Journey to the Center of the Earth
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: July 11, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
17
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Terrific family entertainment, an action comedy on a par with "Night at the Museum" and "National Treasure." Read full review
80
EmpireKim Newman
Fraser on form, 3D dinosaurs, geology lessons, phosphorecent hummingbirds, killer flying fish, theme park rides, Icelandic babe - what's not to like? It skews young, but is everything an 8-12 year-old could want. Older siblings and parents will have nothing to complain about either. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
You don't believe a second of it, but it's easy to enjoy, partly because of the casting of all three leads. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
A legit action movie. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
The most entertaining 3-D movie I've ever seen. Read full review
70
VarietyJohn Anderson
A more unavoidable obstacle here is that there's not much in the way of plot -- the story is in the tour through the labyrinthian intimacies of inner Earth. As such, it's an f/x wizard's dream, and Brevig makes the most of it. Read full review
70
SalonStephanie Zacharek
The picture works because Brevig and his actors -- not to mention his effects -- maintain a sense of humor and lightness. It doesn't hurt that Fraser, a fine actor who's made a name for himself not with his serious performances (which are reliably solid) but for his recurring role in the "Mummy" series. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Journey is just the new version of a 1950s comin'-at-ya roller coaster, with a tape measure, trilobite antennae, and giant snapping piranha thrust at the audience. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
It's harmless fun, and it makes for an often impressive display of the latest generation of computer-wizardry. But the enterprise is utterly void of substance: instantly forgettable and about as enriching as a rerun of "Johnny Quest." Read full review
67
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
It's a thrill ride not to be missed. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
So the science in this film of Jules Verne's science fiction classic is ludicrous. Well, how's the fiction? Not terrible. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter Travers
I don't know if 3-D could improve all movies (nothing could make "The Love Guru" funny) but it sure works here. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy but fun, fun, fun. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
This dumbed-down spin on Jules Verne's classic adventure tale was devised as a kid-friendly roller-coaster ride, and it delivers the goods. Whether anyone over the age of eight wants the goods is another matter altogether. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Not exactly a movie in the usual sense, not exactly a ride, Journey is more of a virtual theme-park simulation and possibly a milestone of immersive entertainment. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
A brisk, undemanding adventure aimed squarely at the family market, Journey is completely passable in 2-D. But viewing it through 3-D glasses not only quadruples the movie's entertainment value, it also explains why characters are constantly thrusting things at the camera. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
For a harmless "Indiana Jones" knock-off, Journey to the Center of the Earth has an awful lot riding on it. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
It would be barely passable under normal circumstances, but in 3-D it's a circus of excellent FX. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
This first feature by veteran visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig has its transporting, if benign, charms. Read full review
60
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Surprising as it may be, given an unpromising trailer, the 3D update of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth turns out to be perfectly charming as well as predictably eye-popping. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
The cast hits the right notes. Fraser, switching between affable good sport and heroic goofball, clearly doesn't mind this stuff. He realized early on with "George of the Jungle," "Dudley Do-Right" and the "Mummy" movies that his B-movie build and persona is perfect for live-action cartoons. Read full review
60
TimeRichard Corliss
Neither the acting nor the story matters much here; the movie is simply the sum of its 3D effects. Read full review
60
Film ThreatMatthew Sorrento
Many have described "Journey" as a 3D film dumbed down to a theme park attraction. However, its visual splendor would have left Walt Disney weeping and Sergei Eisenstein preaching of cinema's second coming. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
Like its early predecessors, it's a nominally fun trip, but it's tissue-thin and instantly forgettable. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
It's inoffensive and shiny and competent and kids will dig it, and I can already barely remember a single thing that happened. Read full review
58
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
It has its modicum of suspense, and Brendon Fraser, who stars as intrepid professor Trevor Anderson – who does indeed journey to the center of the Earth – is his usual heroically affable self. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
With 3-D, a little goes a long way and, in the absence of a legitimate script with credible characters, the fun dries up long before the running time has expired. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesJan Stuart
Ultimately, Journey to the Center of the Earth's minor-league visual pleasures will be most enjoyed by those with the smallest number of celluloid reference points, preferably those who have started going to the movies after "Jurassic Park" or, better yet, the Harry Potter films. Read full review
50
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Not so much a movie as an amusement park ride. Read full review
50
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
If this movie is not a ride, then what is it? One thing it may not be, quite, is a movie. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
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. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
This is a fairly bad movie, and yet at the same time maybe about as good as it could be. There may not be an 8-year-old alive who would not love it. Read full review
50
The New YorkerAnthony Lane
As daft, outlandish, and speedy as it needs to be, and, for all its newfangled effects, touchingly old-fashioned in its reverence for the Jules Verne novel that inspired it. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Provides tepid but fun entertainment. Read full review
30
Village VoiceRobert Wilonsky
If the 3D here is better than average, SLIGHTLY, the rest of the movie brings it way, way down--not quite to the center of the earth, but at least a good six feet under. Read full review
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