I don't know the last time I felt like a kid at the movies, but while watching Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D this past week, I honestly reverted to my 8-year-old self. That isn't to say the movie is necessarily as good as the movies that astonished me as a kid -- because of the subject matter, I'd think about comparing it to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, both of which came out when I was around that age, and neither to which this film holds up in terms of originality or storytelling craft. But as far as holding onto my sense of wonder, Journey is up there.

Of course, it's necessary to point out that Journey would be nothing without the digital 3-D factor. It's actually the first live-action narrative feature to be shot and released in the new format (the non-fiction concert films, U2 3D and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour were technically the first live-action 3-D features), and while it's far from perfect, it is a terrific pioneer. I shall continue favoring the look of animated 3-D films, especially those directed as well as Monster House, and I anticipate that James Cameron's Avatar will blow away all live-action 3-D films released prior to its arrival. For now, though, I'm telling you, with the utmost cinemaphilic urgency: you need to see this ASAP.

So while I haven't read Journey to the Center of the Earth in years, after watching the new trailer for the 3-D kid's flick, I doubt it would matter even if I did remember the source material. Cineplex is now hosting the first trailer for the digital kiddie flick based on Jules Verne's classic novel. The film was directed by Eric Brevig (who has the dubious credit of Captain EO on his IMDB resume) and stars Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Anita Briem.

Besides being the first wide-release film to be released exclusively in the Real D Cinema format, Journey is an update on Verne's original story about three adventurers in, well, a journey to the center of the earth. Michael Weiss' script does away with a lot of the original plot; Fraser now stars as Trevor, a scientist who is the laughing stock of the academic community and who likes to teach his son (Hutcherson) about Jules Verne's book. It turns into the field trip of a lifetime when Trevor proves to the kid that these stories are very real.

Erik had brought us the poster for the film back in January, and there have been a few photos, but this is the first trailer to hit the net. After watching the trailer once or twice, I'm afraid to tell you that there isn't all that much to recommend (I guess you really do need the 3-D). Luckily, I don't have any little ones that I have to take to the movies, so I think I will be skipping this one. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D opens July 11th, 2008.

[via Empire]

So in spite of everything, I have always enjoyed watching Brendan Fraser on screen. There have been highs, and God knows there have been plenty of lows, but I have stuck with the fellow Canuck through thick and thin -- up until now anyway. CinemaBlend is hosting a gallery of images from the update of Jules Verne's sci-fi classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth. The story has been updated ever so slightly and now centers on Fraser "as a science professor whose untraditional hypotheses have made him the laughing stock of the academic community. But on an expedition in Iceland, he and his nephew stumble upon a major discovery that launches them on a thrilling journey deep beneath the Earth's surface, where they travel through never-before-seen worlds and encounter a variety of unusual creatures". Joining Fraser are Josh Hutcherson as his nephew and Anita Briem as a fairly glamorous-looking mountain guide helping Fraser find his lost brother.

Rumor has it that originally the indie director Paul Chart had been slated to direct, but once the 3D technology was part of the production, Chart bowed out. His loss was visual effects artist Eric Brevig's gain, and Journey is Brevig's first foray into directing a feature film. Erik brought us the exclusive first look at the poster for the film a few days ago, and it's kind of funny that a film that is going to rely on the visuals has released not one but two sets of relatively blah images -- I guess you really need the glasses to make it pop. Well, at least the film still has the distinction of being the first wide-release to be released exclusively in the emerging technology of Real D Cinema. Journey is set to arrive on over 1500 screens on July 11th, 2008.

New Line was cool enough to send Cinematical this exclusive first look at the new poster for Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D (click on the image above for a larger version), starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem. Based on the classic Jules Verne story, Journey follows a scientist on a quest to find his missing brother. Joined by his nephew and a mountain guide, the three soon discover a fantastic and dangerous world at the center of the earth. The film was directed by visual effects wiz Eric Brevig, and was shot using 3-D technology. The first trailer for Journey apparently screened before IMAX prints of Beowulf recently, and fan reaction was pretty positive. If there ever was a story that could use a good re-tooling for a new 3-D generation, this is definitely it. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D is set to arrive in theaters on July 11.

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this trend. To what particular trend am I referring you may wonder? Is it rappers-turned actors? Or perhaps re-imaginings of classic films for modern day audiences? Or, maybe its remakes of Asian horror films for the American market? Nope. I'm pretty sure I don't like those things -- with exceptions, of course. I like Will Smith, Peter Jackson's King Kong was ok even if it was too long and The Grudge was pretty scary. No, what's got me confused today is my feelings about the current crop of films being helmed by visual effects artists instead of directors with any sort of actual directing experience.

According to a recent article in Variety, the hands-on experience that effects supervisors have gotten while working on big films with major directors has helped them move from, as Variety puts it, "behind the computer screen right into the director's chair." Don't get me wrong, I realize supervising visual effects means you're managing a large team of people towards a single vision. And yes, that's a part of directing. But really, one of the most important things about directing is being able to tell a story and work with actors. I don't know about you, but most of the visual effects people I know have a pretty hard time talking about anything that doesn't happen on Battlestar Galactica or South Park so I fear their communication skills may be lacking in some areas.