Name: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Genre: Family, Science Fiction, Adventure
Released: 1977-08-15
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 5.2
Cast: Kenneth More, Pep Munné, Frank Braña, Jack Taylor, Ivonne Sentis

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

A Spectacular Adaptation of Jules Verne's Classic!

A 19th-century expedition to the Earth's core reveals primordial wonders, prehistoric monsters and a subterranean civilization that may convey the greatest discovery of all.

FamilyScience FictionAdventure

DirectorJuan Piquer Simón

WritersJuan Piquer Simón, John Melson, Carlos Puerto, Jules Verne

StatusReleased

LanguageSpanish

Release DateAugust 15, 1977

Runtime1h 30m

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

June 4, 20225/10

Until very recently, this remake of the famous Jules Verne story had completely passed me by. Though not a patch on the James Mason version (1959), it's not a complete write-off. Kenneth More takes on the role of the explorer "Prof. Lindenbrock" - this time an eminent German rather than Scottish scholar (there were some Deutsche Marks involved in the production here) and he and his small team set off down an Icelandic volcano on the adventure of any lifetime. The rest of the cast are completely unremarkable - a truly international mix of C-list collaborators, with Jack Taylor's young "Olsen" reminding me (audibly) a lot of Roddy McDowall. Anyway, it is a good, strong story and even the most mediocre of directors can't really screw that up too badly. The special effects - especially the prehistoric creatures - are the stuff of a school project (even then) but it is intercut with some fine volcanic actuality and it's paced well enough for More to just about have sufficient gravitas to carry it off. Memorable? No. Good? No. I still quite enjoyed it, though.