Thursday, August 07, 2008

MOVIE REVIEW - Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D!


Any movie that requires its viewers to wear unflattering eyewear makes me a little suspicious. Which is why I wasn’t expecting to like 'Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D' but I did. ‘Journey’ is a loose adaptation of the Jules Verne novel of the same name.


The story centers around a geologist, played by Brendan Fraser, his nephew and their mountain guide – and they all go off in search of Fraser’s missing brother. After a rockslide, they are thrust into a heart-stopping underground adventure where treacherous falls and prehistoric monsters lurk around every corner. Their only hope for escape is to use Jules Verne’s novel as their roadmap to ascend from the world of mayhem they’ve just plunged into.

No, this isn’t the most inventive storyline and a number of scenes lean towards children’s movie, but if you give it a chance it will surprise you. The acting, led by a boyishly charming Frazer, is solid. Director Eric Brevig, who served as visual effects supervisor on many action films, is a good fit for an effects heavy movie. Plus the plot twists come partnered with 3-D technology, giving this movie it's POP.

As much as I hate the cliché of saying that a movie is a thrill ride, I have to say, this movie is a thrill ride. I was on the edge of my seat and even got a little queasy during the much promoted cart sequence. And just a warning, if you’re afraid of heights, you may want to stick with the 2-D version of this flick. I speak from experience.


Now I'm not saying this film isn't cheesy, but it happily embraces it and has a lot of fun doing so. This movie is surprisingly funny, family friendly, and is an exciting ride into a dark and dangerous fantasy world for adults and kids. Bottom line: I walked out thinking it’s as good or better than any theme park ride. I say see it, especially if you can find it in 3-D. And yes, the 3-D glasses will make you look like a giant dork, but everyone else will too.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I saw the movie and I agree that it's a fun ride. The 3D effects are quite good, much improved over the old style 3D.
However, my favorite is still the 1950's version starring James Mason and Pat Boone. Who could ever forget the scene when Gertrude the duck is eaten by the villain :0 the horror the horror