While the journey was the destination in the 1956 Michael Todd production (which won five Oscars, including best picture), this slick remake can’t seem to get back to London fast enough. While the original was big and beautiful, with tens of thousands of extras, it had some neat small moments, too. The new version overwhelms with wall-to-wall dialogue, music and sound effects. Calling it a remake isn’t entirely accurate, since it only vaguely resembles the source material and the 1873 Jules Verne novel that inspired it. It still features London gentleman Phileas Fogg, who agrees to circumnavigate the globe on a bet. Comedian Steve Coogan fills in for David Niven, and replaces his prim, controlled demeanor with wide-eyed mania and nonstop chatter. But this is really a Jackie Chan movie, as evidenced by his name above the title and his prominent listing as stunt choreographer. PG for action violence, some crude humor and mild language. 125 min. One and a half stars out of four.

– Christy Lemire, AP Entertainment Writer

‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story’

– Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller’s comedy is little more than an elongated TV skit, though it’s a generally goodhearted bit of silliness that provides some genuine laughs. Nice-guy slacker Vaughn and bullying rival Stiller are competing gym owners whose teams square off in a dodgeball showdown, with the fate of Vaughn’s business in the balance. Writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber maintains an energetic pace, but the story stretches thin, and among the gags, the clunkers far outnumber the winners. The supporting cast includes Stiller’s wife, Christine Taylor, Rip Torn and Missi Pyle. PG-13 for rude and sexual humor and language. 91 min. Two stars out of four.

– David Germain, AP Movie Writer

‘The Terminal’

The third big-screen pairing of Steven Spielberg as director and Tom Hanks as actor is monumentally staged, with a magnificent and authentic three-story airport terminal built by Spielberg’s crew. The comedy unfortunately tends toward syrupy mush in its dramatic peaks and lines up an overly calculated parade of supporting players orbiting Hanks, who plays an Eastern European man stranded for months in Kennedy airport after a coup back home invalidates his passport. As Hanks builds a life among the oddball airport regulars, the characters and their interactions come off feeling as precise constructs, like the terminal itself. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Stanley Tucci co-star. PG-13 for brief language and drug references. 128 min. Two and a half stars out of four.

– David Germain, AP Movie Writer


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