Opening

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—— A Green Story May 24
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Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31
89% The East May 31

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

tomatometer

61

Average Rating: 6/10
Reviews Counted: 155
Fresh: 94 | Rotten: 61

Modern visuals and an old fasioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride.

67

Average Rating: 6.3/10
Critic Reviews: 36
Fresh: 24 | Rotten: 12

Modern visuals and an old fasioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride.

audience

55

liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 242,597

My Rating

Movie Info

Academy Award-winning visual effects artist Eric Brevig makes his feature directorial debut with this adaptation of the classic Jules Verne fantasy starring Brendan Fraser. When an ambitious science professor (Fraser) develops a decidedly unconventional hypothesis, the mere mention of his name is enough to elicit laughter within the academic community. However, during a subsequent excursion to Iceland, the professor and his nephew make a major scientific discovery that sends them miles beneath

Oct 28, 2008

$101.7M

Warner Bros. Pictures - Official Site External Icon

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All Critics (158) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (63) | DVD (9)

Most of the movie, directed by Eric Brevig, is as daft, outlandish, and speedy as it needs to be, and, for all its newfangled effects, touchingly old-fashioned in its reverence for the Jules Verne novel that inspired it.

July 21, 2008 Full Review Source: New Yorker
New Yorker
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Perfectly charming as well as predictably eye-popping.

July 11, 2008
Wall Street Journal
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Flat and predictable, though the visuals are often striking.

July 11, 2008 Full Review Source: USA Today
USA Today
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If 3D is indeed the future of movies, we're going to need something more substantial than Journey to the Center of the Earth to convince us.

July 11, 2008 Full Review Source: Toronto Star
Toronto Star
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If, at this moment, the child next to you grabs your arm and hollers "Duck!", the movie will have been worth the ticket price.

July 11, 2008 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment (1)
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The absence of star charisma in Journey denies the audience some focus in a movie that keeps changing backdrops and is ultimately no more than the sum of its wild-eyed parts.

July 11, 2008 Full Review Source: Seattle Times
Seattle Times
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Brendan Fraser's physical dexterity and comic timing are laid out in good order here, and "Journey" is pretty much a Frasermobile. Without him, it just doesn't go anywhere.

July 5, 2011 Full Review Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Journey relentlessly dishes out the action and offers the bespectacled audience plenty of goopy, grabby 3-D jolts, but it all resembles a run of the mill video game. Brevig can't shake the material loose from its unbridled artificiality."

June 2, 2010 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | Comments (2)
BrianOrndorf.com

Whilst 3D 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.

August 2, 2009 Full Review Source: Moviedex
Moviedex

Overall, everyone involved does well, but no one besides the 3D is doing much to drop your jaw.

February 11, 2009 Full Review Source: Film School Rejects
Film School Rejects

A live-action Looney Tunes cartoon!

October 28, 2008 Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page
Sci-Fi Movie Page

For this adult...it was a chore, in 2-D or 3-D, and not even the high definition helped. (2-D/3-D Blu-ray Edition)

October 26, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

...rather juvenile...with many of its shots intended more to show off the 3-D process than to further its story line.

October 20, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

Brendan Fraser's playful force of personality rules, 3D or no 3D, one of the few funny guys who could grab attention away from a dinosaur in assault mode, in the center of the earth or anywhere else on the planet.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze
NewsBlaze

Many of the engaging scenes can be enjoyed the old fashioned way, minus the 3D glasses, simply for the sheer infusion of wacky humor and that playful force of personality Fraser provides. Who knew science fiction and comedy could reactivate Jules Verne.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze
NewsBlaze

The movie proves the perfect showcase for 3D. I can't say that it does the same for Fraser.

October 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney Morning Herald

It's all good clean fun: a rattling good yarn, in fact, with mostly nicely modulated performances from Fraser, Hutcherson and Bream, emphasising confidence, growth, solidarity and self-reliance.

September 26, 2008 Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National
MovieTime, ABC Radio National

Fraser salvages his reputation as a solid, matinee-style action hero in this family-oriented fantasy.

September 26, 2008 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia) | Comment (1)
Daily Telegraph (Australia)

Audience Reviews for Journey to the Center of the Earth

Surprisingly light and easy to watch. completely fantastic fare with decent effects, something kids will enjoy and ooooh and awwwe over.
December 29, 2008
jmanard52

Super Reviewer

A pointless and awful adaptation that makes Henry Levin's version (which I did not like) look like a masterpiece. It's tired and badly written, the only thing they got right was to hire Brendan Fraser who is the actor equivalent of a big dumb lovable dog. Why cast the most unlikable boy in the movie business today (Josh Hutcherson) is anyone's guess, does anyone actually like his acting? You'd be better off watching the dozen or so films it rips-off (Temple of Doom, Jurassic Park, etc) or better still, read the book.
February 11, 2013
SirPant

Super Reviewer

    1. Sean Anderson: Haven't you ever seen a dinosaur before?
    2. Trevor Anderson: Not with skin on it!
    – Submitted by Brandon M (10 months ago)
    1. Trevor Anderson: What are you doing?
    2. Sean Anderson: I am Googleing at thirty thousand feet.
    – Submitted by Bobby J (23 months ago)

Discussion Forum

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Latest News on Journey to the Center of the Earth

September 8, 2011:
Eric Brevig and Brendan Fraser Reunite for William Tell 3D
The "Journey to the Center of the Earth" duo is back together again.

June 23, 2010:
Josh Hutcherson Talks Journey to the Center of the Earth Sequel, Spider-Man Rumors
Josh Hutcherson is starring in the upcoming "Journey to the Center of the Earth" sequel -- and he...

April 28, 2010:
Sequels to Clash of the Titans, Journey to the Center of the Earth Planned
Sequels to "Clash of the Titans" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" are on the way -- but the...

Foreign Titles

  • Die Reise zum Mittelpunkt der Erde (DE)
  • Journey to the Centre of the Earth (UK)
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