Plot
On a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother, a scientist, his nephew and their mountain guide discover a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth.
Storyline Professor Trevor Anderson receives his teenager nephew Sean Anderson. He will spend ten days with his uncle while his mother, Elizabeth, prepares to move to Canada. She gives a box to Trevor that belonged to his missing brother, Max, and Trevor finds a book with references to the last journey of his brother. He decides to follow the steps of Max with Sean and they travel to Iceland, where they meet the guide Hannah Ásgeirsson. While climbing a mountain, there is a thunderstorm and they protect themselves in a cave. However, a lightening collapses the entrance and the trio is trapped in the cave. They seek an exit and falls in a hole, discovering a lost world in the center of the Earth.
Writers: Michael D. Weiss, Jennifer Flackett
Cast: Brendan Fraser
-
Trevor Anderson
Josh Hutcherson
-
Sean Anderson
Anita Briem
-
Hannah Ásgeirsson
Seth Meyers
-
Professor Alan Kitzens
Jean Michel Paré
-
Max Anderson
Jane Wheeler
-
Elizabeth
Frank Fontaine
-
Old Man
Giancarlo Caltabiano
-
Leonard
Kaniehtiio Horn
-
Gum-Chewing Girl
Garth Gilker
-
Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson
Filming Locations: Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Box Office Details
Budget: $45,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $21,018,141
(USA)
(13 July 2008)
(2811 Screens)
Gross: $101,702,060
(USA)
(7 December 2008)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
When Trevor opens the box of stuff belonging to his lost brother, he pulls out an odd wooden item, declares that he doesn't know what it is, and sets it aside. The item is a Holmes Stereoscope, a device designed in 1861 by the American physician and writer, Oliver Wendell Holmes, for the viewing of so-called "stereocards". A stereocard is like a postcard which has a Left-view and Right-view photograph mounted alongside one another. When viewed through this stereoscope, the photographs are merged into one 3-D image (which was later adopted for the ViewMaster viewers and cards). The Holmes Stereoscope was a great source of entertainment in the Victorian era. It was, in a sense, the Home Entertainment Centre of its day, as it transported its users to exotic places all over the world. People bought packs of stereocards for their entertainment - in much the same way as we buy DVDs today! (Thus, a character in a 3-D movie having no idea what a stereoscope is, makes for a cute little 3-D in-joke...)
Goofs:
Factual errors:
A rock wall contains raw diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. The diamonds are clear and already cut. They should look like dull yellow pebbles.
Quotes:
[Sean and Trevor have fallen behind Hannah, tired of climbing]
Sean:
I call dibs on the mountain guide. Trevor:
What? You're thirteen; you can't call dibs.
User Review
See it in 3D. It's unbearable if you don't.
Rating: 5/10
First off, let me say that I'm VERY glad I saw this movie in 3D. If I
hadn't, I might have walked out. The instant strength of this film that
comes to mind is the great use of the 3D technology. It has plenty of
surprises, and it doesn't over do it at all. HOWEVER, this does not
excuse the blatant cheesiness, stupid typical one liners from Brendan
Fraser, nor the underutilization of such a fantastic concept.
The story isn't really based on the book by Jules Verne, it's more
based on a group's adventure that uses the book as a guide. It's
certainly a fantasy adventure that kids will enjoy, but adults may find
themselves getting restless by the time the third act reaches us. I
also have very strong complaints about the predictability of the film,
which was so bad that I could predict what the characters would say, in
addition to what was about to happen on screen. That's bad. It's a
classic case of flashy visuals, horrid plot execution. It's a wasted
concept that could have been a lot better had the film-making branched
out from the narrow scope it obviously uses. In fact, I could see this
exact premise working PERFECTLY in a Guillermo Del Toro or Tim Burton
type horror film.
We really only got three characters in the movie (and less than ten
speaking parts), so a lot rides on our three leads. First, our
headliner and box office draw, Brendan Fraser. He may not be the best
actor, and he may say some pretty stupid one liners that get old after
the 800th time, but he still has the same charm that makes him likable
in the Mummy films. I really think that this film is further proof that
Josh Hutcherson is THE best young American actor. He's blossomed into a
great young actor, after a stunning turn in Bridge to Terabithia, in
addition to great shows in Zathura and Little Manhattan. I've never
seen a kid (especially a boy, as the girls tend to be better performers
at ages 10-16) show so much emotional range, not only in this movie,
but throughout his already prolific career (he's 15 and has 24 acting
projects in his career). He's one to watch for a very long time. Our
third lead is Icelandic actress Anita Briem. She neither added or took
away anything from the film, though I suppose that can be blamed on the
script, as she is not well developed. Seth Meyers (yes, THAT Seth
Meyers) provides some laughs at the beginning and end of the film.
I felt that the chemistry between performers was very good, and was one
thing that kept me interested. I came to care for all three of them,
and they worked well together. Fraser and Hutcherson in particular
worked well as uncle and nephew. While I was disappointed in the narrow
scope of the film's vision, what was contained within said scope was
well done and entertaining. The 3D really made it better. Without the
3D, this film is nothing but a mere C-class fantasy adventure that will
bore anyone above age 10. However, the chemistry of the actors and the
3D save it from somewhat disaster, and make the film a bit enjoyable.
It's worth the price of admission to a 3D theater, for sure, but I
advise you to bring a younger person with you (who knows, maybe you'll
feed off their energy). To put it simple, every kid under 10 or 11 will
love it, then watch it again in 10 years and go, "what was I
thinking?".
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