Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
Director: Eric Brevig
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, etc.
Rated: PG. Apparently there's also a PG-13 special edition, but I've never seen it.
My overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended!
Moviegoers of all ages were given a rare treat this summer with the July release of Journey to the Center of the Earth, a film anticipated mainly because of its 3D effects. The adventure starts out in 2007 with an American scientist, Trevor Anderson, whose humdrum life suddenly changes when his computer reports new seismic activity—facts that might tell him how his brother disappeared ten years ago. Together with his electronics-savvy nephew and a shrewd blonde mountain guide, he heads up the Icelandic Mt. Sneffels to collect the data, only to fall, literally, into the center of the earth. There, surrounded by prehistoric creatures and natural wonders, they race against time and temperatures to find their way back out.
This film, both visually and aurally, exceeded my expectations: from bird's eye views of Iceland to majestic underground caverns, the colorful landscapes portray the realism, beauty, and grandeur of both worlds, and are pieces of art in themselves. It's all the more impressive considering that most of the sets and all of the creatures are CGI; probably the best prehistoric creatures were the sea-monsters, swinging their long necks around and splashing through the underground ocean in alarming numbers. And as for 3-D effects, they're cool if you can find a theater that shows them, but they're not really necessary to help you enjoy the film. Rain, glowing atmospheres, and exciting first-person shots help keep you entranced, as does the musical score which swells, scintillates and serves as an enhancement, not a distraction. Everything works together, balancing beautifully to create a fantasy land that you can take relatively seriously.
Perhaps a bigger surprise was the film's script. In the spirit of most Jules Verne movies, I expected a good dose of corniness, but happily I was proven wrong; the dialogue was clever, and there was little or no corn. The characters are pretty realistic, and I actually ended up liking the mountain guide—for once, a Verne heroine that's not annoying! The romance isn't overblown, the action is everywhere, and there is no bad language, to top it off. Also, as fan of the original book and Jules Verne's works in general, I found this movie's 21st century setting an excellent tribute to the novel; the protagonists read the book as kind of guide or source of hints, and scenes such as the mushroom forest and the raft ride are recreated in a way quite loyal to the book.
If you enjoy a good story, suspenseful action, and stunning effects, give this one a try: it'll take you on a thrilling, engaging journey in just 90 minutes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment