20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film) that the film "may occasionally succumb to some of the problems inherent in the source material (the episodic nature does slow the pace), but the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses, making this one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made." Audiences remember it primarily for its giant-squid battle sequence as well as the "Nautilus" itself and James Mason's portrayal of Nemo. The film currently holds an 89% approval rating at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being: "One of Disney's finest live-action adventures, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" brings Jules Verne's classic sci-fi tale to vivid life,
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne in possession of powerful technologies, and other ideas—Zeman also opted to include themes and elements of other Verne novels. For example, the undersea sequences include references to "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", and the aircraft "Albatross" from "Robur the Conqueror" also makes an appearance. Another Verne novel, "The Mysterious Island", may also have supplied some details. The film also pays tribute to the style of the pioneering early filmmaker Georges Méliès. Zeman likely saw Méliès's work at the Czech National Film Archive in Prague, where hand-colored prints were available of "The Impossible Voyage" (1904), "The Witch" (1906), and "The