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 Chris' Review: Well, first of all, if anyone was expecting an accurate adaptation of Jules Verne's book, or even a decent remake of the classic 1956 version, you're going to be in for severe disappointment. Seriously, there isn't much in this movie that even hints at either, other than the main characters' names and the title. Ok, now that I have that out of the way, I'm going to review it as if it was an original screenplay (which isn't far from the truth!) Since Jim didn't have a chance to see it, I'll give a quickie synopsis: An eccentric scientist, named Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) is struggling to be taken seriously in the late 1800's by the Royal Science Academy. He barges in to their little club and announces his newest discovery. In the process of being made fun of, he accepts a wager that, due to the new rail systems and steam ships, he can circumnavigate the globe in no more than 80 days. So he and his new porter, Passepartout (Jackie Chan) set out to do just that. Of course, the Science Academy, specifically it's head officer, doesn't play fair. Not to mention, it seems that Passepartout is actually a bank robber. It all works out in the end, and Jackie Chan isn't really a bad guy. Now, as I said, this has very little to do with the book. The Jackie Chan subplot does more to further Chinese mythology than the movie does service to the book. Also, keeping in mind that it's a Disney flick and designed for kids... I loved it! Ok, the story was cheesy and predictable, most of the acting was WAY over the top... but that's fine! It's a kids movie, it's not freakin' Shakespeare! The entire thing was non-stop fun. From flashy scenery, wild explosions, manic fight scenes (a Jackie Chan specialty) and dozens of prat-falls, to subtle art humor (ie. a broken arm from Rodan's "Thinker" being used to bar a door (the "Thinker" was originally designed to be part of a colossal door, [Thanks Erin!]) to spectacular uses of CGI in the cutaways to "paint" 3D animated masterworks of the next scene. I really can't say enough about the direction of this film. Jackie Chan gets his own paragraph here: What can I say, I've never been a huge fan of Jackie because he always likes to play the fool. He has these amazing martial arts moves, he can make anything into a weapon, but he always ends up looking like a schmuck. Maybe he just likes it that way. Maybe it's to offset his godlike skills, to bring him down to earth for the masses to enjoy. Maybe he's just a nutjob. Whatever works for him, I guess, but for that reason, I've always had a hard time relating to his characters. This movie is an exception to the rule. Sure, Jackie still gets blown up and bitten and smacked in the nuts, but for the most part, they downplay his portion of slapstick. It's good to see him being the straight hero and letting Phileas Fogg be the comic relief. (although, this movie was just one big comedy relief character followed by another!) So bravo to Jackie Chan! I hope to some day see him in a completely serious film along the lines of what Jet Li does. "Were there any cameos?", you might ask. Boy-howdy, were there! I can't even name them all! Some of the ones that I remember were: John Cleese (ever the fan), Luke and Owen Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger (as a completely hilarious, but wholly unbelievable, Turkish Prince), and Rob Schneider. I also noticed in the credits (that's why I watch 'em, folks!) that Macy Gray was in there somewhere...but for the life of me, I can't remember who she played! The movie didn't really need all these cameos, but they sure were fun. I could have done with a little less of Arnold, though. I was going to say something nasty about Cécile De France's acting, but I'm just going to let it go because she really didn't detract from the overall movie. All in all, this is getting 6 thumbs up. I really enjoyed it, but it's still a kids' movie...and at the end of it I just wanted to brush my teeth before I developed cavities. Yes, I will be getting the DVD when it comes out, mainly because I could watch those scene changes over and over again!   Jim's Review: Jim is unable to write a review this week. He could not attend the movie, as he was otherwise occupied with saving a burning bus full of nuns, puppies, and orphans from toppling over a cliff into a pit of pirhanas and alligators. Really. BackHome - Info - Reviews - Map - Message Board - Photo Album |
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