Journey To The Center Of The Earth is a loose adaptation of Jules Vernes 1864 story and was made to show off the new Real D format at cinemas.
Real 3D uses polarized glasses so that the colors remain true and the image appears crisp and all the 3D effects appear amazing and over the next few years as cinemas invest in this technology you will see many more movies released in this format.
The version we have here on Blu Ray does not use polarized glasses but instead uses green/red lenses which come in the form of cheap cardboard glasses and four pairs of these are supplied with this limited edition Blu Ray.
This is an inferior 3D than what you would find at the cinema but do not let that put you off as it's still highly impressive although be warned that some people have had issues watching this in 3D but i would urge you to give it a chance and make sure you view in total darkness and turn your brightness up otherwise the effects will be lost.
The larger your television the more impressive you will find the effects and it's recommended you view this on the largest set you can afford. Anything less than 60 inches is a compromise.
The bigger your television or projection screen the more impressive the effects become and the more realistic the 3D becomes. A new 3D standard for future Blu Ray players is now out and should become more widespread during late 2010 and early 2011 and this will give excellent 3D quality in the home. The bad news is you need to buy a new television/projector and Blu Ray player. Although if you have a Playstation 3 you are covered for the Blu Ray player.
Film Plot
The basic plotline is that a scientist goes on a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother, he takes along his nephew and a mountain guide lady and they discover a dangerous lost world in the center of the earth and this is the cue for some very impressive 3D effects.
Positives
From the start of the movie you are treated to fantastic 3D effects as bug tentactles come out of the screen at you. Other impressive 3D effects include a phone and a penknife floating in your room as if you could almost touch them and the sails of a raft seem to be blowing right at you.
Deadly prehistoric piranha fish fly out of the water right into your lap and a mine cart scene sees the heroine throw a metal object attached to a rope which literally flies out at you and you duck as it is so realistic.
You could say i was very impressed by all of this as it represents the finest 3D seen to date in the home. The end titles are the most impressive of all so don't switch the end titles off.
Picture quality is hard to judge because of the brightness/contrast issues but i found it reasonably detailed for a high definition release. Sound quality was enjoyable and dialogue was heard clearly through the center channel while there was some nice discrete rear channel surround effects and plenty of bass when it was called for.
Negatives
For me the positives outweigh the negatives but when it comes to primitive 3D as we have here then everyone's eyes and brains will perceive the image differently and so you may find the color/brightness issues distracting or be affected by some strobing issues or react strongly to the pressure of wearing the glasses which may give some people headaches.
There are some issues with ghosting in many scenes. You have the option of watching a 2D version of the movie if the negatives are too much for you to bear.
Warner should have supplied a lossless audio track and not just a 640kb/s Dolby track.
Final Thoughts
Some people will have major issues with the 3D glasses and it may hurt their eyes or give them a headache and thus i can only recommend that you give it a spin and if your eyes start to hurt then choose the 2D option on the disc.
If you want to have an adventure for a few hours and think you would enjoy the type of effects mentioned in this review then seek this disc out and purchase it before it becomes as extinct as the dinosaurs which features in this movie.
I highly recommend this Blu Ray edition but would add that this is not worth seeing unless you choose the 3D edition as this was specifically made for 3D and the viewing experience is considerably weaker when viewing in only 2D.
There is a Journey To The Center Of The Earth sequel being made to this film although details are not yet available. I would expect more of the same though albeit with a few different twists.
This is a region free release
VC-1 - 50GB disc
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround ( 640kbp/s )
Film Entertainment Rating ( 3D Edition ) – 8/10
Transfer Quality Rating – 6.5/10 ( 3D edition )
Sound Mix Rating – 8.5/10 ( 3D edition )
3D Effects Rating – 9/10