Around the World in 80 Days (PG)

Mildly amusing Jackie Chan adventure.

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About Our Ratings
Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Disney, Disney
  • Directed By: Frank Coraci
  • Cast: Jackie Chan
  • Running Time: 120 minutes
  • Release Date: 06/18/2004
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 11/02/2004
  • Genre: Family and Kids
  • MPAA Rating: PG
  • MPAA Explanation: violence, some crude humor and mild language

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that while they may cringe at this adaptation of the classic novel, kids who aren't familiar with the classic story may enjoy the adventures and the always-likeable Jackie Chan. If nothing else, you can use the movie as a way to get your kids to check out the book (maybe read it as a family read-aloud). There is a lot of slapstick-, cartoon-, and action-style violence, including many crotch injuries, but no one is seriously hurt. Characters use mild bad language ("bloody hell"). There is some crude and vulgar humor, including bathroom jokes, drunkenness played for comedy, a weird cross-dressing joke, and a comic situation involving a man with many wives. A strength of the movie is the portrayal of women and minorities who fight stereotypes and prejudice; however, some people may find some of the portrayals in the movie itself offensively stereotypical.

Families can talk about how transportation has changed since the novel was written -- how many days would it take to circle the globe today?

Message

Social Behavior:

Tolerance is a theme of the movie.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Drinking, comic drunkenness, smoking.

Violence

Comic peril and violence, no one seriously hurt, many crotch injuries.

Sex

Some kissing, reference to polygamy.

Language

A few mild words.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

This retelling of Jules Verne's classic novel centers on Lau Xing (Jackie Chan), valet to inventor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan). The previous valet quit because he refused to test any more of Fogg's wild contraptions. Xing, on the run after stealing a valuable jade Buddha from the Bank of London, thinks the police will not find him if he is working for Fogg, so he pretends to be French and gives his name as "Passepartout." Fogg's bet with the peppery Lord Kelvin (James Broadbent) that he cannot circle the globe in 80 days provides Xing with the perfect cover for getting to China as quickly as possible to return the Buddha to his small town. There are a lot of stops in exotic locations and a lot of adventures involving obstacles to reaching the next stage of the journey and a few surprising cameo appearances, including Arnold Schwarzenegger as a sybaritic king.

Is it any good?

3
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS may take its title from the Jules Verne classic, but it is really just a Jackie Chan movie, and a so-so one at that. Overplotted and under-imagined, this movie tries hard to distract the audience with razzle-dazzle, but not even the stunts or fight scenes make much of an impression and the preposterous final mode of transportation comes across as so lazy a concept it is almost insulting.

Coogan has an endearing sincerity and spirit and Cecile De France has a few nice moments as Monique, a pretty French artist who comes along for the ride. But Chan seems tired, even distracted, impatient to get it all over with. I was, too.

Other choices

Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Rat Race

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 8 reviews.

2


Posted on 07/23/07 by mickeymouse Kid contributor, age 11

0


Posted on 12/24/05 by bandgeekl Kid contributor, age 12

dumb

ok this is soooooo pointless. we watched it in school and it was soooooooo stupid! dont watch it!
3


Posted on 09/17/05 by TnMovieFan2 Kid contributor, age 13

Age 8+
2


Posted on 02/24/05 by fritzsky Adult contributor

0


Posted on 02/19/05 by Blurbie Kid contributor, age 16

B*O*R*I*N*G

A friend made me watch this with them and the whole time I was wishing I was somewhere else! It was soooooooooo boring! I don't know how any one can like it!
Age 8+
5

Posted on 12/09/04 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Must Watch This Movie

I act like a little kid I know, but this movie is just irresistable. The plot is charming with surprising little quirks in the story like the Wright Bros. Jackie Chan was his usual self and the inventor and french lady were well carved characters that sometimes brought you to frustration but other times complete awe of their insight on life. There is fighting scenes but they are often funny and involve their own little quirks too, like a picture being accidentaly painted. I loved it and I have watched it too many times to count.
3


Posted on 07/10/04 by fuzzykat Kid contributor, age 11

A must see-movie for kids under and some Adults

This movie is a tale about an inventor who makes a bet that he can go around the world in eighty days. His French valet has just quit. A man nick-named Passport 2 (Jackie Chan) is a Chinese man who fakes being French to get away with stealing a jade Buddha that he stole from a bank. When Passport 2 finds out that the inventor is going around the world he uses him to take him back to China. Passport 2 becomes good friends with the inventor and finds it hard to tell him the truth. Meanwhile, the inventor falls in love with a French woman who comes along on their journey. I am 11 and the movie was a snore-fest to me but for kids younger than that the movie would be good. There were some sexual situations but other than that it was ok.
Age 13+
3


Posted on 06/27/04 by Ketch Adult contributor

Funny, but a little crude

I took my 8 & 10 yr old kids and being a Disney movie, was a little surprised by some of the cursing in the movie, there were several "D*mn" and "H*ll" that was totally unnecessary for the movie. Had I known that there would be as much cursing as there was, I woulld have passed on the movie. Could/should have been better.

See all 8 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 3 reviews.

Age 8+
2


Posted on 02/24/05 by fritzsky Adult contributor

Age 8+
5

Posted on 12/09/04 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Must Watch This Movie

I act like a little kid I know, but this movie is just irresistable. The plot is charming with surprising little quirks in the story like the Wright Bros. Jackie Chan was his usual self and the inventor and french lady were well carved characters that sometimes brought you to frustration but other times complete awe of their insight on life. There is fighting scenes but they are often funny and involve their own little quirks too, like a picture being accidentaly painted. I loved it and I have watched it too many times to count.
Age 13+
3


Posted on 06/27/04 by Ketch Adult contributor

Funny, but a little crude

I took my 8 & 10 yr old kids and being a Disney movie, was a little surprised by some of the cursing in the movie, there were several "D*mn" and "H*ll" that was totally unnecessary for the movie. Had I known that there would be as much cursing as there was, I woulld have passed on the movie. Could/should have been better.

Kids Reviews

There are 5 reviews.

2


Posted on 07/23/07 by mickeymouse Kid contributor, age 11

0


Posted on 12/24/05 by bandgeekl Kid contributor, age 12

dumb

ok this is soooooo pointless. we watched it in school and it was soooooooo stupid! dont watch it!
3


Posted on 09/17/05 by TnMovieFan2 Kid contributor, age 13

0


Posted on 02/19/05 by Blurbie Kid contributor, age 16

B*O*R*I*N*G

A friend made me watch this with them and the whole time I was wishing I was somewhere else! It was soooooooooo boring! I don't know how any one can like it!
3


Posted on 07/10/04 by fuzzykat Kid contributor, age 11

A must see-movie for kids under and some Adults

This movie is a tale about an inventor who makes a bet that he can go around the world in eighty days. His French valet has just quit. A man nick-named Passport 2 (Jackie Chan) is a Chinese man who fakes being French to get away with stealing a jade Buddha that he stole from a bank. When Passport 2 finds out that the inventor is going around the world he uses him to take him back to China. Passport 2 becomes good friends with the inventor and finds it hard to tell him the truth. Meanwhile, the inventor falls in love with a French woman who comes along on their journey. I am 11 and the movie was a snore-fest to me but for kids younger than that the movie would be good. There were some sexual situations but other than that it was ok.
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