Around the World in 80 Days [DVD] [2004]

There were a few 'chuckle' moments - but nothing that was really hilarious... although I did like the bit with Arnie in it. I was looking forward to watching a really funny comedy film - and felt like instead like I'd chosen a Kung Fu action film!

How different becomes clear as soon as your realize the star of the film is not the actor playing Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan), but the one playing his valet. This is now a Jackie Chan movie and he plays Lau Xing who pretends to be a valet named Passepartout for reasons that become clear early on in the film. Director Frank Coraci ("The Wedding Singer," "The Waterboy") makes a key alteration in the Fogg characters as well, making him an inventor. This allows Coraci to work in the sort of futuristic devices that have always distinguished the works of Jules Verne, although this was not especially true of "Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours."

The question then is how much you like Jackie Chan and his inventive fight choreography, although how young you are might be helpful too. This time around the movie is a Walt Disney production, which explains the types of fights as much as it does Fogg's wild inventions. Once again Fogg is dismissed as a crackpot by the stuffy members of the Explorer's Club, and the race around the globe is a bet between Fogg and Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent). Historically, Kelvin not only has one of those scientific terms named for him but was the sort of man of no vision who basically dismissed the possibility of all of the scientific wonders that were to come, so he becomes a suitable foil for Fogg. Not only is Kelvin an idiot, he is no sportsman, and having declared Fogg's goal impossible has sent agents to make sure he is right about one thing in his life. If Fogg fails, he has to give up inventing (horrors!), but if he wins, Kelvin will quit the club (oh, yeah, that is of equal value...).

There is a subplot involving a priceless Jade Buddha being stolen from the Bank of England for Passepartout and a young, French impressionist painter, Monique (Cecile De France) for Fogg to figure out he is in love with within 80 days. Computer generated special effects take care of getting the trio from one set piece to the next and I have to say that I really liked the whole bit Chan does with the parts of the Statue of Liberty sitting around in the warehouse in New York. Yes, what happens to Lady Liberty gets a bit outrageous, but Chan is so inventive and even after all these years he still gets you to keep your eyes on him with everything he does. I still think he combines the athleticism of Gene Kelly with the inventiveness of Fred Astaire (the man danced with hat racks, and Chan takes the same approach).

The main problem with the film is that the character of Fogg is never as interesting as his fascinating inventions or as cute as Monique, so he is playing fourth fiddle to Chan's fight gags. The original is apparently the film for which the term "cameo" was first used to refer to a small part by a famous person in a movie and the other disappointment in the remake is that this is a minor part of the fun this time around. Everybody knows about Ah-nold, but there are not even a dozen such cameos this time around. Luke and Owen Wilson have a nice little bit when they pop up literally in the middle of nowhere at the right time, while John Cleese pops up for too brief of a moment, but at least Kathy Bates gets a choice part. It is because of Bates and Lady Liberty that this film ends on the upswing and while not a classic it is still an enjoyable romp.