Le tour du monde en 80 jours

This is a great miniseries for the whole entire family. Pierce Brosnan doing a Bond/Remington Steele as Fogg from a kind of cold-hearted but then caring Englishman making the legendary journey. Rambo and Babylon Five's Julia Nickson beautiful as the princess. The great and late Peter Ustinov in one of his fine performances. But the person to steal the show is Eric Idle of Monty Python as the caring and resourceful as well as comic relief Jean Passepartout. He played Passepartout as a frenchman and also was really the star but gave way to Pierce/Fogg. Idle is the real, real star. And the mini series is like the book. Unlike the Jackie Chan movie and David Niven. More like follows and stick closely to the Jules Verne novel!

There are three major versions of the Verne book available on DVD; this version took me by surprise, not only because it is literate and more faithful to the original than the other two versions, but because Pierce Brosnan makes of Phileas Fogg a complex, believable Victorian man who learns that perhaps Empire and all it represents is not everything. David Niven was a brilliant caricature of Fogg, all style and quips, and whoever plays him in the Jackie Chan version is completely and innocuously forgettable--Brosnan plays Fogg for reality, and in doing so, invests the entire epic voyage with an exciting reality the other two versions do not have.

This version, originally shown on television is long, and unfortunately, the two discs are filled with blackouts where commercials were once inserted, and with extra title sequences--no matter; while this is not filled with flash and amazingly comprehensive cameos as is the first version, it is also not stupidly infantile and filled with potty humor ( as is the most recent Coogan-Chan version). For a television version, this is quite compelling, full of good scenery, several beguiling and beautiful female leads, and a good amount of suspenseful narrative--it's old fashioned, but rewardingly so.

Phileas Fogg, a rich gentleman and a bachelor, accepts a wager at the Reform Club that he can travel around the world in 80 days.He leaves on the journey with his new valet, Frenchman Jean Passepartout.There's also a certain detective Fix of the Scotland Yard following them, for Mr. Fogg is also suspected of robbing the bank.During their trip they also get company from Indian Princess Aouda, whom they safe from certain death.Fogg may have to leave his bachelor life behind him soon.Around the World in 80 Days (1989) is a three-part miniseries directed by Buzz Kulik and written by John Gay.It's based on the famous novel by Jules Verne, published in 1873.I first came familiar with this story through an animated series.Then in the mid 90's I read Verne's novel.Recently I borrowed this miniseries on a DVD from the library.And I think it's splendid.This is exactly what a miniseries of Jules Verne's classic book should like.And what a list of actors it has! Pierce Brosnan is just the right man to play Phileas Fogg.And Eric Idle is just fantastic with his accent playing Passepartout.Julia Nickson is wonderful as Princess Aouda.Peter Ustinov makes his detective Wilbur Fix character somewhat pitiful.Then there are some familiar names in the list.Jack Klugman plays Capt. Bunsby.Roddy McDowall plays McBaines.Lee Remick plays Sarah Bernhardt.Jill St. John is Woman mistaken for Princess Aouda.Robert Wagner, who became Jill's husband the next year, is Alfred Bennett.Henry Gibson plays Train Conductor.Christopher Lee portrays Stuart.Patrick Macnee plays the part of Ralph Gautier.John Mills portrays Faversham.Pernell Roberts is Captain Speedy.Anna Massey plays Queen Victoria.Ian McNeice is Batcular.There are some differences between the show and the book, like characters that weren't mentioned in the book.Characters like Sarah Bernhardt, Louis Pasteur and Jesse James.This miniseries offers some great adventure.Like when they fly in the air with the Purple Cloud.And a horrible storm strikes when they're at sea.In the wild west they're faced by an Indian attack.There's also a great deal of humor in the story.Not to forget romance.Around the World in 80 Days has everything for everybody.

A very enjoying and interesting series to tell Jules Vernes great novel. Pierce Borsnan makes a brilliant Fogg, and the rest of cast is equally good.

The Brosnan just gives a new dimension to the character described by Jules Verne, and with his similar physical features to the character of the novel.

Just as Brosnan has the remarkable resemblance of James Bond as describe in Ian Flemmings novels.

Nice for the whole family to watch.

Having read the book several times and being a real fan of this and other Verne novels, not to mention, travel in general I can wholeheartedly recommend this movie. If you have read the book and enjoy watching movies then hire, borrow or buy this film if you would like to see a fairly faithfully adapted version of the book starring an agreeable cast and featuring a varied number of far flung and pretty faithful looking locations. Brosnan may be a little younger than the Fogg I'd seen in my minds eye when reading but he performs very well and is suitably dashing and stiff upper lipped where he should be whilst also exhibiting a believably self-conscious even shy air around the very beautiful Julia Nickson. She plays her part very well also and the only negative comment I can make is that she isn't very Indian looking. But that isn't a problem, she looks wonderful anyway. Eric Idle and Peter Ustinov provide the comedy, the former giving rise to a number of laugh out loud moments for those of us with a sense of humour and being on the whole, very enjoyable to watch. Ustinov provides a few light hearted moments also, but I will admit he is a little to hammy for my liking, mumbling and shrieking a little too much. The cameos are right out of a who's who of 80's TV and it was fun to see some old TV favourites, such as Quincy's Jack Klugman, popping up in unexpected places. As previously mentioned the locations impress. And I wasn't disappointed, for example having been to Hong Kong myself on several occasions the sampans and the junks were set in a location that looked to me just as I'd imagined the now heavily built up modern city to have looked in the 1800s. The extras too look suitably indigenous to the parts of the world our heroes are passing through.

So on the whole if you are looking for a movie that relays a sense of travel, a sense of adventure, a strong element of romance and above all a real honest sense of fun - just as the book did - then seek out this movie. It may have taken a few liberties here and there and it does take a few scenes from the Niven version that didn't appear at all in the book, but it still relates the story as told by Verne and in my opinion it does it very well indeed. Some would have you believe that it doesn't bare much resemblance to the book and is poorly acted but this is patently untrue. Its a great version and well worth the five odd hours of my time.