Around the World in 80 Days

One of many adaptations of the 1872 Jules Verne story, this might be the only one that casts a frog and a monkey in the roles of the adventurers. A kid-friendly spin should be more fun, but some abrasive attitudes and missed marks make Around the World in 80 Days a mixed experience. Phileas is a thief spurred on by glamorized gambling. While his love interest, the princess Aouda (voiced by Katie Griffin), is so snarky and aloof she's just unpleasant company. Cheeky, roguish charm was likely the aim, but all we see is bickering and grumpiness. Showcasing a visual flair, the movie is often great to look at. Water and wind effects are given a distinctly different look to the main animation. This creates sometimes sumptuous scenes that recalls the visually zingy The Mitchells vs. the Machines. However, the wilfully grotesque shrimps and scorpions seem excessively off-putting.

The movie is also murky in its gender depictions. Around the World in 80 Days has three main female characters. Between them they are aggressive, miserable, controlling, and corrupt. Princess Aouda's character is an attempt to buck stereotypes by being adept at engineering. But this comes with another stereotype -- male characters acting surprised that she is the least bit capable. A globetrotting adventure, this adaptation flits from location to location with scenes that play like individual skits. Some are entertaining but overall there's little here to recommend kids watch this over many other movies.