Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 theatrical film)
Journey to the Center of the Earth | |
---|---|
Directed by | Eric Brevig |
Screenplay by | Michael D. Weiss Mark Levin Jennifer Flackett |
Based on | Journey to the Center of the Earth 1864 novel by Jules Verne |
Produced by | Beau Flynn Charlotte Huggins |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Chuck Shuman |
Edited by | Paul Martin Smith Dirk Westervelt Steven Rosenblum |
Music by | Andrew Lockington |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $60 million[1] |
Box office | $244.2 million[1] |
Journey to the Center of the Earth (also promoted as Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D or Journey 3D) is a 2008 American
The film also introduced the 4DX movie format, featuring "4D" motion effects in a specially designed cinema in Seoul, South Korea, using tilting seats to convey motion, wind, sprays of water and sharp air[clarification needed], probe lights to mimic lightning, fog, scents, and other theatrical special effects.[2]
The film received generally positive reviews from critics and earned $244.2 million against a $60 million budget.[1] A sequel, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, was released on February 10, 2012 with only Hutcherson returning on the main cast.
Plot
In 2007, Trevor Anderson is a Bostonian volcanologist whose 13-year-old nephew, Sean, is supposed to spend ten days with him. Trevor learns at work that his brother's lab is being shut down because of a lack of funding. Trevor has forgotten that Sean is coming until he receives several messages from Sean's mother Elizabeth. When Sean's mother drops him off, she leaves Trevor with a box of items that belonged to Max, Trevor's brother and Sean's father, who disappeared 10 years before. Sean suddenly takes interest in what Trevor has to say after he tells him about his father, whom he never really had a chance to know. In the box, Trevor discovers the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Inside the book Trevor finds notes written by his late brother. Trevor goes to his laboratory to find out more about the notes. There he realizes that he must go to Iceland to investigate for himself.
He intends to send Sean back to his mother, but relents at Sean's protest and brings Sean to Iceland with him. They start by looking for another volcanologist. When they get to that scientist's institution, they meet his daughter Hannah, who informs them he is dead. She also tells them that both her father and Max believed that
Trevor, Sean, and Hannah investigate farther into the mine until they fall into a deep hole, taking them to the "
Trevor figures that they must find a geyser that can send them to the surface. They must do this in 48 hours or all of the water to create the geyser will be gone. They also figure that they must get out before the temperature rises past 135 degrees. They start building a raft to cross the underground ocean, and then the two adults become separated from Sean. Sean's guide is now a little glowing bird who has been present since the trio entered the center, and it takes him towards the river. However, he encounters a Giganotosaurus, and Trevor – who desperately is searching for him – saves him. When they arrive at the geyser it is all dried up. All the water is on the other side of the walls.
Trevor uses a flare to ignite the
Cast
- Brendan Fraser as Professor Trevor "Trev" Anderson, a volcanologist, Sean's uncle and Max's brother
- Josh Hutcherson as Sean Anderson, Trevor's nephew and Liz & Max's son
- Anita Briem as Hannah Asgeirsson
- Seth Meyers as Professor Alan Kitzens
- Jean-Michel Pare as Maxwell "Max" Anderson, Sean's father, Trevor's brother and Liz's husband
- Jane Wheeler as Elizabeth "Liz" Anderson, Sean's mother and Max's wife.
- Frank Fontaine as Old Man
- Giancarlo Caltabiano as Leonard
- Kaniehtiio Horn as Gum-Chewing Girl
- Garth Gilker as Sigurbjorn Asgeirsson
Production
Development and filming
In September 2001,
Josh Hutcherson's character, Sean, is named after the professor and conservation biologist Dr. Sean Anderson.[5]
The computer graphics in the film were produced by the Canadian company Meteor Studios, which declared bankruptcy immediately after having finished work on Journey to the Center of the Earth, leaving its employees and freelancers unpaid after having postponed their paychecks for three months;[6] after a lawsuit and the direct intervention of Brendan Fraser,[7] the former Meteor personnel settled for 70% of what was owed.[6]
Release
Marketing
The first trailer was shown before screenings of Meet the Robinsons, the re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas and the release of Beowulf, with the Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, and during the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards. Warner Bros. marketed the film like a theme park attraction.[8] However, the studio had to slightly tweak the campaign (including dropping "3D" from the title) when it became clear that the film would be shown in 3-D in far fewer theaters than anticipated.[9]
Theme parks
In May 2009, the film premiered as "Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D" at
Home media
Journey to the Center of the Earth was released on
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 61% based on 158 reviews with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Modern visuals and an old fashioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride".[14] Metacritic gave the film a 57 out of 100, based on 35 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[15] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.[16]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 stars out of 4, and wrote: "This is a fairly bad movie, and yet at the same time maybe about as good as it could be. There may not be an 8-year-old alive who would not love it."[17] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it 2.5 out of 4, but warned "Remove a star from the rating if you take this Journey without wearing 3-D glasses. That’s where the real fun comes in."[18] Owen Glieberman of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B− and said "Journey is just the new version of a 1950s comin'-at-ya roller coaster, with a tape measure, trilobite antennae, and giant snapping piranha thrust at the audience."[19]
Box office
Journey to the Center of the Earth grossed $101.7 million in the US and $142.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $242 million.[1]
The film opened at #3 in North America, behind Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Hancock. The film grossed $21,018,141 in 2,811 theaters in its first week of release with an average of $7,477. 57 percent of the opening gross was taken from theaters which showed the film in 3-D. In second weekend it dropped to $12,340,435 and in third to $9,717,217.[8]
Accolades
Award | Year | Category | Result | Cast/crew |
---|---|---|---|---|
Teen Choice Awards | 2008 | Choice Summer Movie: Action Adventure | Nominated | |
Young Artist Award | 2009 | Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor | Nominated | Josh Hutcherson |
BMI Film & TV Awards | 2009 | Won | Andrew Lockington | |
World Soundtrack Awards | 2009 | Discovery of the Year | Nominated | Andrew Lockington |
Sequel
In March 2009, Walden Media announced a sequel film,
Journey to the Center of the Earth: 4-D Adventure
Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure is a 15-minute
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ Sunhee, Han (February 5, 2010). "'Avatar' goes 4D in Korea". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- ^ Journey 3-D Archived April 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Profile at Comingsoon.net. Retrieved March 14, 2007.
- ^ "Dolby Laboratories, Inc. - First Digital 3D Movie Released in China with Dolby 3D Digital Cinema System". Investor.dolby.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ "CI Professor inspires 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island". Ventura County Star. February 10, 2012. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Box Office Mojo: 'Hellboy II' Sizzles Archived August 31, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
- ^ John Horn (July 10, 2008). "In 3-D! (oh, wait ...)". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Best Atlanta Attractions - Atlanta Activities - Stone Mountain Park". www.stonemountainpark.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
- ^ "Journey to the Center of the Earth™ 4D". www.dollywood.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
- ^ a b Journey to the Center of the Earth – DVD Sales Archived September 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. The Numbers. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "Journey to the centre of the Earth (2008)". WorldCat. OCLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ "Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- CBS Interactive. Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ "JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (2008) A-". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (July 10, 2008). "Jules Verne dumbed way down". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Travers, Peter (July 11, 2008). "Journey to the Center of the Earth". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Owen Gleiberman (December 20, 2019). "Journey to the Center of the Earth". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ "Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D". Iwerks Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ "Journey To The Center Of The Earth 4-D Adventure (Warner Bros. Movie World)". Parkz.
- ^ "Take a Journey to the Center of the Earth 4D At Dollywood's KidsFestSM". BNET. June 12, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Enchanted Kingdom's newest 4D adventure now showing". The Philippine Star. April 26, 2009. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
External links
- Official website
- Journey to the Center of the Earth at IMDb
- Journey to the Center of the Earth at AllMovie
- Journey to the Center of the Earth at the TCM Movie Database
- Journey to the Center of the Earth at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Journey to the Center of the Earth at Box Office Mojo
- Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D Production Notes