Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Released 11th July 2008, Journey to the Centre of the Earth follows Professor Trevor Anderson as he investigates a mystery from his volcanic data with his nephew Sean. This film does not strive to have any particular themes or ideas; instead, opting to be an easy-watch action film. Whilst this is not always a bad thing, it means that your film should be consistent and engaging which this film… isn’t. Considering the $60 million, you would think that at least one element of the film would be particularly polished; nope.

The cast are goofy and enjoyable enough with the three leads having great chemistry with one another. Brendon Fraser as Professor Trevor Anderson easily radiates the film most with his hyperbolised actions and reactions to everything occurring. Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem are also entertaining enough as Sean Anderson and Hannah Asgeirsson. These performances wouldn’t normally be a detriment to the film if it were a pure comedy, however, the film attempts to establish an emotional centre with Sean’s father, and Trevor’s brother, who has been missing for ten years. As a result of this, the script sometimes tries to lead towards heavy scenes; something which never works due to the established tone and the pacing of the rest of the script.

If anything, the soundtrack is probably the best part of this film; hardly great but I remember it felt adventurous yet lofty and it stuck to me as the one component which operated completely successfully. The greatest flaw of the film however are the astronomically dated VFX; these are some of the most dated effects I have seen in a long time. With the exception of some compositing in one scene, every effect was noticeable throughout the film; from obvious green screen to clunky CG models, the effects really drag you out of the film. Overall Journey to the Centre of the Earth is an enjoyable adventure flick with moderate charm which plummets under the failure of nearly every technical aspect.