Movies

The three-dimensional digital imagery used in Brendan Fraser's subterranean adventure nearly defies Hollywood wisdom that no technological innovation can ever turn a bad movie into a good one.

In 2-D, as it will play at most theaters for lack of sufficient cinemas equipped to project digital 3-D, the movie probably will come off as a lame bit of hokum that's less a story than a theme-park ride. With crisp images and depth that make you feel you could reach out and stick your hand into the middle of the action, the movie projected in digital 3-D form actually makes that theme-park ride kind of fun.

Fraser, Josh Hutcherson as his nephew and Anita Briem as an Icelandic guide star as a threesome that heads down below after discovering Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novel might be based on an actual trip to the Earth's center. While there are gimmicky shots, director Eric Brevig restrains the impulse to use the technology for too many cheap jolts. Generally, the 3-D images are fashioned to make fans feel as though they're sitting inside the movie rather than being assaulted by moving objects within it.