Journey to the Center of the Earth (TV) (2008)

46% of users liked it
(2,095 ratings)

Not to be confused with Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, the Brendan Fraser adventure that was released into theaters the same year, this made-for-cable take on Jules Verne's classic tale stars Golden Globe winner Rick Schroder as the leader of a treacherous mission miles below the Earth's… More Not to be confused with Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, the Brendan Fraser adventure that was released into theaters the same year, this made-for-cable take on Jules Verne's classic tale stars Golden Globe winner Rick Schroder as the leader of a treacherous mission miles below the Earth's surface. Famed anthropologist Jonathan Brock (Schroder) has just accepted the most dangerous -- and exciting -- assignment of his entire career. Four years ago, Edward Dennison (Peter Fonda) -- husband of wealthy Martha Dennison (Victoria Pratt) -- mysteriously vanished while embarking on an expedition to the planet's core. Martha has never gotten over her husband's disappearance, and she's willing to pay Jonathan whatever it takes to locate the missing Edward. Now, in order to retrace Edward's footsteps and find the answer to Martha's biggest question, Jonathan enlists the aid of his nephew Abel (Steve Grayhm) and Edward's former partner Sergei (Mike Dopud) and sets off to Alaska in hopes of locating the secret gateway to the center of the Earth.With Martha in tow, Jonathan, Abel, and Sergei make their way into the great unknown and discover something truly spectacular. Miles beneath the Earth's surface is a world teeming with undiscovered life, a place where prehistoric birds soar overhead and man-eating megalodons rule the underworld oceans. The most surprising discovery of all, however, is a primitive race of warriors who have never seen the sun. Edward has become the leader of these men, the God-like ruler of a secret kingdom. But while Edward is indeed considered a god among the people, there is a devil in this world as well. As a rival tribe prepares to launch an attack that could destroy all of civilization, Jonathan and the rest of his crew stage the most daring escape ever attempted. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: T.J. Scott
Genres: Action & Adventure, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jan 27, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Jul 8, 2008

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Dull
Justin Y

This take of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth novel falls short of a sci-fi adventure that one should expect from a movie like this.The story moves fast and fast in a bad way. I guess what I mean is that the story zips along with not… More
This take of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth novel falls short of a sci-fi adventure that one should expect from a movie like this.The story moves fast and fast in a bad way. I guess what I mean is that the story zips along with not enough explanations or buildups, yet certain parts drag on. The first half of the film is fairly decent as you get to meet the characters and move along with them on their expedition. Unfortunately, once they reach "the center of the Earth", the story becomes a mess and is rather uninteresting.The science fiction aspect of the story is non-existent with the exception of two different creatures. That's right, only two. They only have little airtime as well, which means they are not a big part of the story. The CG isn't all that great and that may be the reason for having only a couple of creatures. It's too bad since those creatures are more entertaining than the rest of the movie.The whole second half of the film is taken up by native American type people. So this is the center of the Earth eh? At this point the movie begins to have a western feel to it. A western with crappy action and not enough shootings.The acting is OK at best. Rick Schroder barely pulls off the lead and Peter Fonda is just horrible. Steven Grayhm is tolerable early on, but gets annoying by the end with all the "Uncle" shouts. Not all is bad though, since Victoria Pratt and Mike Dopud give decent performances.There are many versions of Journey to the Center of the Earth, so give those a try before checking out this one.
Douglas W C

Movie was okay but suffered from a very very bad last 30 minutes. Peter Fonda is america's worst actor.