To make up for Friday's awful movie experience, I had a good-movie two-fer yesterday.
In the afternoon I took Pete and a pal to see "Journey to the Center of the Earth." I didn't realize until we got there that it was a 3D movie, and it's just as well, because I'm pretty sure I would have feigned illness and made Andy go in my stead. As it turned out, the 3D experience didn't bother me—and it was a great movie! I expected to get a "sick headache" after the first 30 minutes wearing those stupid glasses, but instead I found that I got used to them and didn't mind them one bit. That being said, I think this movie would have been almost as enjoyable without the 3D-ness—perhaps a few scenes would have been less screamy and squirmy, but all in all, it was certainly not the only reason the movie succeeded.
Brendan Fraser (whom I didn't know, because I don't do "Mummy" movies, but who reminds me of Chris Noth) plays a geology professor whose brother disappeared 10 years ago while searching for Jules Verne's lost world inside the earth's core. He and his nephew (the dead brother's son) are soon jetting off to Iceland, where they meet a mountain guide (she's beautiful, if you can believe it!) who will help them get to the spot where their exploration will begin. The nice thing about the mountain guide is that, unlike the female character in most adventure movies, she is not about to twist her ankle while trying to escape danger on stiletto heels. She's rugged and strong and knowledgeable about survival tactics.
What follows is a blast! A rollicking, exciting, fun-filled, mildly scary blast. This is what Indy should have been. (For the record, I haven't seen the latest Indy movie, and I don't intend to—it was panned so universally that I'd rather spare myself.) It's not overly long or overly complicated or overly scripted or any of that. They get in, they have their adventure (complete with many truly exciting scenes, as well as some very humorous moments), and get out. That's it. Way to go! Take your kids to see this one, and if you don't have kids, take yourself. Fun.
Then, last night, Andy and I watched "11:14" on DVD. Like "Crash," this movie looks at what happens when a bunch of otherwise unrelated lives come together (in this case, at 11:14 PM one night). Unlike "Crash," this film has good acting (from Hilary Swank, Ben Thomas, Patrick Swayze, Barbara Hershey, and others) and doesn't ram a message down our throats every 5 seconds. It takes you right up until the final scene to figure out how everything ties together (really, all the action and conflict are one character's "fault"), and it's a satisfying conclusion. I can't call this a must-see, but it's interesting and well-crafted all the same.
In my useless opinion, Brendan Fraser is an underrated actor. See him sometime in Gods & Monsters or The Quiet American.
Posted by: Naomi | August 10, 2008 at 10:40 PM
Well, I was going to say something about Brendan Fraser but I see that Naomi has beat me to the punch. Three words, "Gods and Monsters."
Posted by: Stephanie | August 10, 2008 at 11:24 PM
I can't help but like Fraser. And, Karen, I thought The Mummy was loads of fun. Try it.
Posted by: scott | August 11, 2008 at 09:42 AM
I'll give another thumbs up for The Quiet American.I never thought much of B.F. until I saw this one.
Posted by: Jon | August 11, 2008 at 02:07 PM
If you are a Scrubs fan, you may remember Brendan Fraser as Dr. Cox's brother-in-law. He was really brilliant in that.
Posted by: Di | August 12, 2008 at 11:58 AM