US
2004
2hrs
Dir: Frank Coraci
Starring: Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan
An eccentric inventor and his valet attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days
This elaborate remake of the famous 1956 film, which was based on Jules Verne’s 1873 novel of the same name, was deemed a complete failure. This largely centred around the fact that although the movie was considered to be a remake of the 1956 version, whereas that had stayed faithful to the novel, this modern version did not. Nonetheless, the reviews were perhaps unnecessarily negative, singling out the fanciful characterisation of the lead roles and the odd cameo appearances, rather than the fresh take on a story that was already well over 100 years old. All the filming took place in Germany and Thailand, and the train journey used sets and CGI, though a single shot of Glenfinnan viaduct with a computer generated train crossing does feature. Incidentally, the railway scenes in the much-loved 1956 film were shot in the US and in India, with North British built 4-6-2’s used in the latter country.
