“Around the World in 80 Days”

By David DiCerto
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- An eccentric inventor and his chop-socky sidekick embark on a globetrotting adventure in order to win an outrageous wager in the lavish, family-friendly romp, "Around the World in 80 Days" (Disney).

Based on the classic yarn by Jules Verne and directed by Frank Coraci, the film combines action, romance and heaping dollops of madcap comedy to serve up an entertaining, continent-hopping spectacle that is both campy and clever -- and, as an added attraction -- quite fun.

Opening in Victorian-era London, the film stars Steve Coogan as the visionary techno-tinkerer Phileas Fogg, an armchair adventurer who, desperate to gain the respect of his crusty critics at the stuffy Royal Academy of Science, makes an outlandish gentleman's bet to circumnavigate the globe in no more than 80 days.

Action-star Jackie Chan co-stars as Passepartout (pronounced "passport to"), his lightning-limbed traveling companion whom viewers first meet fleeing a phalanx of bumbling Bobbies after robbing the Bank of London. As it turns out, Passepartout, whose real name is Lao Xing, was sent from China to recover from the bank's vault a sacred jade statue of Buddha which was stolen from his village by a female Asian assassin named General Fang (Karen Joy Morris). Also along for the riotous ride is Monique (Cecile de France), a French tart with an eye for art and a nose for adventure.

Their journey by land, air and sea takes the trio on a whirlwind tour of the world's most exotic locales, including pit stops for centerpiece action sequences in Paris, Istanbul, India, China and the American West. But their path is fraught with obstacles, set by Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent), the stuffed-shirt head of the Royal Academy who, working in cahoots with Fang, wants to discredit Phileas.

Along the way they learn gushy lessons about friendship and loyalty, encountering a host of celebrity cameos including Luke and Owen Wilson as the Wright brothers, Kathy Bates as Queen Victoria and a shock-wigged Arnold Schwarzenegger as a vain Turkish vizier.

Taken for what it is -- eye-candy -- "Around the World in 80 Days" is surprisingly satisfying. Like the helium that lifts Phileas' balloon high above the Champs d'Elysee, the film's refreshingly lighthearted levity elevates it above the smash-and-crash action clones glutting summer screens. Much of this is owed to the appealing pairing of Coogan and Chan (roles played by David Niven and the inimitable Cantinflas in the Oscar-winning 1956 film version), whose onscreen chemistry makes up for many of the flick's shortcomings. And while Jules Verne probably didn't envision kung-fu fights along the Rive Gauche, Chan never ceases to amaze with his high-flying feats, and feet.

Though it runs a bit too long, "Around the World in 80 Days" is that rare kind of film that can be appreciated by the entire family, though some parents may feel the action is too intense for very young children. Older kids will have a ball with Fogg's goofy gizmos and will get a kick -- literally -- out of the martial-arts choreography, including one scene where a brawl turns into an impromptu lesson in impressionistic painting.

Like Phileas Fogg, you may just want to bet on this one!

Due to recurring action violence, some mildly crude language and humor, and brief drunkenness, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-- parental guidance suggested.

* DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.