Journey to the Center of the Earth

Directed by: Eric Brevig
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, Seth Meyers, Kaniehtiio Horn
Running Time: 1h 32min

Brendan Fraser must be crowned the new king of goofy fun, if he hasn't been crowned already. He established himself as a dashing leading man, with a little Harrison Ford wink, in the the Mummy series (which he returns to this month) and can't help but be liked in this similar B-movie effects film, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Note, this film is available in 3-D, a trend which is being revived as of late.

Based on the Jules Verne novel, but cleverly not an outright adaptation of the text, the movie begins with Fraser's scientist character agreeing to have his deceased brother's son come visit for awhile, just as his laboratory is being shut down due to minimal results coming out of his seismic activity research. Thankfully, the film doesn't bog us down in too much back story, or too much scientific hoo-ha, and just lets it rip right into the journey at the center of the film.

Soon the uncle nephew team find themselves in Iceland with a young guide that they both claim "dibs" on. This silliness continues throughout the film, and it's a good thing that it doesn't take itself too seriously. The three discover the same hole in the earth that Fraser's brother must have a decade ago, and chaos ensues. The imagery from Verne's book is used as a guide and the audience is treated to mutated life form after another, all in eye popping grand visual effects. Unfortunately, the theatre i saw this in did not have 3-D capabilities, but the shot selection made it pretty apparent what glasses wearing audiences would be in for. And it's a whole lot of fun.

Sure, the movie is a throwback to another era of film making. This could very well have been made in the late fifties/early sixties and you wouldn't know it from the script. But the modern effects and stunts make it an enjoyable ride, as it briskly moves from scene to scene, and the three leads are neither too irritating nor too interesting to make you care either way. They mostly get out of the way or react fervently to the wild surroundings. Pure cheese, and a tasty one at that, Journey to the Center of the Earth is worth the time, as long as you check your brain at the door and dive right in.

Grade: B