Like cotton candy, Journey to the Center of the Earth (in 3-D) is sweet and fluffy, but it quickly melts away leaving you wanting more. I know, I know, that's an overused analogy; but it couldn't be more true. It's simply a fun-filled family movie that touches on some real-life issues, and throws in enough escapism entertainment to let you simply enjoy the ride. And hopefully, you get to enjoy it in RealD, as some theaters aren't up to par with the 3-D projection yet.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is the first full-length feature to use the RealD technology, a variation of traditional 3-D visuals. RealD is not solely interested in startling audiences with elements popping out of the screen; RealD also utilizes the illusion of depth in the screen. While it can be interesting and fun to admire the illusion, I have a feeling that most audiences prefer things popping out at them so they can laugh and reach out to touch whatever's floating in front of them. In any case, RealD is used well in Journey, including a few moments that are almost unnecessary to the story... but the filmmakers insert them anyway to take advantage of the technology.

With the Mummy movie franchise scoring boxoffice success and releasing another anticipated sequel this summer, Brendan Fraser is smart to choose another possible adventure franchise with broad appeal in Journey. To me it seems like he's establishing himself as a more generic, cheesy version of Indiana Jones for a new generation—which isn't a bad thing.

Loosely based on the 19th-century novel of the same name by Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth follows Trevor Anderson (Fraser), a geologist and professor at a university threatening to shut his lab down. His controversial studies, which he worked on with his missing brother, have something to do with volcanic tubings that could go very deep beyond the Earth's crust. And this is what Trevor's brother, Max, went to explore when he went missing over ten years ago—part of the reason Trevor holds on so dearly to the lab and the studies his peers so despise.

And it so happens that Trevor's 12-year-old nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), shows up to stay with him for ten days as sort of a mini-vacation/bonding time while Sean's mother house-hunts in Canada. Sean's mother also drops off a box for Trevor from Max, wherein they find a copy of Jules Verne's novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, containing mysterious notes scribbled throughout.

This triggers Trevor's thoughts and excitement, realizing his brother may have been on to something regarding the volcanic tubing they theorized about. So they set out to follow where his brother's scribbles lead—to a scientific research institution in the mountains of Iceland.

This is all explained in a hastily-cut intro to set up the movie. Humorously hokey shots of things poking out at us in RealD aside, the first twenty minutes are awkward. It seems as though the filmmakers knew all the tectonic science talk and family drama setup was going to make audiences antsy, so they cut quickly to move things along—with the result of feeling rushed. But it seems that the movie needs the missing exposition at the beginning to give credibility to the few moments of heartfelt drama later in the story. Besides, later we get to experience fun action scenes enough, and I think the wait would have been worth it.

Continue: 1 2