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DVD Review
The Core
By Lee Tistaert Published September 26, 2003
US Release: March 28, 2003
Directed by: Jon Amiel
Starring: Aaron Eckhart , Hilary Swank , Stanley Tucci
PG-13
Running Time: 136 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $31,093,000
Directed by: Jon Amiel
Starring: Aaron Eckhart , Hilary Swank , Stanley Tucci
PG-13
Running Time: 136 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $31,093,000
C-
109 of 132
Though The Core starts off like a potential guilty pleasure, the production turns into an utter mess
Watching The Core almost makes you expect the three characters from Mystery Science Theater to walk in front of the screen and supply humorous commentaries for two and a half hours.
And that reference almost works in favor of the disaster adventure, as it is so cheesy and poorly constructed that for some moviegoers it could be nearly entertaining enough to keep watching. This is one of those films that is so bad that you almost want to keep viewing to see what falls apart next ? its cheese factor is apparently intended in most scenes, but does not work when going for actual quality.
In that regard, watching The Core is all a matter of perspective ? it?s either so bad that it?s enjoyable, or so bad that it?s nearly intolerable. I never cared once regarding a plot turnout nor for any of its many characters involved, but I would imagine that if I had seen this with a group of friends and perhaps intoxicated, that The Core would be fun, but it just isn?t ? it?s far from it.
In the style of Armageddon (B-) without the blockbuster sensation, The Core centers on Dr. Kosh Keyes? (Aaron Eckhart) discovery that the earth?s inner core has stopped spinning, which will soon result in the death of civilization. Predictably, the looming threat must be put to a stop, and so a crew of scientists take the voyage to the earth?s core, hopefully saving mankind from a special effects feast that the audience would probably want to experience.
Though The Core starts off like it?s actually going to be a potential guilty pleasure, if not just moderately pleasurable film, the production turns into an utter mess. Though this is a disaster movie, characters are given too plain of roles to sustain, and we are not given a central hero to root for. Where in Armageddon we had Bruce Willis, here we have Eckhart who does not belong in an action film let alone in any film where he?s expected to be the hero.
Perhaps I could be proven wrong in the distant future if Eckhart?s talent is actually adequately applied in such a genre, but here the special effects themselves have more depth and intrigue than the characters, and even the effects themselves are not that impressive. The film, like Armageddon, runs on a running time of about two hours and thirty minutes, which is roughly forty-five minutes more than it needs (or, as a wise-ass would probably say, two hours and thirty minutes more than it needs).
A film like The Core can actually be some solid fun, but the elements at stake are not utilized, and the ensemble cast is wasted in what could be accomplished. If it weren?t for films like Deep Impact and Armageddon, The Core might possibly feel fresh or original. But even if Hollywood had not produced those special effects extravaganzas, The Core would need its screws and bolts tightened, let alone reworked to begin with.
Its aim is to attach a very loose, almost goofball/non-serious attitude toward its premise, which would work for a spoof but the film is more often serious, which makes the goofy tone stand as an imbalance. A movie like The Core isn?t meant to be taken apart, observed and analyzed, but it is a reviewer?s job to tell whether or not its components are well taken care of and applied.
The film backfires in its attempt to make the audience care, as the only anticipation is to see the world come to an end in a blockbuster fashion, but way too much running time unfolds before any of that can even be witnessed. And since we have seen this method performed more than two times previously with the same relative story, it is quite easy to say that The Core is almost pointless.
The film is indeed funny if the viewer doesn?t take anything seriously, but this movie is not an official parody of the end of the world catastrophe genre ? perhaps if it were aimed as that, The Core would actually have a purpose to serve.
DVD Features:
- Commentary by Director Jon Amiel
- To the Core and Back - The Making of The Core
- Deconstruction of the Visual Effects
- 10 Deleted Scenes/Extended Scenes with Director Commentary
- Widescreen
Audio Features:
- (English) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- (English) Dolby Surround
- (French) Dolby Surround
- (English) Subtitles
And that reference almost works in favor of the disaster adventure, as it is so cheesy and poorly constructed that for some moviegoers it could be nearly entertaining enough to keep watching. This is one of those films that is so bad that you almost want to keep viewing to see what falls apart next ? its cheese factor is apparently intended in most scenes, but does not work when going for actual quality.
In that regard, watching The Core is all a matter of perspective ? it?s either so bad that it?s enjoyable, or so bad that it?s nearly intolerable. I never cared once regarding a plot turnout nor for any of its many characters involved, but I would imagine that if I had seen this with a group of friends and perhaps intoxicated, that The Core would be fun, but it just isn?t ? it?s far from it.
In the style of Armageddon (B-) without the blockbuster sensation, The Core centers on Dr. Kosh Keyes? (Aaron Eckhart) discovery that the earth?s inner core has stopped spinning, which will soon result in the death of civilization. Predictably, the looming threat must be put to a stop, and so a crew of scientists take the voyage to the earth?s core, hopefully saving mankind from a special effects feast that the audience would probably want to experience.
Though The Core starts off like it?s actually going to be a potential guilty pleasure, if not just moderately pleasurable film, the production turns into an utter mess. Though this is a disaster movie, characters are given too plain of roles to sustain, and we are not given a central hero to root for. Where in Armageddon we had Bruce Willis, here we have Eckhart who does not belong in an action film let alone in any film where he?s expected to be the hero.
Perhaps I could be proven wrong in the distant future if Eckhart?s talent is actually adequately applied in such a genre, but here the special effects themselves have more depth and intrigue than the characters, and even the effects themselves are not that impressive. The film, like Armageddon, runs on a running time of about two hours and thirty minutes, which is roughly forty-five minutes more than it needs (or, as a wise-ass would probably say, two hours and thirty minutes more than it needs).
A film like The Core can actually be some solid fun, but the elements at stake are not utilized, and the ensemble cast is wasted in what could be accomplished. If it weren?t for films like Deep Impact and Armageddon, The Core might possibly feel fresh or original. But even if Hollywood had not produced those special effects extravaganzas, The Core would need its screws and bolts tightened, let alone reworked to begin with.
Its aim is to attach a very loose, almost goofball/non-serious attitude toward its premise, which would work for a spoof but the film is more often serious, which makes the goofy tone stand as an imbalance. A movie like The Core isn?t meant to be taken apart, observed and analyzed, but it is a reviewer?s job to tell whether or not its components are well taken care of and applied.
The film backfires in its attempt to make the audience care, as the only anticipation is to see the world come to an end in a blockbuster fashion, but way too much running time unfolds before any of that can even be witnessed. And since we have seen this method performed more than two times previously with the same relative story, it is quite easy to say that The Core is almost pointless.
The film is indeed funny if the viewer doesn?t take anything seriously, but this movie is not an official parody of the end of the world catastrophe genre ? perhaps if it were aimed as that, The Core would actually have a purpose to serve.
DVD Features:
- Commentary by Director Jon Amiel
- To the Core and Back - The Making of The Core
- Deconstruction of the Visual Effects
- 10 Deleted Scenes/Extended Scenes with Director Commentary
- Widescreen
Audio Features:
- (English) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
- (English) Dolby Surround
- (French) Dolby Surround
- (English) Subtitles
Lee's Grade: C-
Ranked #109 of 132 between Dopamine (#108) and My Boss's Daughter (#110) for 2003 movies.
Ranked #109 of 132 between Dopamine (#108) and My Boss's Daughter (#110) for 2003 movies.
Lee's Overall Grading: 3025 graded movies
| A | 0.4% | |
| B | 30.0% | |
| C | 61.7% | |
| D | 8.0% | |
| F | 0.0% |
'The Core' Articles
- Gareth's review C-
March 21, 2003 Grounded in the could-have-been file -- Gareth Von Kallenbach
