Summary: This movie follows the journey of Professor Trevor Anderson to the center of not only the Earth, but also the center of his relationship with both his deceased brother and his angst-ridden nephew Sean. The film is not completely true to the plot of the book but rather follows a scientist, Professor Trevor Anderson played by Brendan Fraser, as he and his nephew set out to decipher notes found in Anderson’s late brother’s copy of the Jules Verne classic.
This movie is geared for children and as such does not have a completely cohesive plot, it is however quite entertaining. While it would seem that Fraser would steal the show, it is in fact young start Josh Hutcherson’s comedic timing that shines through as Professor Anderson’s snarky nephew Sean. The message that the movie tries to impart is never really hammered home but one does leave with the feeling that family is more important than anything else. Since the movie is in 3-D, one goes into viewing expecting to feel like they are a part of the movie.
Viewers of this movie however never really feel that involved. There are several bugs and lava spouts among other things that leap out of the screen but for the most part, viewers feel quite sedentary. There are portions of the film that make you feel like you may very well be in the center of the Earth but seeing this movie in 3-D is not an absolute must and has the same entertainment value in regular old 2-D. The CGI graphics are a bit cartoonish, which is to be expected as it would scare its intended audience if it wasn’t, but are all in all engaging.
Ratings:
Story line: 4 out of 5 stars
The plot is original but being a true Verne fan I would have been much happier with a movie that was true to the plot. Having said that, this is a nice update of the basic story line and is appropriate and entertaining for all ages.
3-D Depth: 3 out of 5 stars
There are quite a few aspects of this film that are 3-D and are done well, but there are also quite a few aspects that could have been 3-D that weren’t.
CGI Quality: 3 out of 5 stars
Again, the CGI is slightly cartoonish but is appropriate for the intended audience.
Nausea: 2 out of 5 stars
During the few rip-roaring 3-D scenes that go all out you may feel a bit dizzy but overall it should be safe to eat popcorn while watching.
Review: Many book to movie adaptations are hard to follow and often either spend too much of the film trying to follow the plot, or diverge completely blazing a trail of senseless fun that only loosely resembles the original work. Journey to the Center of the Earth, is a combination of the two.
Lauren Shain-Raque - I am a college student majoring in history who loves to write and is seeking out freelance opportunities to help finance the rest of my ...
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