Journey To The Center of The Earth

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Movie

Journey to the Center of the Earth, 2008

Starring

Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Jean Michele Pare, Anita Briem, and more.

Plot

Professor Trevor Anderson has been grieving the loss of his brother, Max, for ten years and it has played havoc on his relationships and with his career. On the verge of losing everything he and his brother built, Trevor must set aside his studies to spend some one-on-one quality time with his brother’s son, Sean—whom he actually forgot was arriving!

But as the two begin to bond over memories of Max, Trevor’s nephew discovers a fifth blimp on the computerized volcano system that matches up with Max’s predictions. Believing the latest blimp holds the key to Max’s disappearance Trevor and Sean set out to find the truth.

After arriving in Iceland, the two hook up with a tour guide named Hanna to find the equipment causing the fifth blimp. But no sooner do they find the equipment does a lightning storm hit, causing them to take shelter in a nearby cave—a cave that just so happens to get hit by lightning, locking them inside the cave and causing them to search for another way out.

During their search, they discover a cave filled with beautiful stones and a thin floor that gives way to a volcanic tube that takes them straight down to the center of the earth.

Once in the center of the earth, they discover that the temperature is unbearable for human beings and they must make a quick exit—only exiting isn’t going to be easy. (This is where the film really picks up speed and the real adventure begins.)

Eventually they find their way out of the center of the earth with their treasures in tact and save Max’s foundation.

Review

If you’re looking for a film that follows the storyline of the book written by Jules Verne in 1864, you’re going to be very disappointed. There isn’t much of a storyline, the cast spends very little effort getting to the center of the earth, and there’s no time to explore the center of the earth once they get there.

If, however, you’re looking for a fun family film packed with action, humor, and lightheartedness, then you’re going to enjoy this film. Brendan Fraser does a fantastic job of acting like the nutty professor who is more book smart than he is street smart and the real reason why I chose to watch the film.

I’ve never been a fan of 3-D films because the effects give me migraines. That wasn’t the case with this film. I really enjoyed the special effects and they more than made up for the weak storyline. Again, this was simply a fun film—no lessons to be learned and no deep story to get engulfed in.

The creators also did a great job packaging this DVD as it comes with both the 2-D and the 3-D version. It also comes with four 3-D glasses and fun features like:

A World Within A World—a documentary that discusses the various theories about what really goes on in the center of the earth.
Being Josh—a reality-type show about Josh’s life on the set, including a segment that brings home the importance of education.
How To Make Dinosaur Drool—a behind-the-scene look into the props department.
Adventure To The Center Of The Earth—a fun challenge.
Commentary by Brendan Fraser, himself.

Order Journey to the Center of the Earth today!