The Comic Critic Reviews Around the World in 80 Days

David Niven was the perfect choice for the role of Phinneas Fog in Mike Todd’s Around the World in 80 Days: not because his calm demeanor embodied British sophistication, not because his timing was excellent, or that his natural wit expands itself in his dialog, but because even when he’s in action, you can tell–you can just tell–that he’s having fun. And when I read a story by Jules Verne, regardless of what wild fantasy or dark human characteristic that’s being explored, I can just tell that Verne was having fun, too. It’s magic to watch an actor having fun in an adventure the author had fun writing, in a film in which everybody in Hollywood is having fun as well. You should watch this film. It’ll be fun.