Jackie Chan may not be the greatest martial artist to most people and that's fine. What Chan does is entertain. His style is unlike anyone else's and no one can do what he can (at least not with the same flair). That's why it's a real shame that on the downside of his career he chooses movies like this.
Barring little resemblance to the Jules Verne novel (or the 1956 film version), the film is a costly mess that does pick up a little bit in the second hour, but it ends up seeming more intent to show off cameos than provide anything entertaining. Arnold Schwarzenegger nearly kills the film with his few moments of screen time (managing to be both unfunny and hard to look at). Owen Wilson and his brother Luke have a decent spin on the Wright Brothers, John Cleese is really wasted, and Rob Schneider provides a mild laugh as a street bum. As a family film though, how many kids are going to actually catch all of these?
What starts that second hour upswing mentioned above is, not surprisingly, a Jackie Chan brawl. A great homage to Chan's unforgettable bench fight in "Drunken Master," it's this single moment that gives the film a burst of energy regardless of whether or not you're a fan of martial arts. It's unfortunate that energy doesn't stay with it.
Right afterwards, the movie falls right back in the line it made earlier, relying on cheap jokes related to the ignorance of the people in the era. Beyond Chan, the only spark comes from the spunky French actress Cecile De France. The films other lead, Steve Coogan, is basically lifeless as Phileas Fogg. Granted, it's a little more entertaining than the character from the original novel (and the 1956 version), but that's only because everyone around him makes it that way.
Some nice photography adds a little bit to the overall proceedings too, just not enough to make this a recommendation. Disney must have loved all this on-location footage too as it sent the budget skyrocketing above $100 million. This is a unique retelling of a classic tale just barely saved by a 51-year old stunt man. A great 51-year old stunt man granted, but he's not enough to make this worthwhile for the intended audience. (** out of *****)
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Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
I like Jackie Chan films when they aren't produced by American studios. From Cannonball Run onward, it just doesn't seem like "we" know what to do with him. I wish "we" would stop trying, and just write him big checks to make more of the old-school HK films I love.