Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

Such a frustrating disappointment

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Unfortunately, the really crappy-considering-it's-time 3d animation kept pulling me out of the story line by distracting me with its cartoony falseness. And this was years after Jurassic Park, which is timeless, both in plot and effects. The plot of this mediocre kids movie also falls short, and feels more like an animation excersize than a rich historic tale of adventure.

Plot; A professor, his nephew and their guide discover a mysterious and dangerous world miles below our own.Calling out to me from the $3 bargain bin @ Wal-Mart, Journey to... JttCotE...said "I'm a cheap good time!" (Actually it was "We're" a cheap good time, as it was a 2-pack w/its sequel). As this has always been my litmus test for relationships, I thought what the heck. W/dodgy special f/x and only passable action, Journey...JttCotE...barely passes the lowest threshold of serviceable popcorn entertainment. Its greatest virtue (Besides the swoonworthy Anita Briem) is its brevity.

This film tries to adapt to the cinema the sci-fi novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne. Book and author are even abundantly referred in the film. However, it creates a new story around the book that is a far cry from what was written by Verne. To begin with, this film doesn't happen in the nineteenth century but rather during our time and the original novel was about a scientific expedition into a volcano, not an occasional incident that runs by chance. The script is pretty basic and far-fetched, runs over science in favor of dramatic effect and abuses the usual clichés of adventure movies, with poorly constructed and undeveloped characters escaping from certain death always at the last moment. There is a lot of silly stuff in this movie and it harms it's quality. The film has a nice cinematography and the fast pace that it takes, along with its short lenght, helps to make it more enjoyable because we forget mistakes and failures that we would be thinking about, focusing on what is happening.About the actors I can only say that the cast is regular, tries hard but doesn't have much quality material on which to show talent. Brendan Fraser is the sounding name here, but it doesn't surprise the audience. His character is similar to what he had in "The Mummy", reason why it doesn't require a major effort of the actor, whose career fell into the doldrums after his sudden success. Anita Briem is a perfect stranger to me but plays the hot girl contested by the good guys while Josh Hutcherson is the revolted teenager.In short, this movie is the typical adventure movie in which nothing is credible but makes the public have fun, with appropriate doses of humor and action, some silly romance and a forgettable story. Worth watching if you just want some quick entertainment.

Great Movie loved it, however, living in Iceland for over a year and close to Snaefelnes on the mountain, it rains but there was no lightening. That was the only drawback about that............I never seen it lightening once while I was there.........and we used to go clear to the top of the mountains to retrieve sheep.............other than that great movie..........loved the features and the special effects. I wish I could have understood a little more of what Hannah was talking about as her Icelandic was muffled. I do know that there are mysterious caves there, many of the folk there believe in rock trolls........and gnomes, and elves.