As a showcase for updated 3-D imaging technology, this family-friendly adaptation of Jules Verne's classic 1864 adventure novel is quite impressive. However, if you take off the 3-D glasses (four pairs are included with the DVD, as well as the 2-D version of the film), director Eric Brevig's Journey to the Center of the Earth is a tired, cliché-ridden mess likely to appeal only to grade-schoolers (and not even all of them). Brendan Fraser, capitalizing on the faux-Indiana Jones persona he established in the Mummy movies, is both stalwart and charmingly goofy as Trevor Anderson, a scientist intent on retracing the steps of his lost brother, who died searching for the center of the Earth. Accompanied by his 13-year-old nephew (Josh Hutcherson) and a statuesque Icelandic guide (Anita Briem), Trevor uses Verne's book as a road map while the small expedition discovers some remarkable phenomena in this subterranean landscape. Here, the 3-D effects come to life, including a T-Rex that seems to burst out of the screen. Beyond the major 3-D scenes, however, the movie's slipshod artifice becomes all too evident, especially some of the embarrassingly sloppy set construction. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: Featuring both 3-D and 2-D versions of the film (along with four pairs of 3-D glasses), DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by star Brendan Fraser and director Eric Brevig, “A World Within Our World” 10-minute featurette on various historical “hollow earth” theories, a six-minute “Being Josh” profile of 12-year-old costar Josh Hutcherson, the three-minute featurette “How to Make Dinosaurs Drool,” the “Adventure at the Center of the Earth” challenge (on the DVD version), and trailers. Also included is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (E. Hulse)
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Warner, 92 min., PG, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray: $35.99, Oct. 28 Volume 23, Issue 5
Journey to the Center of the Earth
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