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The Core is Hollywood's latest disaster
flick to hit the big screen. This time around, the world's inner core
has stopped rotating and unless a crackpot team of scientists,
astronauts and computer geeks can reboot the core, the world as we know
it will be destroyed. The only difference this time is there is no Bruce
Willis, Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman or Elijah Wood here to
save the world. This time it is up to the likes of Aaron Eckhart, Hilary
Swank, Delroy Lindo, Stanley Tucci and DJ Qualls to save mankind. Sure,
you may recognize a few of those names, but you certainly wouldn't
expect Hollywood to expect these people to save the world. These actors
and actresses certainly do not have the credentials to save the world. I
mean none of them have headlined a Hollywood blockbuster and commanded a
salary of $25 million per movie - at least not yet.
Nevertheless, led by Professor Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) and Major
Rebecca Childs (Hilary Swank) the group is stuck in an experimental ship
and blasted to the centre of the earth. What ensues is a movie that,
although absolutely ridiculous at the best of times and totally
inexplicable at others, is not nearly as bad as I am sure you will hear.
It is actually quite entertaining for the most part, although there are
a few parts that drag a bit and a few other parts that make the Michael
Jackson-Lisa Marie Presley marriage make sense. I am sure all the
science experts that are going to suddenly pop up all over the world
will ridicule the movie. They will tell us that it is impossible to
drill to the centre of the earth, especially with a machine that makes
Dr. Evil's "laser" look like the work of a genius. They will
complain how the centre of the earth cannot be illuminated on its own.
That there is no machine that can venture to the bottom of the ocean.
That there is no one person who can control the internet. And so on and
so forth. And you know what I have to say to these people? Get a life.
It's a damn movie. If you want real life, go get a parachute and drop
yourself in the middle of Baghdad. Then you will get a taste of real
life. Otherwise, get a bucket of popcorn, sit back and enjoy the movie.
And stick a sock in it.
And with all that being said, let me warn you - do not go into The Core
expecting the term "disaster movie" to be redefined. This
movie is by no means the best disaster movie I have ever seen. I don't
know what the best one is, but it is not this movie. It is loaded with
some rather odd characters - a professor who looks like he should be
modelling for GQ and an astronaut who should be posing for Playboy; an
eccentric but brilliant scientist who lives in the middle of nowhere;
the ultra-geeky computer genius. Some of the dialogue seems like it
could have been better written by a grade 10 drama student. The
explanation of Project Destini still has me scratching my head. And
although Stanley Tucci did his best to be the movie's "funny
guy", a Steve Buscemi-type of character would have much better fit
the bill. I also learned that if you are a good-looking guy or gal, you
will survive. Because only good-looking people seem to live through
disasters. But if you can get by its shortcomings and its lack of real
scientific scenarios, The Core really is not that bad of a movie. It is
meant strictly as entertainment and not as a lesson in what could happen
to the earth in twenty years. So check-in your grade 12 science books at
the door because you won't be needing them. Just go for a couple of
hours of marginal entertainment and you probably won't be too
disappointed.
 
- 7/10
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Brendan Cullin - Senior Editor
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