Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959/2008)
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (PG)
D: Henry Levin
20th Century Fox (Charles Brackett)
US 1959
132 mins
Science Fiction/Adventure
W: Walter Reisch & Charles Brackett [based on the novel by
Jules Verne]
DP: Leo Tover
Mus: Bernard Herrmann
PD: Lyle Wheeler, Franz Bachelin & Herman A.
Blumenthal
James Mason (Prof. Oliver Lindenbrook), Arlene Dahl (Carla),
Pat Boone (Alec McEwen), Peter Ronson (Hans), Diane Baker (Jenny), Thayer David (Count Saknussemm)
Enjoyable hokum based on Jules Verne's classic tale. A group
of scientists led by James Mason burrow into the centre of the planet via an Icelandic volcano and discover a land inhabited by prehistoric monsters and dinosaurs.
The visual effects and production design were groundbreaking
for its time, but naturally look incredibly dated now.
Pat Boone's incessant singing may grate on the ears
too.
6/10
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (PG)
D: Eric Brevig
New Line/Walden Media (Beau Flynn & Charlotte
Huggins)
US 2008
93 mins
Science Fiction/Adventure
W: Michael D. Weiss, Mark Levin & Jennifer Flackett [based
on the novel by Jules Verne]
DP: Chuck Shuman
Ed: Paul Martin Smith, Dick Westervelt & Steven
Rosenblum
Mus: Andrew Lockington
Brendan Fraser (Prof. Trevor Anderson), Josh Hutcherson (Sean
Anderson), Anita Briem (Hannah Asgeirson), Seth Meyers (Prof. Alan Kitzens)
Remake of the 1959 film with updated visual effects,
production design and without the novelty of Pat Boone's folk singing.
50 minutes shorter than the original film, much has been
snipped from Jules Verne's original prose for the sake of intense adventure, and young audience will most certainly prefer this version to the one made five decades earlier.
A
sequel, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" was released a couple of years later, mysteriously replacing Brendan Fraser as the lead with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
6/10
