Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth is obviously meant to be seen in 3-D, with birds and spit flying at the screen. But, we like to kick it old-school here in Chico, so 2-D it is. The film takes Jules Verne’s book of the same name (the basis for the 1959 film) as fact rather than a work of fiction. A visit from his video-game generation nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), finds Trevor (Brendan Fraser) looking through a box of his late brother’s belongings, including his favorite book—you guessed it—Journey to the Center of the Earth. A few unexpected, but awfully coincidental tectonic findings send Trevor and Sean to Iceland, where they meet up with a cute mountain guide named Hannah (Anita Briem) before embarking on the greatest adventure of all as they try to escape from dinosaurs and killer fish. What the film lacks in script it makes up for in visuals. The T-rex, for example, is one of the most alive-looking dinosaurs I’ve ever seen on film, and the magical world that makes up the center of the Earth sparkles (literally) with rich detail. For a mindless escape that will steal only 90 minutes from your busy life, Journey to the Center of the Earth is a worthy excursion—especially if you bring the kids.