Around the World in 80 Days (2004) Review (Updated)

Around the World in 80 Days

Release Date: 26th August 2004 - Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Walden Media (presents)

Spanknyce Films

Mostow/Lieberman Productions
Babelsburg Film
Fitzwilliam Productions
80 Days Productions

Telepool

Universum Film (UFA) 

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Comedy/Adventure

Rating: PG

Runtime: 119 minutes


Budget: $110,000,000

Box Office Gross: $72,175,895 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In Victorian England,

Phileas Fogg, an inventor,

plans to travel around the

world in just 80 days. 

Phileas accepts a

challenge from another

explorer to undertake

the journey. His servant,

Passepartout, and

Monique, a beautiful

navigator, accompany

Phileas on his journey.

The trio embarks on a

globe-spanning adventure,

employing any means

of transport and

Passepartout's martial

arts skills.

Cast

Steve Coogan - Phileas Fogg

Jackie Chan - Passepartout/Lau Xing

Cécile de France - Monique Laroche
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
Ewen Bremmer - Inspector Fix
Arnold Schwarzenegger - Prince Hapi (Cameo)
Yin Tze Pan - Lau Xing's Mother
Yotaka Cheukaew - Little Jing
Sammo Kam-Bo Hung - Wong Fei Hung
Prasit Wongrakthai - Man Ting
Daniel Wu - Bak Mei 

Rob Schneider - San Francisco

Hobo (Cameo)
Luke Wilson - Orville Wright

(Cameo)

Owen Wilson - Wilbur Wright (Cameo)
Mark Addy - Steamer Captain (Cameo)

John Cleese - Grizzled Solider (Cameo)
Will Forte - Young Bobby (Cameo)
Kathy Bates - Queen Victoria (Cameo)

Crew

Director - Frank Coraci

Based on Novel "Around the

World in Eighty Days" - Jules

Verne 

Screenplay - David N. Titcher, 

David Benullo and David Andrew Goldstein

Associate Producers - Dallas Hartman, Aimee Keen, Alex Leung and Stephen Barker 

Executive Producers - Willie Chan, Solon So, Alex & Alexandra Schwartz and Phyllis Alia
Co-Executive Producers - Jeff Goeffray and Walter Josten
Producer - Hal Lieberman

Producer/Supervising Unit

Production Manager - Bill Badalato

Co-Producers - Henning Molfenter and Thierry Potok

Casting Director - Amy Kaufman 
Production Designer - Perry Andelin Blake
Supervising Art Director - Gary Freeman

Art Director - Pat Tagliaferro

Assistant Art Directors - Robert Cowper, Andy Thomson, Jason Knox-Johnston and Sarah Horton 

Set Decorator - Jille Azis

Prop Master - Barry Gibbs
Costume Designer - Anna Sheppard

Makeup and Hair Design -

Christine Blundell
Director of Photography -

Phil Meheux

Aerial Director of Photography: Hong Kong and China Units - Adam Dale 

Second Unit Director/Director

of Photography - Harvey Harrison

Camera Operator: US Unit - Philippe Carr-Foerster 

"A" Camera Operator: 2nd Unit - Thailand - David Worley

Unit Manager: UK - Mark Mostyn

First Assistant Director - Nick Heckstall-Smith

Stunt Coordinator - Rick Forsayeth
Stunt/Action Coordinator: Jackie Chan - Chung Chi Li

Senior Effects Supervisor - Kit West
Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nefzer

Lead Special Effects Technician: Thailand

Crew - John Evans

Visual Effects Supervisor - Jessica Norman
Visual Effects Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -
Derek Spears

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rushes - Jonathan Privet 

Visual Effects Coordinator - Susan Pickett
Visual Effects Producer - Susan Zwerman

Visual Effects Producer: Rushes - Louise Hussey
Creative Supervisor: Jim Henson's Creature

Shop - John Stephenson

Head of Digital Production: Jim Henson's
Creature Shop - Michael S. Pryor 

Executive Producer: Rhythm & Hues - Lee Berger
Digital Effects Supervisor: Cinesite - Simon Haslett
Digital Effects Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -
Bud Myrick

Matte Artist - Charles Darby

Pre-Visualization Consultant: Rhythm & Hues -

Bill Westenhofer

Lead Animator: Rhythm & Hues - Joe Ksander 

Editor - Tom Lewis

Supervising Sound Editor - Patrick Dodd

Sound Designer - Nick Adams

Supervising Re-Recording Mixer - Gerry Humphreys

Re-Recording Mixers - Graham Daniel

and Steve Single
Music/Synthesizers Programmer - Trevor Jones

Review

Over the years, there have been several movie adaptations of Jules Verne's classic novel AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. Regarding the book, you could revisit the notable 1956 classic or explore the loose modern interpretation with martial arts superstar Jackie Chan. Some consider this version to be an unfaithful translation of the original storyline. The involvement of Chan and Happy Madison director Frank Coraci does not improve this interpretation. The experimentation with action and comedy in a globetrotting adventure set in the 19th century is not in the original novel. The humour is necessary for this 2004 flop, but the changes throughout the entire story are a quick turn-off to those who were Vernians. The character of Passepartout's ethnicity underwent a change from French to Asian.

The Chinese action star at the time was making a string of a few, poor, heavily CGI-laden movies that came out between his successful Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon series. There is no excuse for Jackie Chan being in this movie. He is a full-time stunt expert and comic genius who often felt out of place in this film and killed all the other planned adaptations. Steve Coogan makes a good impression as the well-mannered and quirky inventor Phileas Fogg. Unfortunately, he plays the foil to Chan's character rather than portraying the main hero as intended in Jules Verne's original novel. There are many cameos from other actors, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Will Forte, in his debut.

Overall, this adaptation was forgettable at best and could have been worse. This movie is not for Vernians, as it barely draws on the source material. If you aren't a Vernian, you might enjoy the feature more.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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