Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 theatrical film)


Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 2008 American 3D science fantasy action-adventure film directed by Eric Brevig and starring Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, and Josh Hutcherson. Produced by New Line Cinema, it is an adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 novel, and was released in 3D theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 11, 2008.
The film also introduced the 4DX movie format, featuring "4D" motion effects in a specially designed cinema in Seoul, South Korea, using tilting seats to convey motion, wind, sprays of water and sharp air, probe lights to mimic lightning, fog, scents, and other theatrical special effects.
The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics and earned $242 million on a $60 million budget.

Plot

Trevor Anderson is a Bostonian volcanologist whose nephew, Sean, is supposed to spend ten days with him. Trevor learns at work that his brother's lab is being shut down because of a lack of funding. Trevor has forgotten that Sean is coming until he receives several messages from Sean's mother. When Sean's mother drops him off, she leaves Trevor with a box of items that belonged to Max, Trevor's brother and Sean's father, who disappeared years before. Sean suddenly takes interest in what Trevor has to say after he tells him about his father, whom he never really had a chance to know. In the box, Trevor discovers the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Inside the book Trevor finds notes written by his late brother. Trevor goes to his laboratory to find out more about the notes. There he realizes that he must go to Iceland to investigate for himself.
He intends to send Sean back to his mother, but relents at Sean's protest and brings Sean to Iceland with him. They start by looking for another volcanologist. When they get to that scientist's institution, they meet his daughter Hannah, who informs them he is dead. She also tells them that both her father and Max believed that Jules Verne's books were factual accounts. However she offers to help them climb up to the instrument that has suddenly started sending data again. While hiking the mountain a lightning storm forces the three into a cave. The cave entrance collapses, trapping them, so they have no alternative but to go deeper in the cave, which turns out to be an abandoned mine.
Trevor, Sean, and Hannah investigate farther into the mine until they fall into a deep pit, taking them to the "Center of the Earth". They all continue until they discover a cave dwelling that Max lived in. Trevor and Sean find Max's old journal. Hannah and Trevor discover Max's dead body and bury him. Trevor reads a message from Max's journal that was written on Sean's 3rd birthday. Trevor continues to read Max's journal until he realizes from his notes that they must quickly leave, as the temperature is steadily rising.
Trevor figures that they must find a geyser that can send them to the surface. They must do this in 48 hours or all of the water to create the geyser will be gone. They also figure that they must get out before the temperature rises past 135 degrees. They begin by crossing the underground ocean, and then the two adults become separated from Sean. Sean's guide is now a little bird who has been present since the trio entered the Center, and it takes him towards the river. However, he encounters a Tyrannosaurus and Trevor - who desperately is searching for him - saves him. When they arrive at the geyser it is all dried up. All of the water is on the other side of a wall.
Trevor uses a flare to ignite the magnesium in the wall and causes a geyser to shoot them through Mount Vesuvius in Italy. When they destroy the home of an Italian man, Sean gives him a diamond that he had found earlier. Trevor sees that he has many more in his backpack, and he uses them to fund his brother's laboratory. Throughout the adventure, Hannah and Trevor gradually become so attached to each other that they kiss. The film ends on the final day of Sean's visit with Trevor, and he is leaving their new home, which was purchased with some of the diamonds Sean took from the cave, and Trevor handing Sean a book titled "Atlantis", suggesting they could maybe hang out at Sean's during Christmas break.

Cast

Development and filming

On September 22, 2001, Walden Media announced that Eric Brevig was hired and set to direct Journey to the Center of the Earth based on the book of the same name by Jules Verne. Michael D. Weiss, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett wrote the script for the film. Beau Flynn and Charlotte Huggins produced the film with the budget of $60 million for release in 2008. On April 16, 2003, it was announced that Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, Josh Hutcherson, Seth Meyers, Jean-Michel Paré, Jane Wheeler, Giancarlo Caltabiano and Garth Gilker joined the film. On December 9, 2005, it was announced that Andrew Lockington would compose the music for the film. On March 2006, development and filming of the film was completed in Canada and Iceland. On April 20, 2006, principal photography and production began. On January 2, 2007, New Line Cinema acquired distribution rights to the film. Journey to the Center of the Earth was filmed in 2006. The film transposes the novel into the present day and is mostly live action, with only the landscape and creatures supplied by computer-generated graphics. The film is projected using Real D Cinema and Dolby 3D.
Josh Hutcherson's character, Sean, is named after the professor and conservation biologist Dr. Sean Anderson.

Release

Marketing

The first trailer was shown before screenings of Meet the Robinsons, the re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas and the release of Beowulf, with the , and during the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards. Warner Bros. marketed the film like a theme park attraction. However, the studio had to slightly tweak the campaign when it became clear that the film would be shown in 3-D in far fewer theaters than anticipated.

Theme parks

In May 2009, the film premiered as "Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D" at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. It also opened in the motion simulator at Dollywood under the same name on June 12, 2009. It also featured in the new 4D Cinema at the Weston Super-Mare Grand Pier in the U.K. It was also shown in Movieworld on the Gold Coast.

Home media

Journey to the Center of the Earth was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 28, 2008, in standard 2D format as well as a magenta / green anaglyph. It opened at #2 at the DVD sales chart, selling 843,224 units in the 1st week which translates to $13,238,617 in revenue. As per the latest figures, 1,642,994 DVD units have been sold, bringing in $25,346,260 in revenue. This doesn't include Blu-ray Disc sales / DVD rentals. The 2008 2-disc BD edition of the movie doesn't conform to the – only later established – 3D Blu-ray specifications, which means that this version doesn't take advantage of any dedicated 3D HDTVs, although it can be watched on 3D HDTVs, as well as on any other TV in anaglyph 3D, by using red-cyan paper glasses. A 3D Blu-ray version was released on January 17, 2012.

Reception

Critical response

The film received mixed to positive reviews. It received a 61% approval rating by Rotten Tomatoes, based on 158 reviews with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Modern visuals and an old fashioned storyline make this family adventure/comedy a fast-paced, kitschy ride." Metacritic gave the film a 57 out of 100, based on 35 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars out of 4. Peter Travers gave it 2.5 stars and Owen Glieberman gave it a B-.

Box office

Journey to the Center of the Earth grossed $101.7 million in the US and $139.2 million foreign sales, with a total of $242 million worldwide.
The film opened at #3 in North America, behind and Hancock. The film grossed $21,018,141 in 2,811 theaters in its first week of release with an average of $7,477. 57 percent of the opening gross was taken from theaters which showed the film in 3-D. In second weekend it dropped to $12,340,435 and in third to $9,717,217.

Accolades

International releases

In March 2009, Walden Media announced a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, , with Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Luis Guzman, and Vanessa Hudgens. Fraser and Briem's characters did not return, and Jane Wheeler was replaced by Kristin Davis. Journey 2 was filmed between November 2010 and February 2011 and was released in February 2012. Like the first film, the sequel was shot in 3D, and the script is loosely based on a Verne novel – this time The Mysterious Island.

''Journey to the Center of the Earth: 4-D Adventure''

Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure is a 15-minute 4D film shown at various 4D theatres all over the world. It retells the condensed story of the film with the help of 3D projection and sensory effects, including moving seats, wind, mist and scents. Produced by SimEx-Iwerks, the 4D experience premiered in 2009. Locations included Warner Bros. Movie World, Dollywood, Enchanted Kingdom, Stone Mountain, and Rainbows End.