The Core
"As the EM field becomes more and more unstable, we'll start seeing isolated incidents - one plane will fall from the sky, then two, then, in a few months, anything, everything electronic will be fried.....static discharges in the atmosphere will create superstorms with hundreds of lightning strikes per square mile.....after that, it gets bad." - Dr. Keyes
release year: 2003
genre: adventure
viewing setting: home DVD, 12/8/21 and 7/10/17 and 1/31/14 and 10/18/12 and 5/17/10 and 8/6/09 and 10/2/06 and theater, 4/10/03
synopsis: The Earth's core has stopped rotating, thus guaranteeing the end of the world...unless a special vessel can tunnel down there and set things right.
impressions: The science is iffy, but the fiction is entertaining. Think Armageddon but going in, not up. The increasingly-bad signs of impending doom are suitably convincing, the tunneling scenes are suitably suspenseful, the human tensions are suitably stressful. I had my questions about the construction, shape, etc of the ship, but that's the way my mind works.
things to watch for: I'd say the initial launch sequence - quite gripping.
acting: Aaron Eckhart is the main, grounded scientist hero. Hilary Swank is a spunky young hotshot pilot. Delroy Lindo is unrecognizable under a thick beard, but he does a good job as the guy who built the ship. Stanley Tucci is good as an egotistical, annoying scientist. The other pilot and the French scientist round out the 6-person crew of the ship. The main general topside was a real jerk. DJ Qualls is a super-hacker who helps out and tries to make sure people do the right thing.
final word: Entertaining.
back to the main review page