Journey to the Center of the Earth

Rated PG

The recent 3-D revival has been marked by a tasteful restraint, but this update of the Jules Verne adventure is positively gleeful in its gimmickry—in one early scene the camera shoots upward from the bathroom sink as Brendan Fraser spits out his mouthwash. A geologist in need of a big discovery, Fraser stumbles across marginalia in his late brother's dog-eared copy of Journey indicating that Verne's subterranean wonderland may have been real, and with his smart-aleck nephew in tow, he journeys to Iceland to find the entryway. Eric Brevig, making his feature directing debut after a long career as a visual effects supervisor, lurches from one CG set piece to the next, though he's helped along by Fraser's easy comic touch. PG, 92 min. By J.R. Jones

Official Site: www.journey3dmovie.com
Director: Eric Brevig
Writer: Paul Chart and D.V. DeVincentis
Producer: Charlotte Huggins and Beau Flynn
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem