Time: 93 Minutes
Age Rating: PG – Some scenes may scare very young children
Cast:
Brendan Fraser as Professor Trevor “Trev” Anderson
Josh Hutcherson as Sean Anderson
Anita Briem as Hannah Sigurbjornsdottir
Seth Meyers as Professor Alan Kitzens
Director: Eric Brevig

A scientist sets out to search for his missing brother along with his nephew and their mountain guide. However, they stumble upon a mysterious lost world during their journey.

I do remember watching Journey to the Center of the Earth in cinemas back in 2008, and I remember enjoying it for what it was. I decided to revisit it and I still found it to be fun, even if I wouldn’t exactly say it’s a good movie.

Journey to the Center of the Earth isn’t an original or great adventure movie. However, it is silly, cheesy and upbeat, making for an entertaining watch. The plot doesn’t really make the most sense especially with the crazy things that happen in the second half, but it doesn’t seem to be aiming for that at least. There are attempts at being emotional and resonant, but they come across as rather underdeveloped. Outside of those parts, Journey to the Center of the Earth knows what kind of movie it is. With its quick pacing and short runtime of 90 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome and I was never bored.

The movie benefits from the main trio of actors. Brendan Fraser is charming and likable, very enjoyable to watch here. He is over the top and cartoonish at times (this is the most times he’s yelled in a single movie), but he’s right at home with this kind of film and adds a lot of energy. Josh Hutcherson plays Fraser’s nephew and could’ve easily been another unlikable kid character, but he was actually pretty good, and the bond between the two was surprisingly effective. Anita Briem’s mountain guide character rounds out the trio and is also good in her part too.

Erik Brevig’s direction isn’t great, and the visual effects and green screen look really bad. From the moment that Brendan Fraser spits onto the camera in the first 5 minutes, you can tell that Journey to the Center of the Earth was going to be one of those 3D movies, the ones that have things pointing out at the audience at every opportunity, even if is just Seth Meyers holding out some measuring tape. Still, the actual scenes are filmed well enough that I found them entertaining despite the terrible effects.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) isn’t a good movie; it’s an average family adventure with awful CGI which relies way too much on 3D gimmicks. However, the trio of likable main performances, light tone, fast pace, and enjoyable set pieces make the movie an entertaining watch.