With Jack Black tackling Gulliver’s Travels, we take a look at what movies might get you in the mood…
Around the World in 80 days
Jules Verne’s famous novel of a daring man who takes on the greatest voyage in history is once again adapted for the big screen in this adventure comedy. In 1872, eccentric British inventor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) has come up with any number of gadgets to help people travel with greater speed and ease, and is working on plans for a flying machine. In a lively discussion with Lord Kelvin, the head of the Royal Academy of Science, Fogg states his belief that it’s possible for someone to travel around the globe in a mere 80 days. Kelvin, who makes no secret of his belief that Fogg is a crackpot, challenges him to do just that, and adds a wager to the bargain to make things interesting: if Fogg can’t circumnavigate the globe in 80 days, he’ll give up inventing forever. Fogg takes the challenge, and teams up with his manservant, a former acrobat named Passepartout (Jackie Chan), and lovely navigator Monique (Cécile De France) to make the epic voyage — traveling by train, boat, balloon, horseback, or any other means at their disposal. However, Fogg and his companions are dogged along the way by the false accusation that the inventor took part in a bank robbery, forcing him to not only complete the journey but clear his name as well.
Bedtime Stories
Hotel handyman Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) gets an unexpected surprise when he discovers that the tall tales he’s been telling his niece and nephew are somehow coming true. Hoping to take advantage of the mysterious phenomenon, Skeeter spins one outlandish yarn after another, but the children’s unexpected contributions to the stories turn Skeeter’s life upside down.
King Kong
Set in 1933, the year of the original film, Jack Black stars as desperate film-maker Carl Denham, who casts penniless actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), kidnaps writer Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) and takes an entire film crew on a cruise in search of the mysterious, uncharted Skull Island. Once there, the remaining members of an ancient civilisation capture Ann and sacrifice her to a giant gorilla named Kong. Driscoll and the crew members stage a rescue, while Denham plans to capture the beast and make a fortune by exhibiting Kong in New York. Meanwhile, Kong falls in love with Ann and protects her from the dangerous inhabitants of Skull Island.
Night of the Museum 2
Ben Stiller reprisies his role as former night guard Larry Daley, who’s now making a living as an inventor and is saddened to hear that his reanimated friends at the Natural History Museum are being shipped off to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. However, when he receives a distress call from miniature cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson), he rushes to the rescue, only to discover that Egyptian ruler Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) has come to life and is planning to enslave mankind.