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JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

 ABOUT THE MOVIE

Genre:Adventure/Fantasy/Children
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, Seth Meyers, Jean Michel Pare, Jane Wheeler, Frank Fontaine, Giancarlo Caltabiano
Director: Eric Brevig
Rating: PG
Year Made: 2008

 


 SPECIAL FEATURES

- Commentary by Brendan Fraser and Director Eric Brevig
- A World Within Our World: Various Historical "Hollow Earth Theories" About What Lies Beneath Our Planet's Crust
- Being Josh: Profiling 12-Year-Old Costar Josh Hutcherson
- How To Make Dinosaur Drool
- Adventure at the Center of the Earth Challenge

 


 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Languages: English
Subtitles: English/Chinese
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Widescreen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0
Running Time: 1 hr 33 mins
Region Code: 3
Distributor: Alliance Entertainment
Official Website:
www.journeymovie.com

 

 

SYNOPSIS: 

Brendan Fraser stars in this action-packed adventure based on the Jules Verne classic that is sure to deliver fun for the whole family! On a hunch to find the center of the earth, Trevor Anderson, his nephew and their tour guide make a breakthrough discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey into the unknown. On a scramble to find their way back, the group travels through a never-before-seen world, encountering creatures and objects never imagined.

MOVIE REVIEW:

With the backing of major studios and exhibitors, 3D technology seems to be the next in-thing to draw the crowds after the introduction of digital surround sound in the nineties and digital prints in the past years.

This updated movie version of the Jules Verne novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" starring Brendan Fraser relies heavily on this novelty even though most audiences outside the States has little access to the 3D version of it.

Fraser stars as Trevor Anderson, a volcanologist who accidentally discovered the notes left by his long-lost brother might be clues that could possibly lead to his last whereabouts. He decided to fly to Iceland to seek the truth within minutes after the opening. Along for the ride is his nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson from Bridge to Terabithia) and a climber’s guide, Hannah (Icelandic actress Anita Briem). Given the big hoo-ha of the much touted 3D effects, the filmmakers waste no time in fast tracking the story and setting up of the characters (in fact there’s only three for most of the running time) and before you actually dipped yourself into your popcorns, our adventurers are thrown into one coaster ride after another.

Since we can only view this in 2D, I can only imagined the queasy and thrills as the characters spin their way out of an abandoned mine on a cart. I presumed we should stretch our hands to touch the weird looking creatures such as flies, a cute bird and gigantic oceanic monsters as they come swirling towards us.

Stripped bare of the 3D effects, the movie itself is a bland showcase of visual effects and abundant usage of bluescreen technology. The digital backgrounds do marvel at certain junctures but as the case of the Star Wars prequels, your eyes do get a bit sore after a while. Brendan Fraser who exudes a goofy, big brother personality and well-known for battling mummies and working alongside CG characters in "Monkeybone" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" turns in yet another tiring performance.

The essence of Verne’s original novel is nowhere to be seen here, a common trend adopted by Hollywood to mundane the thinking experience and instead selflessly serving jolts and thrill to entertain the crowd. I have no qualms in mindless popcorn entertainment but here the characters simply are blessed with more luck than intellect to escape the ordeals.

If "The Journey to the Center of the Earth" appeals more to the younger crowd it’s because Walden Media, the company behind such children-friendly flicks such as "The Chronicles of Narnia", "Nim’s Island" is partly responsible for it. Thus do feel free to pop in the DVD with the kids even if yourself aren’t so delighted by the updated movie version of Verne’s book. One you might have read lightyears ago.

SPECIAL FEATURES :

Commentary by Brendan Fraser and Director Eric Brevig – Very little additional info is offered by the two of them, perhaps filming primarily with CG backdrops take away all the fun as compared to filming on actual locations.

A World Within Our World: Various Historical "Hollow Earth Theories" About What Lies Beneath Our Planet's Crust – A 10 minutes feature which tells about a few oddballs, sorry I meant scientist, philosopher in the past who speculated the Earth is hollow.

Being Josh: Profiling 12-Year-Old Costar Josh Hutcherson – A 6 minutes feature that details how Hutcherson spends his day on set and in his own trailer.

How To Make Dinosaur Drool – Goes to prove that nothing beats self-made dinosaur drool not even CG.

Adventure at the Center of the Earth Challenge – Rounding up the DVD extras are two interactive games for the little ones.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Code 3 DVD offers no 3D experience but an option of fullscreen and 2D experience, in other words widescreen. Pictures are of utmost clarity perhaps due to the high rendering of CG graphics. The Dolby Digital 5.1 might startle the younger ones at certain scenes especially during the explosion sequence but the stomping of the T-Rex does make good use of the bass.

MOVIE RATING:



DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee

 
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This review is made possible with the kind support from
Alliance Entertainment

 



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