After his funding is cutoff professor Trevor Anderson sets off for Iceland determined to find a gateway to the Earth's core. Having been laughed at for his outrageous theories for years by colleagues, Trevor knows the last laugh will be on them when he finds a way to the center of the Earth.
Brendan Fraser (Trevor), Josh Hutcherson (Sean), Anita Briem (Hannah), Seth Meyers (Prof. Kitzens), Jean Michel Pare (Max), Jane Wheeler (Elizabeth), Frank Fontaine (Old Man), Giancarlo Caltabiano (Leonard).
As he tries to find out what happened to his brother Max, who is also Sean’s father, Trevor and Sean along with guide Hannah, find a pathway that leads to the center of the earth. As they traverse the world within our world trying to find a way out they encounter many of the perils mentioned in the original Jules Verne novel.
Meant to be a 3D showcase for special effects, that is all this movie really had to deliver. Watching it in 2D was somewhat disappointing. The plot started off with the promise of depth and then promptly skipped off the surface only to disappear into the horizon with barely a ripple. Character development is an understatement. What was there was really aimed at the after school special crowd.
Acting was a bit flat in this one. Fraser who can do comedy nicely came off as campy and downright ridiculous in parts. Hutcherson was also a bit campy but did well and Briem was a pleasure to watch, visually as well as her acting. The remainder of the supporting cast did okay.
Kudos to the special effects. The mine cart scene was nicely done as were the man-eating plants and some of the other effects. After a while though it became apparent there wasn’t much depth beyond CGI. Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were pretty good. Dialogue was somewhat dull, while sound and soundtrack were good.
Overall Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D is obviously geared toward the younger crowd and may well hit the mark. Sadly, the movie is more about CGI than story so older viewers may well get bored before the film finishes. If you are a diehard ‘Journey’ fan, watch this one just for the effects. If you are a CGI buff, watch it as well. If you want a ‘safe’ family movie, this is a decent entry. If you want entertainment, find it elsewhere.
Without any foul language, nudity, etc. this is truly a family movie that kids of just about any age should be fine watching.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (3D) 2008 is no longer showing in any Littleton Colorado movie theatres.
Released: 2008
Reviewed: 11.27.12
Star rating: 3 out of 5
copyright ©2012 Dave Riedel
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