Review of Around the World in 80 Days (2004) by Christy R — 14 Mar 2009

"What's the point in hiring a corrupt inspector when he can't even abuse the Law properly?" - Lord Kelvin.

This is not a remake of the original movie. It is also not a faithful adaptation to Jules Verne's literary work. This is a delightful comedic version of a story many of us have enjoyed. Now as a version of Around the World in 80 Days which lists Passepartout before Phileas Fogg, this had no business pulling itself out of the mire. Passepartout is a supporting character, not the main. However, Jackie Chan's Passepartout was the star. Steve Coogan proved himself more than capable of commenting the Phileas Fogg role and did so with a crisp dignity one can only hold in regard. Jackie Chan exhibits some of his most inspired comedic martial arts to date in this production. This was not the blow-by-blow retelling of Jules Verne's vision. But that did not take away one ounce of enjoyment. It was entertaining and deftly captured the spirit of Jules Verne's work. True, the original work was not a comedy, but if you've read Jules Verne, you'll understand that he did have a wonderful sense of humor. He included characters in his works which were present for no other purpose than comic relief. Jackie Chan's Passepartout fits that mold perfectly. This production possesses every aspect held dear in the novel. There is adventure, comedy, beautiful vistas from great locations all around the world, and inventions. It presented a beautiful culminating blend of many of the themes from Jules Verne's works. There are many gentle reminders of Jules Verne's vision and his novels scattered all through this attempt. This is a fun, entertaining and heart-warming retelling of a classic story.