The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


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Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	Journey To The Center Of The Earth 3-D Stars: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem Director: Eric Brevig Scriptwriters: Michael Weiss, Jennifer Flacket and Mark Levin from the novel by Jules Verne Composer: Andrew Lockington Cinematography: Chuck Shuman New Line Cinema/Walden Media Rating: PG for scary moments Running Length: 90 minutes www.journeymovie.com Jules Verne is in vogue again. His novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, that inspired so many previous films, is done again. This time, in 3-D. Although the story as presented in this film, is barely short of preposterous, Brendan Fraser carries you along with his enthusiasm for the chase and on a thrill ride that can only say one thing: Theme Park Ahead. The story has Fraser as an absent-minded scientist who mourns the loss of his brother, ten years ago. Enter a nephew (Josh Hutcherson) for a visit and the two suddenly bond over a Jules Verne book (guess which one) with the late brother/father’s notes in it. Sort of looks as though the brother/father intended to visit the center of the earth. Off they go to Iceland, which is as good a place as any to go into a volcano, and they pick up a guide (Anita Briem). Her father wanted to go with Brendan’s brother, but couldn’t. However, the guide has all of her father’s notes and plans, so the three of them end up falling into the center of the earth. With so many air currents, waterfalls and magnetic fields around, they manage to find where Brendan’s brother had been. How to get back, though and in this new land is a hungry, drooling T-Rex that must have fallen in from “Jurassic Park.” There are enough thrills in this film to satisfy young film-goers, and adults can fathom everything if they ignore the plot and just go with the flow. Because of 3-D, there are scary moments, and some caught me off guard. Lighting and cinematography are fine and special effects, too. Director Eric Brevig is a former special effects expert. There is an underwater scene that is frighteningly realistic. You will recognize the mine car ride as similar to “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” plus any number of falling sequences and look-out-for-that-bottomless-pit from other stories. Fraser is a likeable comic adventure person. He has a child-like quality about him that brings you into his scene. He has good screen chemistry with young Josh Hutcherson and you can believe they are uncle and nephew. One thing that bothered me, though, there was much made of a yo-yo in the beginning of the film and then it vanished. Cutting room floor? Anita Briem is a name not familiar to many, but will be. She does action films well and in this role takes her role as guide, seriously. Like a Scout, “Always Prepared.” Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D is a fun ride. From falling into a volcano to rafting with a home-made sail to boating in the jaw of a T-Rex to riding in an old mine car, just grab on to your theater seat and hang on. 3-D will bring you into the action. May even make kids want to read more Jules Verne and volcanoes. Verne is still tops in his writing field, today. What an imagination. Copyright 2008 Marie Asner