A classic story told in a new modern way, with Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan teaming up for a Hollywood blockbuster. I don’t remember Steve selling his soul for Hollywood stardom but he has appeared in quite a few movies now I think of it. This is a large budget Hollywood movie that bombed at the box office and to be fair I can see why.
It could be argued that it is another case of Disney remaking a movie classic and making it more modern and shite but there are many aspects of this movie I liked. Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan for one. It was released in 2004 directed by Frank Coraci and taking up 2 hours of your valuable time. But then again, they have cramped a whole 80 days into those teeny tiny 2 hours. Coogan Plays Phileas Fogg in a stand-up pompous way that has a hint of Alan Partridge about it the way he tries to be the typical English stiff up lip gentleman that keeps making errors and prat falls. He is joined by Lau Xing (Jackie Chan) who has just robbed the Bank of England and sees Phileas as his way to escape. Fogg is bullied by Jim Broadbent who plays a Lord of some name or other (hang on I’m checking) the famous Lord Kelvin at the Ministry for Science and in the argument the bet is made for Fogg to travel the world in 80 days. So, the two travel via trains, boats and flying cars around the world. Xing trying to return the gem he stole back to his village and some various adventures on route back to London before the clock strikes midnight on the 80th Day.
Critics hated this movie and so did cinema goers to a certain extent as well with the general consensus being that it bares little to the novel it was supposed to be based on and took its name from. Honestly, I can see why it is not a great film and with a $110m budget they should have created a joy to be believed but what you got was a star-studded film that flatters to deceive. Did I enjoy it, well I didn’t mind it as much as some out there for me its too long to be a kids movie and not entertaining enough to keep the grown ups happy so it falls between two plates and ended up shattering on the floor rather than flying to the moon.
Comments