First off, I should warn you that I like Brendan Fraser films. Seems impossible, I know, but still, I like the guy and the films he's made. That being said, on to the review!
Journey to the Center of the Earth is the story of Professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser, The Mummy) who is still continuing his brother's research on tectonic plate movement, when he gets his little nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson, The Vampire's Assistant) over for a couple of days.
When Sean's mother drops him off, she hands Trevor a box of his brother's old belongings, which include a book by Jules Verne. You guessed it, it's "Journey to the Center of the Earth".
Throughout the pages of the book are numerous notes which coincidentally correspond with the three still working sensors Max (Trevor's brother) has placed all around the world. When Trevor and Sean head over to the lab, they find that a fourth sensor has been activated in Iceland and the two decide to go check it out.
In Iceland, they meet up with mountain guide Hannah Ásgeirsson (Anita Briem, The Tudors) who takes them up the mountain to the sensor. The mountain that is coincidentally mentioned in Verne's book and is supposed to hold an entrance to the center of the earth. The rest is pretty predictable, as you may guess.
They find the centre of the earth and after a while discover that they have to get the Hell out of there, because the air pocket they're in will be heating up pretty fast and if they don't hurry, they'll be cooked. That's the queue for adventure to start happening.
All things considered, JttCotE is a pretty generic adventure movie. It's even been done before, at the end of the 50s. Nevertheless it's an entertaining film. Fraser plays his part like he does most parts, using his nervous kind of comedy and subtle stream of one-liners as if he invented them, but it doesn't get annoying. Personally, the movie would've been worse off if anyone else than Fraser played the lead, since he's the perfect guy for semi-adventure comedies, ever since The Mummy.
Young Hutcherson does a splendid job as the reluctant teenager. It was a relief for me to see that the rebellious nature wasn't kept alive the entire film, but that he warms up to his uncle pretty quickly. Of course, I can imagine that'd happen if you fall a couple of thousands of miles through the crust of the earth. Still, it's a wise choice and it works just fine. The relationship between Trevor and Sean is well played out, without getting too sappy or gag-reflex-inducing.
The final lead is for Ásgeirsson, who is mostly seen in series like The Tudors and The Evidence. Other than that, this is her third feature film and she handles it with great ease. The back and forth bantering between her and Fraser is pretty standard, but keeps the spirits up and isn't overplayed that much. She knows how to handle herself in an "all-guy" environment set in a prehistoric surrounding and is at times a genuine sight for sore eyes.
Even though some individual parts are not really up to par, the film as a whole makes for a fun watch and will not disappoint most viewers, unless you can't stand Fraser. It's pretty much what you'd expect to get: an entertaining family flick filled with adventure and clichés, but as I always like to say: a cliché became just that because it just keeps on working.
