One would have thought a Journey to the Center of the Earth alone would be enough to stop the little terrors from throwing popcorn at their siblings. However, in order to retain the limited attention span of new-age kids, it has become necessary to experience such journeys in eye-popping 3-D. In the case of Eric Brevig’s latest adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel, it happens to be a gimmick also necessary in retaining an adults attention span. Seeing the film without the extra dimension, Journey came across as a thinly plotted and unengaging time at the movies. With the 3-D glasses donned however, you would probably be too busy dodging rocks flying at your face to notice.

Caved In: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem

Taking a break from resurrecting mummies, Brendan Fraser goofily stars as volcanic scientist Trevor Anderson, tasked with looking after his angsty teen nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) for a week. When given a box full of the belongings of his deceased brother Max, whom was convinced that Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ was not a mere work of fiction, Anderson and his Nephew set out to Iceland to discover just what he sought there before he died. Along with their mountain guide Hannah (Anita Briem), the two get trapped in a cave after a rock slide and are unwillingly forced to find out what lies deep within the caverns of the volcano.

Unfortunately, the film leaves the plot to rest at the same point I have. Director Eric Brevig regularly opts to exploit the in-your-face 3-D experience instead of developing the plot left well within the first dimension. Each step of the journey into the caverns plays out like a theme park ride; extreme bursts of over-the-top action linked together with scenes that might as well be the queue to the next attraction. However, Journey is certainly not without its fun as the film does employ some exhilarating action sequences that will put a smile on the faces of the whole family. Although, a vast majority of the visual excitement is lost without the 3-D element, as the obvious cinematographic goal to make as many objects protrude from the screen becomes obnoxiously glaring for those likely to see it in the standard dimension.

T-REX clearly wasn’t a fan of The Mummy 3 either

The script is as cheesy as it gets, which is expected given the target audience, but what’s unexpected is its noticeable lack of humour. It’s not just in the dialogue either; Journey doesn’t nearly have the visual tenacity that keeps you smirking throughout Pixar’s WALL-E. A perilous Mine cart ride is lifted straight from the pages of Indiana Jones’s notebook and, had the animators properly watched Jurassic Park, they might have learnt how to make a Tyrannosaurus Rex appropriately intimidating. Whilst 3-D glasses might mask this lapse of originality by putting it all in your face, from a standard visual plane, the creative potential of Verne’s novel appears to be inexcusably wasted.

Despite almost playing the exact same character, Brendan Fraser slightly redeems himself in Journey after the last Mummy installment by restoring some of the goofy charm as the endeared hero. Josh Hutercherson is convincing in his self-assured teenager disposition as Sean and the beautiful Anita Briem does better at being the practical mountain guide than she does at being the love interest Hannah, sparking next to no chemistry with Fraser. Whilst the three protagonists do quite well considering, don’t expect any profound characterisations in Journey to the Center of the Earth, as each character is merely used to link each perilous situation to the next.

Conclusion:

By no means a complete disaster, this Journey is best left untravelled if the option for 3-D isn’t available. Without the extra dimension, the primitive plot and uninspired action sequences will do little to keep you and your kids firmly seated.

(2-D version)

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NOTE: Given how tailored this is for the 3-D experience, I probably would have given the film a higher rating had I seen it in 3-D.

[imdb]0373051[/imdb]

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