The Core (2003)

THE CORE
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When 32 pacemaker wearers drop dead in Boston and misguided pigeons wreck havoc in London's Tralfalgar Square Geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart, "Possession") forms a theory that a problem with the earth's electromagnetic field, formed by the rotation of the earth's core, is causing the peculiar events. His theory is stolen and confirmed by a world famous colleague, Dr. Conrad Zimsky (Stanley Tucci, "Maid in Manhattan"), and the U.S. Government forms a team of specialists that will travel to the center of the earth to jump start "The Core."

This unintentionally hilarious effort that would have done disaster producer Irwin Allen proud in the 1970's is "Armageddon" meets "Independence Day" by way of "Journey to the Center of the Earth." A fine and good-natured cast paired with cheesy special effects make "The Core" one of those bad movies that attain a level of accidental entertainment.

With Keyes positioned as unlikely hero and Zimsky cast in the Dr. Jonathan Smith over-emoting bad guy role, the rest of the crew fall in efficiently, summoned by General Thomas 'how could this have happened?' Purcell (Richard Jenkins, "Changing Lanes"). Tcheky Karyo ("La Femme Nikita") is Dr. Sergei Leveque, a French atomic Weapons expert who happens to be Keyes's best friend. Major Rebecca "Beck" Childs (Hilary Swank, "Insomnia") is a rookie astronaut responsible for navigating the shuttle into an emergency landing in the Los Angeles River after going disastrously off course during reentry. She's accompanied by her Commander Robert Iverson (Bruce Greenwood, "Thirteen Days") who marks his days as numbered when he advises her 'You're not a leader until you've lost.' Dr. Ed "Braz" Brazzelton (Delroy Lindo, "Heist") is a former colleague of Zimsky's who allowed him to steal glory while he continued to develop new metal alloy that could withstand the earth's pressure. He's tasked with building their subterranean boring craft, Virgil, as the rest train and electrical superstorms pulverize the Roman Coliseum into a shower of computer graphics and the sun's rays melt cars on the Golden Gate bridge but only burn the humans inside if they put their arms out the window.

Director Jon Amiel ("Entrapment") slows the pace considerably, to the film's major detriment, as Virgil begins boring its way to the core from beneath the sea. One by one, the terranauts are killed by various disasters until their mission to nuke the core is abandoned for a second plan by mission control. Except for above ground team member, computer hacker extraordinaire Rat (D.J. Qualls, "Road Trip") (working for "Xena" tapes and unlimitted Hot Pockets), the terranauts are on their own.

Writers co-producer Cooper Layne, who got this idea watching lava flow from a Hawaiian volcano and former standup John Rogers invest their story with such cliched comic highlights as having the shuttle slide down the dry LA river right up to scaffolding where an unsuspecting worker plugs away. Chain-smoking, scarf wearing Zimsky is an inspired creation, and one only awaits Tucci to wail 'Oh, the pain' at his climatic moment. Visual Effects Supervisor Gregory L. McMurry ("Queen of the Damned") employs thirty foot crystals within a geode that casts the terranauts in unnatural light and a free-falling Virgil as realistic as anything in 1966's "Fantastic Voyage." Composer Christopher Young's ("Bandits") score alternates from moody to "Mystery Science Theater Two Thousand."

If in space, nothing will hear you scream, "The Core" reverberates with howls of laughter.

C

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X-Language: en
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X-RT-TitleID: 1121019
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X-RT-RatingText: C