Around the World in 80 Days (1989)
Around the World in 80 Days is a 1989 three-part television Eastmancolor miniseries originally broadcast on NBC. The production garnered three nominations for Emmy awards that year. Starring Pierce Brosnan as Phileas Fogg, Eric Idle as Passepartout, Julia Nickson as Princess Aouda, and Peter Ustinov as Detective Fix, the miniseries featured multiple cameo appearances, including Patrick Macnee, Simon Ward, and Christopher Lee as members of the Reform Club, and Robert Morley, who had a cameo in the 1956 film adaptation, and Roddy McDowall appear as officials of the Bank of England. The heroes travel a slightly different route than in the book, and the script makes several contemporary celebrities part of the story who were not mentioned in the book, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Louis Pasteur, Jesse James, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Queen Victoria.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Reviews
hyped garbage
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
I happened across a DVD of this film by chance because it was one a friend passed to me and which was a 'freebie' apparently given away in a national newspaper. Prior to watching this, I was really only interested in the Crime and Western genres. Once I saw this film which is truly delightful in every way I have treasured the DVD and this film is in my Top 10. Why? The casting is perfect. The acting is superb and there are so MANY wonderful performances that it would be very difficult to list them all.Pierce Brosnan is brilliant as Phileas Fogg, Julia Nickson captivating as the Princess and Eric Idle is both funny and serious in his role as Foggs' man-servant. The filming is stunning and the screenplay is again perfect. There is little more I CAN or indeed NEED to say. It is a film to settle-down with on a Winters evening and enjoy.
After all this years - since the very first time I've watched this version in 1989. - yesterday the test of time confirmed and secured my original impression : This is by far the best version ever !There is always the problem when you hire a good looking actor with tension of maintaining the ego-trip of his own, besides the character he portrays. Pierce Brosnan is one of those actors. In hands of poor director, Brosnan will always extend this virtue without exception. Well, not this time, this is Pierce's best role ever. This is the school example when in good and precise hands under control of fine director - one man's faults are completely used to his advantage. Fulfilling his complete talent.Pierce is completely available, accessible and truly enjoyable.Not only does he makes splendid Phileas Fogg but essentially greatly communicates to the splendor of entire ensemble and therefore none but the excellent realization itself.Quality of production is first rate, casting even more superb. There is one, almost traditional problem with traveling productions like these : You can always observe "production stitches" among countries and collaboration among locations and collaborators. Not in this version you don't !From beginning to the end, production follows from location to location with flawless synergy, only complimenting the ones before. Truly a wonderful , relaxing experience, indisputably with superb execution. I thought in 1989. It would be a bold statement to compare this with original. Now I know it is nothing of the sort. This version is indisputably, the finest visual representation of this book. Not completely on the track with all characters from the book - for they received somewhat different treatment. But I forgive this looking at the complete results. Looking somewhat with envy to the magic of 80's, one can be certain that such a classy ensemble and relaxed pace is almost impossible to create these days. Golden days to be sure.
Very enjoyable adaptation of the Jules Verne Novel.Around the world in 80 days. Pierce Brosnan is fantastic in his role of the inventor and scientist Phileas Fogg. The cast is superb and the photography fantastic. Far better production that the new adaptation with Jacky Chan on it. Unfortunaly when finally after a very long wait the DVD came up, what a disappointment, the DVD simply sucks, no production notes, or special features or anything at all, besides, the quality of the image is at the very least 1/10. The poorest I've ever seen in a long time. I mean if you are going to produce something, put a little heart on it. I hope we can very soon enjoy this mini series in its complete extend, with a special edition DVD.
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!