Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Director:

Frank Coraci

Writers (WGA):

Jules Verne (novel)
David N. Titcher (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Romance | Western

Tagline:

The race begins: June 16.

Plot:

A bet pits a British inventor, a Chinese thief, and a French artist on a worldwide adventure that they can circle the globe in 80 days.

Plot Keywords:

Around The World | Inventor | Buddha | Martial Arts | Bank Robbery

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jackie Chan	...	Passepartout / Lau Xing
Steve Coogan	...	Phileas Fogg
Robert Fyfe	...	Jean Michel
Jim Broadbent	...	Lord Kelvin
Ian McNeice	...	Colonel Kitchener
David Ryall	...	Lord Salisbury
Roger Hammond	...	Lord Rhodes
Adam Godley	...	Mr. Sutton
Karen Mok	...	General Fang (as Karen Joy Morris)
Howard Cooper	...	Academy Member #1
Daniel Hinchcliffe	...	British Valet
Wolfram Teufel	...	Belgian Dignitary
Tom Strauss	...	Academy Member #2
Kit West	...	Academy Member #3
Ewen Bremner	...	Inspector Fix

Also Known As:

Around the World in Eighty Days (USA) (alternative spelling)
In 80 Tagen um die Welt (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for action violence, some crude humor and mild language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Ireland | UK

Language:

English | Cantonese | French | German | Hindi | Turkish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

France:U | Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Ireland:PG | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:10 | Canada:PG | Germany:6 | Iceland:10 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:11 | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #40586) | Finland:K-11

Filming Locations:

Babelsberg, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

When Fogg is stuck in San Francisco as a beggar, you can see on the wall behind him a poster advertising the mineral water "Hunyadi Janos". Named after a 15th century Hungarian general, this water had been discovered in 1862 and introduced to the US around the 1880's, whereafter the Hunyadi water became a widely used laxative for the next couple of decades. In fact, you can also note the word "laxative" on the poster.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the opening shot, Big Ben is shown on the south of the Thames, when it should be on the north.

Quotes:

Phileas Fogg: This is what happens when you leave home. You meet... people.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ministry of Mayhem: (2004-06-19)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

It's Slinky!

Decent entertainment, but forgettable.

Jackie Chan has had a mixed time of late in Hollywood. There was the good fun of Shanghai Knights and around that was the poor duo of Tuxedo and The Medallion. This falls somewhere in the middle. Around The World is good fun. It's not great but it has charm and energy and is the sort of mindless, competent movie making that is hard not to enjoy watching. It's forgettable, could have been much better, but all in all not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The look of the film feels very Disney. It is all very much orientated towards satisfying children. It's almost a cartoonish realism with the set design and costumes, clearly evident with Philleas Fogs gadget laden home. The action in the film and the looks could probably have been more gritty but in any case it looks very colourful and the various settings all catch the eye. It is clearly evident that the film had a lot spent on it, although some of the CGI effects are not of the standard expected from a $110 million film.

Cast-wise, Jackie Chan as ever is good. He's a comical genius and as usual performs his own stunts. The fight scenes are good. Nothing compared to Chan's Hong Kong stuff but far superior to much of his Hollywood action. Steve Coogan is someone I am a big fan of. He is the dog's hairy things as Alan Partridge. He is a comical genius. He doesn't seem as entirely natural here though and the character he creates doesn't always work. It seems too cartoony at times especially the accent. Cecile De France is very good as Coogan's love interest. She is attractive, in a cutesy sort of way but she has a charm and a likeability that works very well and the three leads seem to have a good chemistry. The rest of the cast are all excellent with a huge list of supporting parts and cameo's including an excellent Jim Broadbent, a great part for Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger, and it was great to see him on screen with Chan, also Rob Schneider, Luke and Owen Wilson, John Cleese, Kathy Bates, and particularly exciting to me as a Hong Kong action fan, Sammo Hung. The best supporting part for me was Ewan Bremner as the accident prone police sergeant.

Overall it's worth watching and is entertaining enough but don't expect it to blow your socks off. ***