody knows where and speaks a language no one understands, and a British stowaway, the crew of the Nautilus are all people of color - South Asian, Asian, Middle Eastern, African or Pacific Islander. Few are really developed as characters, but the actors give them life, and the supporting players carry the comedy, of which there's a good deal. One episode inverts the tired old scenario in which white explorers are threatened with death by dark-skinned natives; here, the captors are Nordic warrior women. The show is anticolonial and anti-imperialist in a way that "Star Wars" taught audiences to recognize, if not necessarily recognize in the world around them, and anticapitalist in a way that movies have most always been. (The final episode, which has a financial theme, is titled "Too Big to Fail." It is quite absurd.) It can be slow at times, which is not inappropriate to a show that takes place largely underwater. But that its structure is essentially episodic keeps "Nautilus" colorful and more interesting than if it were simply stretched on the rack of a long arc across its 10 episodes. It's a lot like (pre-streaming) "Star Trek," which is, after all, a naval metaphor, its crew sailing through a hostile environment encountering a variety of monsters and cultures week to week; indeed, there are some similar storylines: the crew infected by a mystery spore, the ship threatened by tiny beasties and giant monsters, encounters with a tinpot dictator and semimythological figures - all the while being pursued by a Klingon Bird of Prey, sorry, a giant metal warship. The greatest hits of underwater adventuring (some from Verne's novel) are covered: volcanoes, giant squid, giant eel, engine trouble, running out of air and the ruins of a lost civilization (Is it Atlantis? Benoit hopes so). Less common: a cricket match on the ice. Apart from a pod of whales outside the window (and, later, a whale rescue), not a lot of time is devoted to the wonders of the sea - the special effects budget, which has in other respects been spent lavishly, apparently had no room left for schools of fish. But these submariners have other things on their minds. The odds of a second season, says my cloudy crystal ball, are limited, so you may have to accommodate a few minor cliffhangers if you decide to watch. I did not at all regret the time I spent here, even though I sometimes had no idea what was going on or found it ridiculous when I did, as there was usually some stimulating activity or bit of scenery or detail of steampunk design to enjoy. I mean, I watched an episode of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" recently, a 1960s submarine series, in which guest star John Cassavetes created a superbomb that could destroy three-quarters of the world, and almost nothing in it made any sense at all, including the presence of John Cassavetes. "Nautilus" is actually good. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Nautilus' gives Capt. Nemo a swashbuckling origin story
Certain elements of Jules Verne's 1870 novel 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' have become a TV series, 'Nautilus,' premiering Sunday on AMC, which picked up the show after Disney+, which ordered and completed it, let it drop. Created by James Dormer, it's not an adaptation but a prequel, or an origin story, as the comic book kids like to say, in which Nemo, not yet captain, sets sail in his submarine for the first time. Verne's imaginative fiction has inspired more and less faithful screen adaptations since the days of silent movies. (Georges Méliès 1902 'A Trip to the Moon,' based partially on Verne's 1865 'From the Earth to the Moon,' is accounted the first science-fiction film.) For a few midcentury years, perhaps inspired by the success of Disney's own '20,000 Leagues' — a film they continue to exploit in its theme parks — and Mike Todd's 'Around the World in 80 Days,' it was almost a cottage industry: 'Journey to the Center of the Earth,' 'In Search of the Castaways,' 'Five Weeks in a Balloon.' I grew up watching these films rerun on TV; they are corny and fun, as is 'Nautilus,' with fancier effects, anticorporate sentiments and people of color. We have seen Nemo played by James Mason, Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart, Ben Cross and Robert Ryan, but in 'The Mysterious Island,' Verne's sort-of sequel to 'Twenty Thousand Leagues,' he identified Nemo as an Indian prince, as he is shown here, played by Shazad Latif, deposed by an imperial power, his wife and child murdered. The character is usually a bit of a madman, and this Nemo — pigheaded, bossy — is not wholly an exception, though he is also a young, smoldering, swashbuckling hero and a man more sinned against than sinning. We meet him as a prisoner of the British East India Mercantile Company, 'the most powerful corporation to ever exist, more powerful than any country,' which is building the Nautilus in India with slave labor, in pursuit, says villainous company director Crawley (Damien Garvey), of 'prying open and exploiting the Chinese market.' I'm not sure how a submarine is supposed to do that, but, eh, it's a reason. Nemo has been collaborating with the submarine's inventor, Gustave Benoit (Thierry Frémont), who had accepted the corporation's money under the promise that it would be used for exploration — scientists can be so dense. Nemo, whom the professor credits as the mind behind the ship's engine, has his own use for the Nautilus and executes a hasty escape with a half-random crew of fellow inmates in a deftly staged sequence that borrows heavily from 'Indiana Jones,' an inspirational well to which the series returns throughout. And we're off. On the agenda: escaping, revenge and finding buried treasure to finance revenge. When the Nautilus, hardly on its way, cripples the ship they're traveling on — under the impression that the sub is under attack — the crew is joined, unwillingly, by Humility Lucas (Georgia Flood), a science-minded British socialite with super engineering skills, who is being packed off to Bombay to marry the abominable Lord Pitt (Cameron Cuffe). She's accompanied by a chaperone/warder, Loti (Céline Menville), a Frenchwoman who has a mean way with a dagger, and cabin boy Blaster (Kayden Price). And a little dog too. Sparks obviously will fly between Nemo and Humility — bad sparks, then good sparks, as in an Astaire and Rogers movie — and there are actual sparks from a bad electrical connection Humility works out how to fix. Apart from Benoit, Humility and Loti, a big fellow named Jiacomo (Andrew Shaw), who hails from nobody knows where and speaks a language no one understands, and a British stowaway, the crew of the Nautilus are all people of color — South Asian, Asian, Middle Eastern, African or Pacific Islander. Few are really developed as characters, but the actors give them life, and the supporting players carry the comedy, of which there's a good deal. One episode inverts the tired old scenario in which white explorers are threatened with death by dark-skinned natives; here, the captors are Nordic warrior women. The show is anticolonial and anti-imperialist in a way that 'Star Wars' taught audiences to recognize, if not necessarily recognize in the world around them, and anticapitalist in a way that movies have most always been. (The final episode, which has a financial theme, is titled 'Too Big to Fail.' It is quite absurd.) It can be slow at times, which is not inappropriate to a show that takes place largely underwater. But that its structure is essentially episodic keeps 'Nautilus' colorful and more interesting than if it were simply stretched on the rack of a long arc across its 10 episodes. It's a lot like (pre-streaming) 'Star Trek,' which is, after all, a naval metaphor, its crew sailing through a hostile environment encountering a variety of monsters and cultures week to week; indeed, there are some similar storylines: the crew infected by a mystery spore, the ship threatened by tiny beasties and giant monsters, encounters with a tinpot dictator and semimythological figures — all the while being pursued by a Klingon Bird of Prey, sorry, a giant metal warship. The greatest hits of underwater adventuring (some from Verne's novel) are covered: volcanoes, giant squid, giant eel, engine trouble, running out of air and the ruins of a lost civilization (Is it Atlantis? Benoit hopes so). Less common: a cricket match on the ice. Apart from a pod of whales outside the window (and, later, a whale rescue), not a lot of time is devoted to the wonders of the sea — the special effects budget, which has in other respects been spent lavishly, apparently had no room left for schools of fish. But these submariners have other things on their minds. The odds of a second season, says my cloudy crystal ball, are limited, so you may have to accommodate a few minor cliffhangers if you decide to watch. I did not at all regret the time I spent here, even though I sometimes had no idea what was going on or found it ridiculous when I did, as there was usually some stimulating activity or bit of scenery or detail of steampunk design to enjoy. I mean, I watched an episode of 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' recently, a 1960s submarine series, in which guest star John Cassavetes created a superbomb that could destroy three-quarters of the world, and almost nothing in it made any sense at all, including the presence of John Cassavetes. 'Nautilus' is actually good.
Geek Girl Authority
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
New TV Shows This Week (June 29 - July 5)
Welcome to another edition of New TV Shows. This week, Dora the Explorer is taking over with a new season and a new movie. Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea comes to life on AMC+. Charlize Theron returns to Netflix with a sequel to The Old Guard . And The Sandman delivers its final season. Some exciting series, including some animated ones, are premiering this week. Get ready because things are about to get good. Here's what's new on TV for June 29 – July 5. NEW ON TV, JUNE 29 – JULY 5 June 29 – Nautilus Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea becomes a TV series on AMC and AMC+. Shazad Latif, George Flood, Céline Menville and Thierry Fremont join the show to tell the story of Captain Nemo as he escapes prison. The first two episodes will introduce the captain and his motley crew of outlaws as they embark on a new mission. Nautilus premieres Sunday, June 29 at 3/2 am on AMC+ and 9/8c on AMC. RELATED: Nautilus Sets Out With Humility in a Double-Decker Sneak Peek of Its Premiere July 2 – Dora Season 3 of Paramount+'s Dora coincides with the 25th anniversary of Dora the Explorer . To celebrate this huge milestone, the show will air an hour-long birthday-themed episode that features Diego as well. The season will get viewers excited for the upcoming fourth season. Dora Season 3 premieres Wednesday, July 2 at 3/2 am on Paramount+. RELATED: TV Review: Nautilus Series Premiere July 2 – Head of State In Prime Video's Head of State, the UK Prime Minister and the US President are public enemies, threatening to destroy the alliances their countries have built. However, they must come together to fight a common and powerful enemy. To survive, they join forces with an MI6 agent. John Cena, Idris Elba and Priyanka Chopra Jonas lead a cast that includes Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root and Carla Gugino. Head of State premieres Wednesday, July 2 at 3/2 am on Prime Video. RELATED: TV Review: Ironheart July 2 – The Old Guard 2 Charlize Theron returns to Netflix for The Old Guard 2 . The sequel finds Andy and her team of immortal warriors fighting a new enemy who has escaped an underwater prison. Meanwhile, Andy must join forces with an old friend to unlock the mystery behind immortal existence, or risk having everything she worked for over the last thousand years destroyed. The movie also features Matthias Schoenaerts, Veronica Van, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The Old Guard 2 premieres Wednesday, July 2 at 3/2 am on Netflix. July 2 – Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado Daniella Pineda, Samantha Lorraine, Jacqueline Obradors and Jacob Rodriguez bring Dora, Diego and their friends to life in Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado . Nickelodeon releases a new film to celebrate how far Dora the Explorer has come throughout the years. This time around, Dora and her friends go on a journey through the Amazonian jungle to find the legendary Sol Dorado. Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado premieres Wednesday, July 2 at 7/6c on Nickelodeon. RELATED: Steven Universe Gets Prime Video Sequel Lars of the Stars July 3 – The Sandman The Sandman returns to Netflix for a second and final season. The first six episodes premiere this week, while the remaining will be available to stream toward the end of the month. The season begins a few weeks after where Season 1 left off. This means viewers will find Dream restoring and rebuilding his kingdom. His goal is to leave the past behind and look to the future, but things may not be as he expects them to be. The Sandman Season 2 premieres Thursday, July 3 at 3/2 am on Netflix. RELATED: The End Is Here in Explosive First Trailer for The Sandman Season 2 July 5 – The Summer Hikaru Died Netflix is bringing a new series based on the manga The Summer Hikaru Died . The show will focus on Yoshiki Tsujinaka's story as he discovers a mysterious being has replaced his best friend. He begins to notice certain differences that make him wonder where his real friend is. The series discusses grief, loss, and the supernatural. The Summer Hikaru Died premieres Saturday, July 5 at 3/2 am on Netflix. Check back next week for What's New on TV for July 6-12. This Original NARUTO Scene Still Holds Up 20 Years Later By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature who works in PR. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Eulalie Magazine, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Captain Nemo Is Indian? ‘Nautilus' Helps Correct the Record.
In the 1870 novel '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,' by Jules Verne, the submarine commander Captain Nemo is an often sullen recluse consumed by rage against the imperialist nation that murdered his wife and children. (That would be Britain.) In the 1954 Disney adaptation, in what is arguably his best-known screen representation, Nemo is still sullen, but the object of his outrage is much less clear. Brought to life by the British actor James Mason, this Nemo plays melancholy tunes on his pipe organ, his anger now directed at a 'hated nation' of capitalists and warmongers that seems a lot like Britain, yet goes conspicuously unnamed. There have been dozens of screen adaptations of the adventure classic over the years, from feature films to TV series to radio plays. Despite their differences — and there have been many — a fairly uniform picture of Captain Nemo has emerged: brooding, relatively sedentary (to be fair, this is a guy who spends a good chunk of his time 'under the sea'), 50s-ish, taciturn and almost always white. The hero of the AMC series 'Nautilus,' which premieres on Sunday, is not that Nemo. He is young, for one, his story beginning with the maiden voyage of the Nautilus, decades before he has had a chance to become jaded and sour. He is also an action hero, battling with swords and cannons and rifles, going mano a mano with a giant squid and riding atop a mammoth harpooned whale swimming at full speed. 'I spent most of that day soaking wet on top of this mechanical whale,' said Shazad Latif, who plays Nemo. 'They had to ferry my makeup artist over to me on this little paddle board for redos and touch-ups.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Love Island USA,' Looney Tunes, and more weekend streaming picks
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.' Warner Bros. Animation 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie' It's still an absolute travesty that Warner Bros. Discovery Available on Max Advertisement New TV show now available to stream Shazad Latif as Captain Nemo in "Nautilus." Vince Valitutti/Disney+ 'Nautilus' If you've already binge-watched the Available Sunday on AMC+ Advertisement Binge-worthy weekend TV picks From left: Andreina Santos, Bryan Arenales, Michelle "Chelley" Bissainthe, Chris Seeley, and Iris Kendall. Peacock/Ben Symons/Peacock 'Love Island USA' Need a bingeable, guilty pleasure? Take a trip over to 'Love Island USA,' streaming on Peacock (the first three seasons are also available on Hulu). A spinoff of the hit British reality series, the American version also involves ready-to-mingle singles who must couple up at Casa Amor for a chance at love and also money. The current season also features Boston 'bombshell' Bryan Arenales, who Seasons 1-3 available on Hulu; seasons 4-7 available on Peacock 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Ahead of season 3's debut next month, beam up and binge watch the first two seasons of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' on Paramount+. If you're iffy on Trek shows, 'Strange New Worlds' may just change your mind, with its sleek reimagining of the Enterprise ship and its crew, along with its refreshingly bright and entertaining story lines. The acclaimed series stars Anson Mount ('Hell on Wheels') as the perfectly coiffed Captain Pike, with Ethan Peck ('10 Things I Hate About You') as the stoic Spock, the Vulcan first made famous by late Boston native Leonard Nimoy. Available on Paramount+ Movie night pick From left: Olivia Cooke and Thomas Mann in "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl." Anne Marie Fox/20th Century Fox 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's coming-of-age tale 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Streaming this month on Hulu, the heartbreaking drama follows the budding friendship between Greg (Thomas Mann) and Earl (RJ Cyler), teenage boys who become pals with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a classmate dying of cancer. It's a sweet and, ultimately, sad story that explores how relationships and connections, no matter how brief, can change lives. Available on Hulu Matt Juul is the assistant digital editor for the Living Arts team at the Boston Globe, with over a decade of experience covering arts and entertainment. Advertisement Matt Juul can be reached at
