Around the World in 80 Days (2004 film)
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| Around the World in 80 Days | |
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| Directed by | Frank Coraci |
| Produced by | Bill Badalato |
| Written by | Jules Verne (novel), David N. Titcher, David Benullo & David Goldstein |
| Starring | Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cécile de France |
| Music by | Trevor Jones |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures Walden Media |
| Release date(s) | 16 June 2004 (USA) |
| Running time | 120 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$110,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
Around the World in 80 Days is an adaptation based on Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days.
Like the original story, 80 Days is set in 19th Century England and centers on inventor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) and his efforts to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. During the trip he is accompanied by his Chinese valet Passepartout (Jackie Chan).
The film boasted several big stars and contained many celebrity cameos. The picture was not popular and ended up generating a huge loss for the studio. It is now considered one of the largest box office bombs in cinema history.
Tagline: Let your imagination soar.
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[edit] Plot summary
The film starts with a man (later known to be Jackie Chan), robbing and escaping from the Bank of England. To escape from the police, he becomes servant to Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan), a scientist trying to break the 50mph speed barrier. After succeeding to do so, and Passepartout (the name Jackie uses as Fogg's servant) succeeding to avoid the police, they head to the Royal Academy of Science. Here Fogg is called names by other 'brilliant minds', in particular the bombastic Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent), who believes that all is known that can be known. In his blind rage, Fogg places a bet to see if it was possible (as his calculations said) to travel around the world in 80 days. If he won, he'd become leader of the RAS (Royal Academy of Science) and if he didn't he would tear down his lab and never invent anything again.
Passepartout and Phileas retreat to Phileas' home where he mourns on his foolish decision, yet Passepartout said he bet in something he believed in, and that made the bet in no way foolish. Without losing a moment, they take a carriage and leave London, after crossing with Inspector Fix (Ewen Bremner), who was hired to stop them from traveling around the world.
They then travel to Paris, where Passepartout has to evade minions sent by the murderous female soldier General Fang out after what he stolen: the Jade Buddha, which is a sign of good fortune. Pretending to take Phileas to a convention with Thomas Edison, he leads him instead to a Art School, where Phileas meets Monique (Cécile de France). Realising how busy his boss is, Passepartout fights the minions using every material available: canvas, brushes, buckets of paint, etc... Meanwhile Phileas and Monique discuss Monique's paintings of 'impossible things', such as dogs playing poker. This is when Phileas sees a painting of a man with wings. To make a machine that could allow men to fly was always Phileas's dream, and he felt touched. All of a sudden Passepartout returns and tells his boss they're late. The three of them (Monique went with them as well) jumped into a big balloon and cut the ropes. Passepartout had to jump out as a lady had one of Phileas' bags. Once the bag was retrieved he grabbed a longer rope and began to climb.
They then traveled to Turkey, where they were greeted by none other than Prince Hapi (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Here they relaxed in a pool but Hapi only allowed the two boys to leave, for Monique would stay to be his 7th wife (one for each day of the week). The two guys did leave, but just before exiting the palace, they tilted Hapi's statue of himself naked and held tightly so that it would not actually fall over (and break). They ordered Monique to join them (and Hapi agreed) and then for the guards to drop the weapons (Hapi agreed yet again), and then for everybody to get inside (Hapi agreed). Phileas was preparing to give yet another order before breaking the statue's right arm, he then let go of the statue which ultimately fell and broke. Passepartout and Monique grabbed the luggage and ran, where Phileas (still in shock and holding the arm), stood still a few moments then ran as well. By the time they were outside Passepartout took the arm off Phileas and used it to block the doors.
By this time the Royal Academy leader Lord Kelvin was furious, when news came that it was Phileas's servant that had stolen the Jade Buddha. He found Fogg stupider, as he was carrying the thief without knowing. All of a sudden, Lord Salisbury came up with a marvelous idea: Maybe Phileas did know, and that's why he fled England. When word came they had past Turkey, they warned India (their next stop) to prepare to take them.
Now in India, Passepartout saw a wanted flyer with him and Phileas, and warned his boss and Monique. Disguised as local women, they fooled the Police, yet not the minions Passepartout had met in Paris. One hung Monique like a coat on a peg, while another fought Passepartout using chains he had wrapped around his body. Phileas was left to fight the first one, using a walking stick. He noticed a button and out off one end came a sextant, which used to cut a rope which made a large cloth fall on the minion. For Passepartout it wasn't so easy, as he ran into Fix who put his cuffs on him and himself, so they were tied by the wrists (the large bully wasn't there at the time). When the bully came back he fought the two of them who had no choice but to run, but were able to knock him out. Fix also got knocked out in the process. They then disguised Fix as a regular Englishman rather than English Inspector, and shouted "that's the man who stole the bank of England!". Now unsure where to go to, for the trains were guarded and the ships only left to other British colonies, Passepartout had the idea of escaping to China.
Knowing China as he did, Passepartout led them to his village, where they were happily greeted. Here more minions arrived, but for once Passepartout was not alone, as he had the help of 9 'tigers', legendary wearriors who had learnt to fight by observing animals' behaviour. By the end Passepartout revealed himself to be Lau Xing, one of the 10 tigers, and that he had used Phileas to return the magical Jade Buddha to his village, which it would look over and protect. Monique revelead she also knew this since Turkey, and Phileas was heartbroken.
Phileas now felt he was to continue alone, and this is what he did. He traveled to San Francisco, where he was fooled by a false 'sick lady' who in the end stole his luggage and money. Left alone to live in the streets, Phileas knew not what to do, until he was found by Lau Xing and Monique, who helped him continue the journey by crossing the desert with him.
It was here that they found the Wright brothers (brothers Owen and Luke Wilson), and the 3 inventors discussed the flying machine. Taking a look at the plans (which Wilbur Wright claimed to be his silly brother's doing), Phileas found them brilliant and suggested a few mere changes (Wilbur said he was proud of his brother and had always believed in him).
Lau Xing (still called Passepartout because of force of habit on the other people's part), Monique and Phileas' next stop was New York, where a massive crowd who had placed bets for against Phileas winning, greeted them and made it impossible for them to pass and reach their ship. A policeman allowed this to be possible, by taking them through a building he called a shortcut. Here more minions awaited them, ready for one last face-off. They knew Phileas didn't have the Jade Buddha however if Phileas won the bet, their boss Lord Kelvin would lose his position in the RAS and couldn't pay them for their duties.
A major battle between the three friends and General Fang and her minions started in the workshop where the statue of liberty was made, with Lau Xing using his skill to stop his enemies and the other two using luck. In the end the three friends were victorious, or so it seemed, as the minions had stalled them enough to make them lose their ship to England.
Phileas felt like he had lost, but the other two said they might still make it if they caught the next ship. Phileas knew the unlikelihood of this yet chose to carry on. The old ship was owned by a sailor who had lost both his nipples in an attack by a shark. Phileas told the captain they weren't going fast enough, and after a lot of talking, he managed to convince the captain to let him build a plane out of the old wood from the ship, in exchange for a new ship and a surgery to give him new nipples.
The building started and soon was over. Using the changed Wright brother's plans, Phileas built a machine that seemed to work. On it was Lau Xing (pedaling), Phileas (driving), and Monique (commenting). The machine was working fine and soon they reached London. Then, the machine began to fall apart and they had a crash-landing in front of the RAS. Phileas looked at his watch, and realised he had failed. It was just past 12 o'clock and he was supposed to be there at 12.
Lord Kelvin, victorious, proclaims himself the victor. However, in the process he insults the Queen of England, who is nearby listening. He was arrested.
Phileas is also lucky enough not to have lost the bet; he is one day early thanks to crossing the international date line, yet believed himself late because of an error on the part of Lau Xing. He ascends the stairs of the Academy and there embraces Monique.
[edit] Response
Around the World in 80 Days was not very well received by film critics, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 32% "Rotten" rating [1]. With production costs of about US$ 110 million, and estimated marketing costs of $30 million, it earned only US$ 24 million at the US box office, and US$ 72 million world wide, making it a box office bomb [2].
[edit] Notes
- Frank Coraci, who directed this film, makes a brief cameo appearance.
- In true Jackie Chan tradition the film includes a cameo by Sammo Hung. In this film, he briefly appears in the role of Wong Fei Hung, a real-life Chinese martial arts master of the period, who leads an equally legendary group of martial artists known as the Ten Tigers of Canton (Jackie's character being one of the ten).
- Many of Fogg's discoveries were from people such as Thomas Henry Huxley (dinosaurs), Charles Robert Darwin (evolution), Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot (automobiles), James Clerk Maxwell (radio waves) and Orville and Wilbur Wright (flying machines).
- This is the first Buena Vista movie Chan has ever been in.
- Featured the first and only time Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear in a motion picture together. They would later appear in a 2005 advertisement against movie piracy.
- It was also the second film to feature Chan and Owen Wilson together with an appearance of Queen Victoria after Shanghai Knights.
- Many of the gaps between the different scenes (usually animations of the world) are very different and virtually impossible, such as a trip over the Himalayas and across the whole China in less than a month. This trip would have taken place on horse or on foot on poor roads and lasted much longer than 80 days alone. The route was changed from that described in the book. The entire nation of Japan is omitted.
- Particularly the last parts of the film contain an almost Monty Python style of humour. Not at all surprisingly John Cleese also appears near the end of the film as a London bobby.
- Around the World in 80 Days was produced in Super 35 mm film cinematographic format.
[edit] Trivia
- The American sailor claims he has lost his nipples to a shark attack. In reality, nipples are one of the only parts of the human body that regenerates; thus, they would have grown back on their own.
- This is a rare instance of a Disney movie being distributed by various other studios outside the US, since many companies were involved in production of the movie, and in some countries, notably the UK, the film doesn't credit Walt Disney Pictures.
- By Frat Pack standards, this film is considered a Frat Pack movie because it includes both Owen Wilson and his brother Luke Wilson in cameo roles.
- During the Fight around the Statue of Liberty, she is shown as having a green color. In reality, she would have been copper-colored, as she hadn't been exposed to the seawater yet.
- When Jackie Chan gets thrown off the car after the world speed record break, he resembles Spring Heeled Jack with his cone shaped helmet and jumping ability.
[edit] Box office
U.S. Gross Domestic Takings: US$ 24,008,137
- + Other International Takings: $48,170,758
= Gross Worldwide Takings: $72,178,895
[edit] Cast
Listed in the order they appear in the credits:
- Jackie Chan as the Passepartout
- Steve Coogan as Phileas Fogg
- Cécile de France as Monique
- Jim Broadbent as Lord Kelvin
- Kathy Bates as Queen Victoria
- Arnold Schwarzenegger as Prince Hapi
- John Cleese as Grizzled sergeant
- Will Forte as Police officer
- Owen Wilson as Wilbur Wright
- Ian McNeice as Col. Kitchener
- Luke Wilson as Orville Wright
- Rob Schneider as a Hobo
- Mark Addy as Steamer captain
- Ewen Bremner as Inspector Fix
- Marsha Yuen
- Maggie Q as Female Scorpion agent
- Sammo Hung as Wong Fei Hung
- Mars
- Karen Joy Morris (aka Karen Mok) as Gen. Fang
- Daniel Wu as Bak Mei
- Richard Branson as Hot air balloon operator
- Frank Coraci (the film's director) as Wealthy dapper pedestrian
- Adam Godley as Mr. Sutton
- Macy Gray as Sleepy Frenchwoman
- Michael Kuroiwa as Scorpion agent
- Natalie Denise Sperl as Stunning woman
- Wolfram Teufel
- Don Theerathada as Ho/10 Tigers
- Michaël Youn
- Robert Fyfe as Jean Michel
