Journey to the Center of the Earth

The first of back-to-back Brendan Fraser movies, Journey to the Center of the Earth is loosely adapted from the Jules Verne novel. Fraser portrays a volcanologist who is left in care of his nephew (Josh Hutcherson), the son of his missing brother. The two then find clues to the missing brother's whereabouts and head off to Iceland where they meet a mountaineer (Anita Briem). They then discover a lost world populated by dinosaurs, man-eating plants and flying piranhas.

The main attraction of Journey to the Center of the Earth is that it was digitally filmed in 3D. Though there are ordinary versions showing in most cinemas, there are five 3D prints of the movie in Thailand. They are showing at SFW CentralWorld, SFX Lat Phrao, SF Cinema City Bang Kapi and at Paragon Cineplex.

Next Thursday, get ready for more Brendan Fraser, as he stars in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Also opening

• The Strangers -- I couldn't even stand to watch the trailer for this thriller, so I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle the whole movie. Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler star as a young couple on a romantic getaway who find their love nest invaded by threatening strangers in masks.
• Un Ano Sin Amor (A Year Without Love) -- A young Argentinian poet, suffering from Aids, chronicles his forays into the underground sex scene in Buenos Aires in the 1990s. In Spanish with English and Thai subtitles at House.
• The Happy Life -- When the leader of a college rock band dies, his former bandmates gather for the funeral. All are struggling to make ends meet so when the guitarist suggests reforming the band, he sets the stage for a rock ’n’ reunion. Directed by Lee Joon-ik. In Korean with English and Thai subtitles at the Lido.

Also playing

The Dark Knight lives up to the hype, with revelatory performances by Heath Ledger as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. Ledger is genuinely creepy as the arch-villain. He's what gives the film its troubled soul. It's so bleak and serious. It's not a comic book film -- it's a crime drama featuring a customed superhero.

The IMAX version at Siam Paragon is worth catching. The opening scenes were filmed specifically for the IMAX format, and are memorable. The plus is the stupendous sound, which really gets roaring once Christian Bale's Batman takes off on his Batpod motorcycle.

Just a few more notes about the supporting cast: All are great. Michael Caine is peerlessly smooth. Morgan Freeman is the conscience. Maggie Gyllenhaal is more than welcome. And Eric Roberts. He just oozes slime as a crime boss, and is a bit campy as well -- possibly the last vestige of camp in this Batman film.

Interestingly, The Dark Knight has rocketed to No. 1 on the IMDb Top 250, being rated higher than The Godfather, which has been No. 1 on the Internet Movie Database since the Internet was invented. The rankings are governed by a weighted rating system, and over time The Dark Knight's score might even out as more level-headed fans submit their ratings.

The Dark Knight is a good movie, but I don't think it's better than The Godfather.