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Around the World in 80 Days is a 2004 American comedy adventure film loosely inspired by Jules Verne's novel of the same name. The film is set in 19th-century England and centers on Phileas Fogg, here reimagined as an eccentric inventor, and his efforts to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. During the trip, he is accompanied by his Chinese valet, Passepartout. For comedic reasons, the film intentionally deviated wildly from the novel and included a number of anachronistic elements.

A Game Boy Advance video game with the same name, based on the movie, was released a month after the movie.

Plot[]

A Chinese man robs the Bank of England. To evade the police, he becomes the valet for Phileas Fogg, an inventor. Phileas is trying to break the 50-mph speed barrier, and after succeeding with the help of Passepartout, Fogg is eager to present his work to the Royal Academy, which is headed by William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, who believes that everything worth discovering has already been discovered. Colonel Kitchener of the Academy, informs Lord Kelvin that the Jade Buddha he had stolen from China was stolen from the bank. Suddenly Fang, the leader of the Black Scorpions, agrees to retrieve it. Soon Fogg and Passepartout head to the Royal Academy of Science. There, Fogg is insulted by the other "brilliant minds", in particular Lord Kelvin who finds Fogs inventions absolutely ridiculous, after several whispers Phileas is pressured into a bet to see whether he can travel around the world in 80 days. If he wins he will become Minister of Science in Lord Kelvin's place, if not he will destroy his lab and never invent anything again. Fogg is hesitant to go since he has risked all that he has worked for and since he has no other family, his inventions mean everything to him. With some encouragement from Passepartout, he is energized and they are ready. Phileas and Passepartout start their journey around the world, taking a carriage and leaving London after a confrontation with Inspector Fix, a corrupt officer hired by the Royal Academy of Science to stop them.

Passepartout and Phileas journey to Paris. Pretending to take Phileas to a convention with Thomas Edison, Passepartout leads him to an art school where Phileas meets Monique La Roche, a would-be impressionist. There, Passepartout is attacked by warriors sent by General Fang, who is after the Jade Buddha that he stole. Fang had previously given it to Kelvin in exchange for military assistance in China. When Monique learns of Phileas's ambition, she convinces them to take her with them. They depart in a hot-air balloon, chased by Fang's warriors.

Whilst on the Orient Express, Monique learns that Passepartout is trying to return the Jade back to his village, and is travelling with Phileas to get there quickly. Monique keeps his secret in exchange for him convincing Phileas to let her travel with him. They travel to Turkey, where they are greeted by Prince Hapi. The Prince orders Monique to stay as his seventh wife while the men are ordered to leave. The men blackmail Prince Hapi into releasing Monique using a prized but apparently flimsy "The Thinker" statue of the Prince. The statue is destroyed but the three travellers escape.

Lord Kelvin learns that Phileas has been involuntarily abetting a thief's escape. He orders the British colonial authorities in India to arrest them both as he refuses to accept defeat. While on the train, Passepartout tells the children about The Ten Tigers, Phileas does not seem too keen with the story. They suddenly stop and they see the notice of the prices on their heads and warns them to leave at once. Disguised as women they evade the police but are attacked by Fang's warriors although it is done with great difficulty. Using Inspector Fix and a sextant as weapons, they defeat their assailants and flee to China as it is the one country in Asia that England does not own yet.

Passepartout leads his friends to his village where they are happily greeted. They spend several days there and are attacked by the Black Scorpions. Phileas, Monique, and Passepartout, whose name is revealed to be Lau Xing, are held captive. Lau Xing challenges the leader of the group to a fight. At first he fights alone and is defeated; moments later he is joined by the martial arts masters of the "Ten Tigers of Canton", of which he is one. The Tigers drive the Black Scorpions from the village and free the Westerners. The Buddha is returned to the village temple protecting the village once again. Phileas, who is still unhappy that his companions used him, leaves China alone, but does part with them politely.

He travels to San Francisco and is tricked out of his money. He is found by Lau Xing and Monique who came to help him finish his mission. In the desert they find the Wright brothers and the three inventors discuss the flying machine. Phileas finds the brothers' plans brilliant but suggests a few changes.

Lau Xing, Monique, and Phileas' next stop after a long journey on a train is New York City, where a crowd greets them, making it impossible for them to reach their ship. A policeman takes them through a building he claims is a shortcut, but it is an ambush. Fang's minions made arrangements with Lord Kelvin to take Lau Xing's village and tap the jade reserves underneath it, but if Phileas wins the bet Lord Kelvin will not have the means to help them. A battle against Fang and her minions commences in the workshop where the Statue of Liberty was constructed. The three friends are victorious. Though Phileas could have gotten the boat, he misses it to help Lau Xing. Phileas feels he has lost, but the other two say they may still make it if they catch the next ship.

They board an old ship and Phileas convinces the captain to let him build a plane out of the ship's old wood in exchange for a new ship. Using the changed Wright brothers' plans, Phileas builds a plane while the ship's crew builds a catapult to launch it into the sky. They reach London, where the machine falls apart and they crash in front of the Royal Academy. Lord Kelvin sends police to stop them from making it to the top step of the Royal Academy of Science, and the clock strikes noon, ending the wager.

Lord Kelvin proclaims himself the victor as the clock has struck noon. However, Monique, an injured Fix, and other ministers attest to Kelvin's unfair methods and his bullying nature, but Kelvin scoffs at them. In the process he insults Queen Victoria, who is nearby listening. She learned that he had sold her arsenal to Fang in exchange for jade mines in China thanks to one of his aides, one of the Academy's members. Kelvin is arrested, but vows revenge on all of England, especially Phileas. After some thinking, Phileas realizes he is one day early thanks to crossing the international date line. He ascends the stairs of the Academy and kisses Monique, victorious in his bet.

Cast[]

Uncredited[]

  • Ken Lo as French Inspector, Black Scorpion
  • Mars and Johnny Cheung as Bak Mei's Henchmen
  • Han Guan Hua as Black Scorpion

Trivia[]

  • According to the trailer, Phileas was originally going to say, "sorry" during the Black Scorpion fight, after Passepartout says, "stop helping me!" This line was never used in the movie.
  • The only songs in the movie are "Everybody All Over the World (Join the Celebration)" by Dave Stewart, and "It's a Small World" by Baha Men, both in the end credits. However, one extra song, "River of Dreams" by Tina Sugandh, only appears in the soundtrack album.
  • This was Arnold Schrwarzengger's last film before he took a hiatus from acting and became Governor of California.

Inaccuracies[]

  • The Wright Brothers are depicted as being on their way to developing the airplane when they meet Phileas Fogg and his cohorts. In actuality, the two of them would have still been children by the time Fogg met them as the film takes place in 1872.
  • While the film accurately shows Vincent Van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as being alive during the time period, Van Gogh is seen with a bandage over where his ear had been. In real life, he would not sever his ear for another sixteen years.
  • The film accurately shows the Statue of Liberty with a copper appearance. However, construction would not begin until 1875 and in France.


v - e - d
Around the World in 80 Days logo
Media
Around the World in 80 Days
Characters
Phileas FoggPassepartout/Lau XingMonique La RocheLord Kelvin • Lord Rhodes • Lord Salisbury • Colonel Kitchner • Queen Victoria • The Wright Brothers • Prince Hapi • San Francisco Hobo • Grizzled Sergeant • Inspector FixGeneral Fang • Wong Fei Hung • Steamer Captain • Ten Tigers • Black ScorpionsThe Wright Brothers
Locations
EnglandParisIstanbulAgraChinaSan FranciscoNew York City
Vehicles
Phileas Fogg's carriage • Air Balloon • Orient Express • Carmen • Phileas Fogg's flying invention
Objects
Jade Buddha
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