Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
Is it worth risking everything for your beliefs? That’s the question eccentric inventor Phileas Fogg faces in this charming adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale.
Fogg starts out as someone most people today fear: a fundamentalist. That is, he doesn’t just talk about his faith; he actually lives it. However, it isn’t a particular religion that commands Fogg’s allegiance but science. He believes science can transform the world, and he would like nothing more than to prove it.
However, like every religious enthusiast, Fogg is constrained by the Pharisees of his day—Lord Kelvin and his sniggering group of mutton-chopped cronies at the British Academy of Science. They scoff at the brash young inventor and his “silly notions.� They are living in a golden age, Kelvin claims. Everything worth knowing has been discovered. But Fogg persists until Kelvin finally challenges him to lay everything on the line in the form of a wager: If Fogg can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less, Kelvin will relinquish his Academy chair and let Fogg take his place. However, if Fogg fails, he must leave the Academy for good and promise never to invent again. Fogg accepts the challenge and, joined by a Chinese fugitive and a former coat check girl, embarks on a globe-spanning journey that is often perilous and nearly always hilarious.
Despite his enthusiasm, we soon learn that Fogg is not without his own faults. Primarily, his weakness lies in the fact that he sees other people as liabilities rather than assets. “Hell is other people,� said philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, and Fogg couldn’t agree more. Nevertheless, during the journey Fogg learns that while staying true to his beliefs is important, some things shouldn’t be sacrificed. To paraphrase Sartre, Fogg comes to realize that “hell isn’t other people; it’s being without the people you love.�
In addition to solid performances from Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cecile de France, and Ed Broadbent, this film emulates its 1956 predecessor by featuring cameos from a number of well-known stars, including a two-minute bit by Rob Schneider that is one of the funniest things he has ever done. If you’re looking for good, clean fun that the entire family can enjoy, this is definitely the film for you.
LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
Is it worth risking everything for your beliefs? That’s the question eccentric inventor Phileas Fogg faces in this charming adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale.Fogg starts out as someone most people today fear: a fundamentalist. That is, he doesn’t just talk about his faith; he actually lives it. However, it isn’t a particular religion that commands Fogg’s allegiance but science. He believes science can transform the world, and he would like nothing more than to prove it.
However, like every religious enthusiast, Fogg is constrained by the Pharisees of his day—Lord Kelvin and his sniggering group of mutton-chopped cronies at the British Academy of Science. They scoff at the brash young inventor and his “silly notions.� They are living in a golden age, Kelvin claims. Everything worth knowing has been discovered. But Fogg persists until Kelvin finally challenges him to lay everything on the line in the form of a wager: If Fogg can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less, Kelvin will relinquish his Academy chair and let Fogg take his place. However, if Fogg fails, he must leave the Academy for good and promise never to invent again. Fogg accepts the challenge and, joined by a Chinese fugitive and a former coat check girl, embarks on a globe-spanning journey that is often perilous and nearly always hilarious.Despite his enthusiasm, we soon learn that Fogg is not without his own faults. Primarily, his weakness lies in the fact that he sees other people as liabilities rather than assets. “Hell is other people,� said philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, and Fogg couldn’t agree more. Nevertheless, during the journey Fogg learns that while staying true to his beliefs is important, some things shouldn’t be sacrificed. To paraphrase Sartre, Fogg comes to realize that “hell isn’t other people; it’s being without the people you love.�
In addition to solid performances from Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cecile de France, and Ed Broadbent, this film emulates its 1956 predecessor by featuring cameos from a number of well-known stars, including a two-minute bit by Rob Schneider that is one of the funniest things he has ever done. If you’re looking for good, clean fun that the entire family can enjoy, this is definitely the film for you.LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
1 Comments:
Kevin! THIS sounds like a REALLY good, albeit "family", film!!
It actually sounds like it has a PLOT: that is an intriguing, yet respectful and historically-accurate addition to the original Verne novel.
I must check this out on DVD now!
I was put off it totally, because all these people (well, one or two reviewers) said that Steve Coogan was rubbish in it, and should never have been put in a major movie... Ie, he was only this British comedian who couldn't carry such a part.
Maybe they were wrong.
Post a Comment
<< Home