Review of Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) by Allyssa E — 29 Dec 2011

The umpteenth remake of the Jules Verne classic story "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was made using a revolutionary new 3-D technique called Real 3-D, and it's very impressive. As with all 3-D features, you get the usual unnecessary thrusting of random things at the camera to get the most out of the gimmick. But, with this new technique, all of the other scenes are impressive as well because they have real depth.

Not emotional depth, mind you, as this is a predictably shallow adventure picture, but dimensionally speaking they have depth. As it turns out, there's no other reason to see this overly familiar picture. Why anyone would want to sit through this in its standard 2-D format is a complete mystery to me. This may be a new movie, but it sure doesn't feel that way. Even if you haven't seen any of the other adaptations of the classic novel, this will seem familiar.

Brendan Fraser is well-suited to this type of film, as proven by the dismal "Mummy" movies that he managed to marginally lighten up, but he's played this part before. There's just nothing fresh here, and the finished product is tired and forgettable. The only real spark in the entire movie comes from spunky and pretty newcomer Anita Briem as Fraser's guide. Her I'd like to see again in something better.

The new version of "Journey to the Center of the Earth", on the other hand, not so much. Once is definitely enough simply because you've seen it all before. The new 3-D is cool, but you're still better off waiting for the DVD.