Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Terrific family entertainment, an action comedy on a par with "Night at the Museum" and "National Treasure."

Empire Kim Newman

Fraser on form, 3D dinosaurs, geology lessons, phosphorecent hummingbirds, killer flying fish, theme park rides, Icelandic babe - what's not to like? It skews young, but is everything an 8-12 year-old could want. Older siblings and parents will have nothing to complain about either.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

The most entertaining 3-D movie I've ever seen.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

A legit action movie.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

You don't believe a second of it, but it's easy to enjoy, partly because of the casting of all three leads.

Variety John Anderson

A more unavoidable obstacle here is that there's not much in the way of plot -- the story is in the tour through the labyrinthian intimacies of inner Earth. As such, it's an f/x wizard's dream, and Brevig makes the most of it.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

The picture works because Brevig and his actors -- not to mention his effects -- maintain a sense of humor and lightness. It doesn't hurt that Fraser, a fine actor who's made a name for himself not with his serious performances (which are reliably solid) but for his recurring role in the "Mummy" series.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

It's harmless fun, and it makes for an often impressive display of the latest generation of computer-wizardry. But the enterprise is utterly void of substance: instantly forgettable and about as enriching as a rerun of "Johnny Quest."

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Journey is just the new version of a 1950s comin'-at-ya roller coaster, with a tape measure, trilobite antennae, and giant snapping piranha thrust at the audience.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

It's a thrill ride not to be missed.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

For a harmless "Indiana Jones" knock-off, Journey to the Center of the Earth has an awful lot riding on it.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

A brisk, undemanding adventure aimed squarely at the family market, Journey is completely passable in 2-D. But viewing it through 3-D glasses not only quadruples the movie's entertainment value, it also explains why characters are constantly thrusting things at the camera.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

This dumbed-down spin on Jules Verne's classic adventure tale was devised as a kid-friendly roller-coaster ride, and it delivers the goods. Whether anyone over the age of eight wants the goods is another matter altogether.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Not exactly a movie in the usual sense, not exactly a ride, Journey is more of a virtual theme-park simulation and possibly a milestone of immersive entertainment.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

So the science in this film of Jules Verne's science fiction classic is ludicrous. Well, how's the fiction? Not terrible.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

I don't know if 3-D could improve all movies (nothing could make "The Love Guru" funny) but it sure works here.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy but fun, fun, fun.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

This first feature by veteran visual effects supervisor Eric Brevig has its transporting, if benign, charms.

New York Magazine David Edelstein

It would be barely passable under normal circumstances, but in 3-D it's a circus of excellent FX.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Surprising as it may be, given an unpromising trailer, the 3D update of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth turns out to be perfectly charming as well as predictably eye-popping.

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

The cast hits the right notes. Fraser, switching between affable good sport and heroic goofball, clearly doesn't mind this stuff. He realized early on with "George of the Jungle," "Dudley Do-Right" and the "Mummy" movies that his B-movie build and persona is perfect for live-action cartoons.

Time Richard Corliss

Neither the acting nor the story matters much here; the movie is simply the sum of its 3D effects.

Film Threat Matthew Sorrento

Many have described "Journey" as a 3D film dumbed down to a theme park attraction. However, its visual splendor would have left Walt Disney weeping and Sergei Eisenstein preaching of cinema's second coming.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

It's inoffensive and shiny and competent and kids will dig it, and I can already barely remember a single thing that happened.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

It has its modicum of suspense, and Brendon Fraser, who stars as intrepid professor Trevor Anderson – who does indeed journey to the center of the Earth – is his usual heroically affable self.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Like its early predecessors, it's a nominally fun trip, but it's tissue-thin and instantly forgettable.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

With 3-D, a little goes a long way and, in the absence of a legitimate script with credible characters, the fun dries up long before the running time has expired.

Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart

Ultimately, Journey to the Center of the Earth's minor-league visual pleasures will be most enjoyed by those with the smallest number of celluloid reference points, preferably those who have started going to the movies after "Jurassic Park" or, better yet, the Harry Potter films.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Not so much a movie as an amusement park ride.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

If this movie is not a ride, then what is it? One thing it may not be, quite, is a movie.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Eric Brevig, making his feature directing debut after a long career as a visual effects supervisor, lurches from one CG set piece to the next, though he's helped along by Fraser's easy comic touch.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

This is a fairly bad movie, and yet at the same time maybe about as good as it could be. There may not be an 8-year-old alive who would not love it.

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

As daft, outlandish, and speedy as it needs to be, and, for all its newfangled effects, touchingly old-fashioned in its reverence for the Jules Verne novel that inspired it.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Provides tepid but fun entertainment.

Village Voice Robert Wilonsky

If the 3D here is better than average, SLIGHTLY, the rest of the movie brings it way, way down--not quite to the center of the earth, but at least a good six feet under.