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Core, The

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 32 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 61 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller
Written by:
Cooper Layne
John Rogers
Directed by: Jon Amiel
Release Date:
Theatrical: March 28, 2003
DVD: September 9, 2003
Running Time: 110 minutes, Color
Origin: USA / UK
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for sci-fi life/death situations and brief strong language
Starring Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Delroy Lindo, Stanley Tucci, DJ Qualls, Richard Jenkins, Bruce Greenwood, and Alfre Woodard
A wildly diverse team of professionals journey into unknown regions of the earth in the hopes of detonating a nuclear device which they hope will reactivate the earth's core and restore balance to the planet. (Paramount)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Copycat Entrapment
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
The surprise is that it's one of the most exciting and enjoyable disaster epics to come out of Hollywood in some time.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
The real core of The Core is the beautiful friendship between a highly emotive Eckhart and the sacrificial Karyo. Their bond is the best thing to happen to Franco-American relations since SpaghettiOs.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
The Core is unabashed Hollywood spectacle, but with a cast of up-from-indie actors that makes the cataclysmic kitsch all the more fun to behold.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
It's a straight-ahead adventure with the usual number of thrills, but with the added virtue of being smarter and more sober than one might expect.
Read Full Review >Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf
Sometimes the laughs here seem unintentional, but most giggles are properly earned, and the movie's fun and exciting if you can accept its inherent camp factor.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
With the exception of Hilary Swank, whose earnestness spoils the fun, a stellar cast seems in on the joke.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan
With a less popcorn-friendly cast and some cheesy special effects, this is a surprisingly engaging, sometimes foolish but often roughly intelligent film.
Read Full Review >New York Post Lou Lumenick
No one's going to confuse The Core with art -- or even a good film -- but it's 25 minutes longer than "The Hours" and I had at least 25 times as much fun.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
So howlingly awful that it has unwittingly found a place in that elite group of films that can claim to be "so bad they're good."
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
I have such an unreasonable affection for this movie, indeed, that it is only by slapping myself alongside the head and drinking black coffee that I can restrain myself from recommending it.
Read Full Review >Variety Todd McCarthy
More palatable than most pictures of its ilk due to its keen awareness of its own preposterousness, a self-knowledge exuberantly expressed by a mostly live-wire cast.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
The talented cast--manages to rescue the movie as well as the earth.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
The similarities between this film and Michael Bay's overblown "Armageddon"are too numerous to ignore; the crucial difference is that this one is actually pretty good.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Rory L. Aronsky
Decent in its special effects and has the advantage of having Hilary Swank and Aaron Eckhart in it.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
If The Core finally has to be classified as a mess, it is an enjoyable one if you're in a throwback mood. After all, a film that comes up with a rare metal called Unobtainium can't be dismissed out of hand.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
In dashing Indiana Jones style, Eckhart gets to be a hero.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
It's a schlockier ''Armageddon'' crossed with ''Fantastic Voyage,'' minus the fun.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Rick Kisonak
The pacing is brisk-something wacky happens every couple of minutes, the editing crisp and the effects promising. Then disaster strikes: the first act gives way to the relative witlessness of the second and third.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
The real obstacle here is a lack of filmmaking imagination.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
Elaborate misfire, which misuses an unusually good cast.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
There's a refreshing surefootedness in the way Amiel, his screenwriters Cooper Layne and John Rogers, and most of his actors recognize how preposterous the idea of traveling to the center of the earth in a souped-up Rototiller really is.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
The Core -- with its by-the-numbers plot and performances -- isn't offensive, just unblushingly tacky and derivative.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
It’s just not quite bad enough to be considered good, although Stanley Tucci’s hairpiece comes awfully close.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
The first half-hour of The Core is hip enough to its own moribund formula that for a brief, shining moment, there's hope the film will actually be a goofy gas instead of the effects-bound lump it becomes.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
Only Stanley Tucci seems aware of the drop-dead stupidity of the plot, and acts up a storm of high camp as the narcissistic scientist.
Read Full Review >Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
I've just seen The Core, and I have a piece of advice for Hilary Swank: Don't quit your night job.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Rita Kempley
This sloppily made, poky, extra cheesy adventure is virtually a remake of "Armageddon."
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
The only pressing burden in this deep interior world is the question: What in or on Earth is a cast this good doing in a movie this ridiculous?
Read Full Review >The New York Times A.O. Scott
The cast of The Core deserve Oscar nominations just for being able to speak most of the lines without succumbing to the chortles.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
Built from an alloy of absurdium and stupidium, with the latter, heavier element dominating the mix.
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 3.7 (out of 10) based on 61 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Marrach G gave it an8:
After being initially disgusted by the sheer stupidity of this film, i've gradually come to love it for the same reason. No disaster movie is more memorable than this one; with the eye-poppingly bad science simply adding to the charm.
Alexandra E. gave it a10:
This movie was a fast. Quick, pace thriller. I cannot believe the awful reviews they gave tom this movie. I loved it. I really did. The Core showed me that everything that is impossible can be possible. Don't listen to the critics of those who just like movies with woman. Listen to me... You are going to LOVE it!
prash gave it a6:
The movie is science fiction proving scientific theories wrong still the movie is brought as a good job.
Furbydude gave it a7:
rated best for the amazing effects and twists and funny bits, but worst due to nonsensical bits which in fact, the mantle cant stop spinning for no reason at least it was good although somewhat scary. despite the plot holes and badly done bits, it was, in fact, AWESOME!!!!
Jared C. gave it a7:
Sometimes these ratings just don't make sense to me. Sure it was an all right science fiction depiction. The beginning kind of took its time and the only problem is that they didn't actually launch the ship until past half way through. And then they sped through a quick adventure through the core. The film was exciting and dull at the same time, its kind of cool how the director wishes to kill everyone off, well it still was a good sci-fi film. But I totally disagree with these reviews given here. Just a pretty good movie with a disappointing plot.
Molly C. gave it an8:
I really liked this movie. Sure, it wasn't as deep as "Truman Show", but it was gripping and the characters were better than in "Poseidon". And no, if you are a physical scientist, who just stumbled over this movie by chance: do not watch it! It is not the most truthful movie in the world! But then, which movie Hollywood ever produced was?
Angela C. gave it a6:
This movie is quite interesting.. But then it's really impossible for them to go onto the core!! their ship must have melt even if they're still on the mantle!! haha... but it really made me laugh!
