Poor Brendan Fraser, he must have known he had nothing to work with here, he looks as if he’s sleepwalking through the role, not a career highlight for him.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:149
Fresh:91
Rotten:58
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Modern visuals and an old fasioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride.
Australian Rating: PG [See Full Rating] Action adventure and some scary scenes
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Australian Theatrical Release:
Sep 25, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $101,653,320
Synopsis: This 2008 movie update of Jules Verne's classic sci-fi/fantasy novel uses the 1864 tale as a template, with its hero, scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), referring to his missing brother's... This 2008 movie update of Jules Verne's classic sci-fi/fantasy novel uses the 1864 tale as a template, with its hero, scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), referring to his missing brother's notes on the novel. His nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) in tow, Anderson travels to Iceland to investigate his sibling's theories, enlisting a fellow scientist's daughter, Hannah (Anita Briem), as a guide. Soon the trio's Icelandic mountain trek descends into a cave and, then deeper still to, naturally, the center of the earth, where dinosaurs and other strange prehistoric creatures still dwell. After many dangerous encounters with the native flora and fauna, Trevor, Sean, and Hannah must find a way back to the surface or face being stranded miles below the earth's crust. Directed by Eric Brevig, a veteran Hollywood visual effects supervisor (MEN IN BLACK, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW), JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH clearly delights in unveiling eye-catching CGI creatures and landscapes. Presented in some theaters in 3D format, the film features lunging beasts and vertigo-inducing visions, which are effective even in 2D, while Fraser, working in the same amiable vein as the MUMMY movies, provides a human focus amidst the special effects. For fans of the ever-likable Fraser and/or the JOURNEY story, there is plenty to enjoy in this effects-heavy adventure film. [More]
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, Jane Wheeler
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, Jane Wheeler
Director: Eric Brevig
Director: Eric Brevig
Screenwriter: Michael Weiss, Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Producer: Charlotte Huggins, Beau Flynn
Composer: Andrew Lockington
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Journey to the Center of the Earth
Fraser salvages his reputation as a solid, matinee-style action hero in this family-oriented fantasy.
It's all curiously uninvolving, and it's only Fraser's goofy grin and slapstick physicality that hold any character interest whatsoever.
The utopian ecosystem setting - dominated by lush rainforests and vast oceans - is magnificent to gawk at, and the 3D cinematography makes fine use of the prehistoric wildlife and unexplained phenomena.
The movie proves the perfect showcase for 3D. I can't say that it does the same for Fraser.
Brevig does a barely competent job of imitating the Indiana Jones movies, and seems more hindered than helped by his chosen format...
Giant fossilised mushrooms, flying fish with massive teeth, glowing bluebirds, a rollercoaster ride on an underground mine railway and magnetic floating rocks are some of the ingredients of this 3D adventure take on Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novel . .
The stars here are the novelties of 3D, which certainly make it fun %u2013 just a tad repetitive for anyone over 25, I suspect
Its 3D effects aside, this latest big-screen adaptation of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth unreels like a Hollywood adventure film made many decades ago.
In 2-D, Journey to the Center of the Earth would be okay, I guess, but you'd be more apt to notice the cardboard characters, or the thin plotting, or the way each grave danger seems to be easily solved. In 3-D, however, it's a complete blast.
The first summer movie that is both: a) truly comparable to a roller coaster ride; and b) significantly worse than a roller coaster ride.
The real star here is the pair of 3-D glasses you're handed when you walk into the theater. With them, Journey is a kick (if not much more).
With crisp images and depth that makes you feel you could reach out and stick your hand into the middle of the action, the movie projected in digital 3-D form actually makes that theme-park ride kind of fun.
This flick is strictly kids' stuff, but with the 3D enticement, it makes for an enjoyable, lightweight good time.
Make sure to catch this latest iteration of the Jules Verne novel on a screen projecting it in 3-D format because without all the fun visual effects of stuff 'comin' right at ya,' this journey's center will not hold.
Like its early predecessors, it's a nominally fun trip, but it's tissue-thin and instantly forgettable.
Simplistic as can be with its cliched squabbling-family dynamics offering little more than a hook for the 3-D technicians to hang their hats on. But for most audiences, this one included, that was plenty.
If you can get past the first 20 minutes of the film and turn off all criticisms of bad acting and awful clichés, then you will enjoy this special effects filled adventure.
Part thrill ride, part video game, part virtual reality, it is a lively and satisfying update of a good old-fashioned Saturday afternoon serial adventure saga.
Latest News for Journey to the Center of the Earth
March 13, 2009:
Brevig Plots Another 3-D Journey ![]()
Thanks to a $240 million worldwide gross and some healthy DVD numbers, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" will be getting a sequel, with Eric Brevig back in the director's chair. More...
February 25, 2009:
Eric Brevig Directing Yogi Bear ![]()
One 3-D project deserves another, so Eric Brevig will go from directing "Journey to the Center of the Earth" to Warner Bros.' 3-D live-action/CGI "Yogi Bear" feature. More...
January 06, 2009:
Academy Names Shortlist for Visual Effects Oscar ![]()
The Academy has narrowed its choices for this year's visual effects Oscar, naming "Australia," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D,"... More...
October 27, 2008:
RT on DVD: Zombie Strippers, Meet Kit Kittredge!
For the week leading up to All Hallow's Eve, there's a surprising dearth of new horror releases hitting DVD. Rest assured, though, titillation and scares can be found in a trio... More...
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