Apparently Brendan Fraser had enough of battling mummies and turned to carnivorous plants, snappers with razor teeth and the occasional T-Rex to keep his edge. Clearly targeted for kids, the 3D spectacle captivates the older viewers more than the plot and character definition. The new technology has moved on since the days of red and blue plastic glasses and the improvements are clear for everyone. A typical sci-fi with a dose of humour that keeps the younger viewers chuckling throughout, this film is all that I would expect from a take on the Jules Verne classic.
Professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) is head of a failing volcanic activity centre at College. Having spent the last ten years monitoring seismic activity to no avail, the department is on the brink of closing down. It was Trevor’s brother, Max, who originally established the research institute by placing measuring units around the globe. However, for an unknown reason, Max didn’t return from a research trip a decade previously. Life is not looking good for Trevor….
Enter Sean (Josh Hutcherson), Max’s son; a typical PS2 playing teenager with the attitude to boot. During a week-long stay, Trevor gets his hands on the original Jules Verne Novel full with notes from his late brother. A remarkable coincidence later and they are both (Trevor and Sean) on the plane to Iceland with the mission to do whatever volcanologists do. Little did they know that they would be embarking on an incredible journey..to the centre of the Earth!
Anita Briem plays the role of a mountain guide and is a welcome addition to the cast and not only because of her ease on the eye. Thankfully, the storyline picks up after the somewhat slow beginning and the viewer is treated to an action packed hour of true sci-fi fun with significant humour to fill the gaps.
The storyline is plain, but the film is fun and keeps the younger kids entertained. The 3D visuals will have you reaching out to block flying obstacles in front of you and the jokes, whilst cringeworthy to the older audience, will amuse those younger minds.
With the target audience in mind, this film is certainly worthy of at least a seven. I would have second thoughts about going if you are older than 12, though!