Review: the OLD Journey to the Center of the Earth

This review is from 2005, the movie long before Brendan Fraser.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

We grew up watching this movie, one of those that got frequent Saturday afternoon slots, not to mention “The 4:30 Movie.” Back then, we loved the saga of the duck Gertrude, were amazed by the giant lizards. Although I could giggle with the adults when we saw him in the kilt, back then the opportunity to see Pat Boone shirtless was lost on me. 

James Mason reappears as another Jules Verne scientist, this one not as crazed and self righteous as Captain Nemo. Driven, yes, but more personable.

Kid rating: my seven year old watched the movie with the ceaseless question, “Will the duck be all right?” punctuated by “Oh, no!” and again, “Will the duck be all right?” I had forgotten what happened to Gertude. Mea culpa. After the movie, we talked about movies being pretend and Gertrude really wasn’t ever in danger, which helped.

Romance: beats me how they could spend a year underground and still be speaking to each other. There is a tender scene in the sand, well done with restraint on parts of actors and directors. (If you’re looking for it, you see some untanned flesh, but so mild by today’s standard you wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t told you. A big contrast to Liz Taylor’s sprawling in Cleopatra! Blech.)

I don’t quite understand the forest of giant mushrooms. Any sensible person (other than a hobbit) knows you don’t just walk up to mushrooms and eat them! Evidently these weren’t amanita, nor were they hallucinogenic. Did Verne use mushrooms for –er– medicinal purposes? I don’t know. 

It was a fun flick from memory lane, overall acceptable for 10+ year olds (due to suspense and peril). Parents could use the movie to discuss fidelity to one’s sweetheart. They could also use it to springboard kids into the concept that scientists aren’t automatically boring. Honor and betrayal concepts in the storyline also merit discussion. 

Recommendation: Kind of a goofy movie, but fun. I don’t think it will kick teenage hormones into overdrive, so not too bad for a date movie. Then again, there is Pat Boone.