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Our First Test-Screening Report For JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D With Brendan Fraser!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
This sounds like the sort of thing Walden Media was making when they first got started. Lately, I think they’ve gotten better at what they do, more focused on the types of films they want to make, but this reminds me of their godawful AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, at least based on the description this spy offers up.
Hello Harry, saw this last night in Thousand Oaks and thought you might like a report.
“Journey to the Center of the Earth” gets an upgrade to 3D and a downgrade from erudite James Mason to a mugging Brendan Frasier in this Walden remake of the Verne classic. Definitely reoriented towards the kiddie set, “Journey 3D” resets the story to modern times with geologist Frasier stumbling onto the path below after trying to retrieve a volcano monitor set by his brother. With nephew Josh Hutcherson and young guide Anita Briem, the trio sightsee a series of implausible but pretty wonders before returning to the surface.
The first live-action movie completely shot in 3D to make it to the screen in the new wave of coming 3D films, the test workprint wasn’t finished – some texture mapping and lighting was still rough and the soundtrack mostly temped to “Batman Begins” and “Spiderman”. The 3D effects are nice although a little heavy on Count Floyd moments in the beginning – yo-yo’s comin’ at ya, tape measures sticking in your face, etc. These were done to death back in the mini 3D boomlet of the 80s (and spoofed nicely in “Friday the 13 3D”) so I was a little surprised to see them here. Once the film gets to Iceland though, it settles down into a set of vistas roughly equivalent to the original film although with a decidedly more juvenile tone, including a friendly glowing blue bird that wouldn’t be out of place in a Disney film. (Frasier identifies the bird as an Archaeopteryx, which has a much different appearance and makes me wonder if their cobalt canary is a placeholder figure.) Logic isn’t the film’s strong suit – they have to get out before periodic heat spells cook them, but apparently doesn’t bother the birds or the cavern’s one lone T-Rex, whose diet when he’s not noshing on actors isn’t apparent either since there’s no other animals shown except him and the birds. The one out-of-left-field note is Anita Briem as the daughter of the Icelandic geologist Frasier’s brother was associated with. Briem’s age isn’t specified although she seems closer to young Hutcherson’s age than Frasier’s, yet suddenly at the end she and Frasier suddenly start getting cozy, which felt a little odd and wasn’t set up in the movie at all.
According to IMDB, the movie isn’t set for release until summer of next year and the special effects aren’t that far from finished, so Walden might be giving themselves plenty of time for reshoots if initial tests aren’t positive. I found it entertaining enough although still inferior to the old Fox film, but am not sure who their target audience is. It’s a little juvenile for adults, but other than nifty visuals, I’m not sure it’s going to appeal much to kids. If “Journey” wasn’t a 3D film, it would be instantly forgettable.
The Lone Ranger
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Wonder what the budget on this was if they could only afford 1 frickin' dinosaur?
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2 or 3 times? WOW T-REX IN 3-D! Yawn.... and it's the only monster in the movie! and isn't this like the 5th or 6th remake of "Journey"
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Talk about OLD SCHOOL...
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i didn't know what to think at first, but i saw kurt russell laughing so i knew it was okay to laugh too...
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This sounds like something that can be salvaged with a few reshoots and new CG shots aplenty. Whether they want to pay for those shots is another story. Walden probably don't give a fuck because they have Prince Caspian coming.
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movie from the late 70's.
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Do they actually get to the center of the Earth in this one or just part way into Pellucidar?
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Not only was it awful, but the theme song was fucking atrocious!!! Now I have it stuck in my head. Thank you Yeti...thank you...
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Can we hope to see that soon at the imax
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Hilary Swank cameo??
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Brendan Fraser is the new Doug McClure
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Really, I would kill to see a Feature Version of that. But without John Candy, the magic would be gone. However, how about a Count Floyd movie......he could team up with Elvira ( I would love to see those, errrr, I mean her in 3d)
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before they even come close to the king of lost world films, DOUG McClure! If this ever comes out I might see it cause I like Brendan Fraser at times and he can be funny. But I'll be sticking with AT THE EARTH'S CORE with Doug McClure and the exceptionally hot Caroline Munro (she has always had my vote as one of THEE hottest women on film ever!)
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umm maybe it seems fun and campy today but back when part 3 came out, it wasn't spoofing anything...it was just jumping on the 3D bandwagon and doing all the lame "to camera" gags everyone else did before and since. lol
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Gorilla at Large. The most unintentionally funny movie ever.
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He had a really good string of hits in the 90s and early this decade, but he kind of fell off the radar as of late. It all started with that movie "Monkeybone", I think. oh and I havent read your message, shuttlepod 10, but I hated superman returns. Absolutely hated it.That movie affected me so profoundly that I can't even see the words "superman returns" without saying "I hate that movie" under my breath.
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more than a movie. Seriously, what's with Brendan Fraser? The last movie I even remember him in was Looney Toons, back in action, (which was actually pretty good). Another "ride" movie, in my opinion.
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The trio; Fraiser's character, his son and Hanna(Hans in the book. Gotta have a chick in this flick.) fall into an angular cavern that they discover in Iceland that decends into the earth's inner world. Fraiser's character and his son have a dysfuctional relationship which seems to be the norm now. Hanna is a strong Icelandic woman that needs no man and is self-sufficient. "Glowbird" was created for the kid element. You know, the 1959 version just blows this thing away. James Mason or Brendon Fraiser? Who's the better actor?
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Why even try?
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Not wacky Jackie Chan adaptations and kiddie-driven Brendan Fraser "updates". The '59 film was literate, witty and well-written, but Hollywood don't respect that sorta thing no more.
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A quick look over at imdb shows that he's still busy-ish and still doing his alternating of slightly ropey big budget flicks (three MUMMY films, including the new one, MONKEYBONE, BEDAZZLED) with quirkier indie fare. A shame, as he was awesome in THE PASSION OF DARKLY NOON, THE QUIET AMERICAN and in GODS AND MONSTERS. Mebbe it's new agent time for Mr Fraser...
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Journey to the Center of the Earth. Talk about getting DOWN!
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MORE! MORE!MORE!MORE!MORE!MORE!
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Michael Jackson's Captain Eo will OWN UR ASS!!!!
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Must have the same "Just-Can't-Say-No-To-This" agent. Really, boys. Fire 'im and get someone with at least a little discretion, if not some taste.
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A Pat Boone cameo?
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Apologies to GORILLA AT LARGE, but THE MAZE is the uncontested champion of unintentional 3D hilarity.
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The 'Back to the Future' ride wasn't 3D, just large-format film on a semispherical screen.
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Nuh uh. In Icelandic it would be pronounced ah-nih-tah. That just sounds ridiculous.
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Aug 19, 2007 6:59:26 PM CDT
"Hello, I'm Danny Fraser! You may know me from such...
by mrmysteryguest
films like "The Paper Shredder Affair" and "Hi-Ho Eskimo!"--Simpsons writers are writing this down right now! :)
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I do think that it will be a fun movie to watch one time. Brendan Fraser is a funny yet talented for action type actor and movies like the Mummy were fun for what they were.
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so I thought it 3-D, sorry.
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Because they lost the 3-D reels of the first half years ago. And frankly most of the remaining 3-D consists of the Gorilla running at the camera. But it has other redeeming factors like the guy in the Gorilla suit and Lee Marvin. So Maze in in 3-D? I'll have to check it out. I've always wanted to see Laura Linney naked in three dimensions.
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Pellucidar in 3D! Why not?
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I´d buy that for a dollar
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http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/entertainment.cfm?id=1317522007
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GORILLA AT LARGE played in full dual-projector format at 3D Expo II last September, so I'm not sure where you're getting your information.
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