Thursday, December 27, 2012

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center to the Earth; fantasy, USA, 2008; D: Eric Brevig, S: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem

Volcanologist Trevor and his 13-year old nephew Sean decide to take an expedition to find an entrance to the center of the Earth, based on the notes of Trevor's late brother who considered Jules Verne's novel "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" a work of non-fiction. Together with their guide, Hannah, they enter an Icelandic cave, but rocks fall and leave them trapped. Travelling ever deeper inside, they reach a layer very close to the center of the Earth, filled with underground animals and plants. Using a geyser, they manage to get catapulted back to the surface, exiting from Mount Vesuvius.

Despite its exciting adventure flair, Jules Verne's novel "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" is from today's scientific perspective poorly dated, since its entire concept has been disproved. Several movie adaptations of the novel turned into trash, while this modern 2008 adaptation is of no better result, a sufficient fantasy flick that leans more towards the 'guilty pleasure' territory. The story about three explorers finding a way to the underground layer bellow the Earth's surface is conventionally structured, filled with over-the-top video game effects and moves, not that fun and with at least a dozen plot holes, from the sheer fact that the pressure and temperatures so deep bellow the surface should be unbearable up to floating rocks (!) that still somehow drop smaller rocks into a pit. Dinosaur fans will probably at least enjoy the presence of a T. Rex towards the end of the movie and Anita Briem, who is the only true source of charm and appeal as the refreshingly tough guide Hannah. Others will just hope that as the next thing they won't make a movie about Flat Earth.

Grade;+

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