Josh Hutcherson and Brendan Fraser in "Journey To the Center of the Earth"
courtesy of Universal Home Entertainment
“A 3-D DVD”

The new version of “Journey To the Center of the Earth” is a movie made to be viewed in 3-D. Unfortunately a lot of theaters did not have the necessary equipment to view it this way. But on the new DVD which is out now it comes with glasses included in the box so you can get the full effect of the movie.

Brendan Fraser plays Trevor Anderson, a professor wh0ose brother died trying to follow the theories contained in Jules Verne’s novel A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Now many years later Trevor discovers the Earth’s makeup as far as tremors and things are the same as when his brother possibly found a tunnel into the earth’s core.

He travels, with his thirteen year old nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) who is visiting, to Iceland. There he meets a friendly guide named Hannah (Anita Briem) who goes with them on their expedition.

Of course they do find a way into the earth’s core and the thrills begin. You can see the 3-D effects being set up, and you can also see fun rides in a theme park being established. It all feels contrived, and totally unbelievable.

Fraser is a bit of a goof as Trevor. Hutcherson acts circles around him and is the most appealing member of the cast. He actually seems to have a foothold in reality while Brendan/Trevor does not. Briem is the pretty girl who instantly becomes romantic with Trevor. 

This is the kind of movie where there is always enough light to see clearly what is happening, even though they are in the middle of the earth’s core. There are also dinosaurs roaming around. Go figure!

The action of the movie is fast paced and thrilling and that is the saving grace of the film. While you are watching it you are having a pretty good time. It is only when the movie is over that you realize how far-fetched it all was. There are supposedly some people who believe what Verne wrote was truly plausible. After seeing this movie they will reconsider that stand.

Still the kids will love watching the movie just for the 3-D effects and with the DVD you can have it all.

With Halloween being here you might want to take a look at “The Strangers.” Aside from the violence and fear factor in the movie there is nothing the least bit entertaining about it. It is just an exercise in violence that has neither point nor impact. 

Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman are the main actors in the film and they convey the horror their characters feel as they are pursued by unknown people who break into their home. Without their acting skills the movie would be an even bigger waste than it is.

James Hoyt (Speedman) and Kristen McKay (Tyler) are a couple who have attended a wedding reception. While there they have an argument but still go to his father’s house on a lake in South Carolina. The area around the house is fairly deserted but they have no reason not to feel safe.

Even though it is late at night there is knock on the door. When they open it they find a girl who asks if Tamara is there. They explain she must have the wrong house. James then leaves to get Kristen some cigarettes and while he is gone she begins to hear strange sounds in the house.

When James gets home the terror begins and it doesn’t end until the movie does. It is a slow game of cat and mouse between the invaders and the couple. The viewer is caught up in a voyeuristic house of horrors.

The major problem with the film is you never know the motivation for anything that happens. Why are the invaders there? Why do James and Kristen act so stupidly? Do the invaders have supernatural powers that allow them to appear and disappear at random? None of these questions are ever answered, and the ending – which is really stupid – just leaves more questions.

Speedman and Tyler make an appealing couple but they never give you a true feeling of who or what these people are. That is probably more a problem with the script than with their talent.

If all director Bryan Bertino wanted to do was make a scary movie, and not a plausible one, then he succeeded. This film is chillingly horrifying from the first scene until the last. The tension doesn’t ever let up.

The movie is said to be based on true events. If that is the case then couldn’t some more explanatory information have been given? Being left completely in the dark is not a good way to end a film.

Video Interview:
Abigail Breslin - "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl"

Now for something completely lighter and that is “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.” Movies that are based on a commercial franchise of some sort are generally not very good entertainment. In too many instances the message gets ahead of the plot. But such is not the case with “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,” which is based on the “American Girl” doll franchise. In this film the movie enhances the doll tie in and not the other way around.

Kit (Abigail Breslin) is a ten year old girl living in Cincinnati during the Depression years. All around her people are losing their jobs and are taking desperate measures to earn money. She thinks her family is immune until her father (Chris O’Donnell) announces he has lost his job and must seek work elsewhere.

To do her part to help out with finances, Kit’s mother (Julia Ormond) takes in boarders in their home. These include a magician (Stanley Tucci), a dance instructor (Jane Krakowski), a mobile librarian (Joan Cusack), and a family friend and her son (Glenne Headly and Zach Mills). The introduction of these people into their lives helps liven up things. It also gives Kit more incentive to become a newspaper reporter.

Her mother also hires two young hoboes (Max Thieriot and Willow Smith) to do chores around the house. Talking with them gives Kit an even greater perspective on the hardships people are facing. And when a series of robberies puts the two hoboes under suspicion Kit decides to play sleuth and solve the crimes.

Breslin is near perfection as Kit. She is spunky and charming in a totally little girl way. This is no child actress trying to be more grown up than she is. She looks and acts like a ten year old. Plus her acting talent is immense. That Oscar nomination she has under her belt is there for a very good reason.

But then all the acting in this movie is good. From O’Donnell to Ormond to Headly, from Cusack to Tucci to Krakowski; this cast is full of professionals at the top of their game. And the young cast is also super talented. Thieriot has a great career ahead of him as a good looking young man who can act, and Willow Smith may grow into a career as bright as her father’s. Zach Mills has an innate sense of comic timing.

“Kit Kittredge” is a family film that is as pleasing to adults as it is to kids. It is the young girls in the family however who will cherish it the most. They may also want a Kit Kittredge doll but you won’t feel manipulated, you will just feel entertained.

“Casino Royale” was the movie that introduced Daniel Craig as the new, really new, James Bond. And with that introduction the movie went on to become one of the most successful Bond movies ever. Audiences took to this new star and the way he took the role to new heights.

Now there is a “Casino Royale Collector’s Edition” and it has seven hours of extras. You go behind the scenes, get unseen footage, and many more special things that enhance the watching of this super Bond movie. So get the DVD that has it all – and more. It’s “Casino Royale: Collector’s Edition.”

Did you ever wonder what the back story on “Tinker Bell” was, well wonder no more. “Tinker Bell” is a DVD which focuses completely on the tiny fairy and tells you everything you want to know about her and more.

Plus this DVD is filled with more voice talent than you can imagine. There is Mae Whitman as the voice of Tinker Bell (yes, she has an actual voice). Also in the cast are Lucy Liu, Jessie McCartney, Kristin Chenoweth and Anjelica Huston. That is an extremely talented cast and they all blend their voices to make “Tinker Bell” an exciting and enchanting movie. Get it today!

Finally just in time to get you ready for the upcoming holiday season we have a new Berenstein Bears movie. This one deals with the joy of giving and it is titled “The Berenstein Bears: Christmas Tree.”

There are five episodes on this DVD and they all deal with the holiday season, and each one has a message for kids to learn. You can always trust these bears to do the right thing and to make lessons enjoyable to learn.

So get ready for the holidays with “The Berenstein Bears: Christmas Tree.” Your kids will love it.
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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