The Core

The Core details the chaos that ensues after it’s revealed that the planet’s center has stopped spinning, with the narrative subsequently following several individuals as they’re sent to repair the damage in an experimental subterranean ship. It’s a fairly irresistible premise that’s employed to consistently lackluster effect, as filmmaker Jon Amiel, working from Cooper Layne and John Rogers’ screenplay, proves unable to wholeheartedly draw the viewer into the proceedings for the duration of The Core‘s overlong running time – with the decision to essentially focus on one storyline exacerbating each and every one of the movie’s problems. (There is, it turns out, a reason films of this ilk generally contain a raft of subplots.) The heavy emphasis on the aforementioned crew’s continuing exploits results in a preponderance of less-than-enthralling mission-based minutia, with virtually the entirety of the film’s midsection revolving around the characters’ efforts at making repairs and completing specific tasks. And while there are a few compelling sequences sprinkled here and there (eg a character sacrifices his life to ensure the mission’s success), The Core‘s atmosphere of pervasive mediocrity ultimately makes it impossible to work up any enthusiasm for the expectedly larger-than-life third act.

** out of ****