Destruction totale

Alright then, we've got Craig Sheffer playing the creator of a mobile drilling machine that causes a major worldwide countdown to disaster. Of course, he walked off the job a year or so earlier fearing that his creation might be used as a weapon. He was right. It's the potential for that disaster thing I just mentioned which brings our would-be hero back to save the day. If this sounds remotely like so many other films out there, it probably is.

This is B movie territory, folks, but it's a FUN ride! Sheffer gets to dig down 120 miles into the Earth and place 5 nuclear bombs that will create a chain effect that stops the planet from tearing itself apart...while also saving valuable budget money by not showing too many disasters on the surface (always visible because the camera shakes before we get some cheesy CGI effects).

Along for the ride is James Russo, Wil Wheaton (giving a better performance than in "Python") and Terry Farrell (Dax from "Star Trek: Deep Space 9"). What the film isn't able to entertain you with visually because of what I'm assuming is a modest budget, it more than makes up for in dialogue and acting. There are a few techno-babble bits here and there, but these guys (and gal) are enjoying themselves and provide some welcome laughter. Forget the other Government stiffs. They kind of pad the film a bit and aren't nearly as fun to watch.

It's especially nice to see Sheffer in a more heroic role after "Hellraiser: Inferno" and Wheaton still has a smile that will make you melt. If you can overlook some really fake CGI effects and just take the movie for what it's supposed to be, entertainment, then you could do a lot worse than give "Deep Core" a try.

The same flaming digital f/x repeated over and over during the credits hints that there's something wrong with this film. However, if you ignore that warning and continue to watch, all sort of evils will escape from this Pandora's box: a machine that allegedly blows up but only showers sparks like a sparkler; hand-held camera shots with that home-movie look; a cliche villain/capitalist; the cliche battle between the scientist sexes; a brief earthquake scene of a city (looks like a postcard) wherein one tall building starts to crumble like a jigsaw puzzle; an odd puffy-faced (like he just had his wisdom teeth removed) twenty-something Whil Wheaton making a joke about his ex-wife...This is no modern "Crack in the world," no hidden diamond in the rough but a depressing clunker. On the positive side, it makes you appreciate aspects and techniques of good movies you took for granted or weren't aware of.

When I saw this flick on a compilation DVD containing two flicks for a few cent I picked it up because I recognized a well known face from the horror genre. Craig Sheffer I do know from Nightbreed. But looking a bit closer I saw another face, this time female that I knew from Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, namely Tery Farrell, she was even seen in the still unavailable The Deliberate Stranger (1986).

So far so good but that's were the good things stopped. This flick has nothing to do with horror. This is just a B-flick with very terrible CGI. But somehow I kept watching what would happen. So it's not a movie that you will hate but also not one to remember. The acting wasn't that convincing and the story wasn't one to cheer. This could be if it was made in the seventies one of those flicks that would be shown at a drive-in. So I think that you know what I mean. The ones with stupid plots and goofy lines. Maybe one to see on a rainy afternoon.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5 Story

I have a DVD binder called "Inside The Earth," which contains about a dozen films with the same basic plot: scientists must use "futuristic" drilling machine thingy to drive into the center of the Earth to save the planet by either a) realigning tectonic plates b) setting off nuclear bombs c) allowing volcanoes to explode, thus relieving pressure, etc. or some such babble that makes no sense at all. And I've never even taken a geology course. Or, the other plot option is that they are merely exploring the center of the earth find lost civilizations, monsters, etc.

Quickly, here's a list of all the films, and a brief comparison to this one:

The Core: The Gold Standard. Much higher budget than this one, and a fun B-movie that doesn't take itself nearly as seriously as this one.

Journey To The Center of the Earth: I liked this, even though it had Pat Boone in it. A good old fashioned fantasy film from back in the day.

Mesa of Lost Women: See my review here on the IMDb. One of the worst movies ever made.

The Phantom Empire: Fred Olen Ray directed mish-mash of a ripoff of Indiana Jones, a 1950's alien invasion movie, and a 1930's serial. A lovable jumble of insanity. They spend most of the movie running around in the cave in Bronson Canyon, a legendary B-movie location in Los Angeles. Super fun for B-movie fans. Others might get annoyed.

Unknown World: Another machine-thingy must drill into the Earth to save civilization. Actually pretty well done for a no-budget film from 1952. Black and white of course.

Beast From Haunted Cave: Okay, they didn't go down into the Earth that far, only into a cave. But they find a cool monster in there. Enjoyable Roger Corman produced schlockery.

The Incredible Petrified World - Also 1950's black and white. They find a secret underground world (here comes the twist) under the ocean floor! They descend in a diving bell. Zero budget here. Incredibly boring. Only saving grace is John Carradine, but he can only do so much. Rating real low. Skip it.

Village of the Giants - I think there's a cave in this one? Is that why I stuck it in here?

Sound of Horror - Haven't watched this one yet, but I believe it's about people dying in a cave in Greece.

At The Earth's Core - Classic 1970's schlock! Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs. Classic Saturday afternoon fun fare. Worth watching.

The Lost Continent - People enter the Earth and find lost world of dinosaurs..."so bad it's good." Some hilarious moments. Another black and white low budget non-epic from the 1950's.

I need to pick up "The Cave" and "The Descent," two recent films with people dying undernearth the earth.

DEEP CORE stacks up pretty well against some of these. There is a ton of hilariously bad dialog, and the interior of the Drilling Thingy is really bad and low rent.

I'll give it a four for good old yocks. If DEEP CORE had taken itself a little less seriously, it probably would have rated a 6 or 7 for entertainment value. The Core is much funnier. Stanley Tucci's performance alone makes it worth your time.

I'm not going to say much more that what has been mentioned in other posts about this movie. It has a really brilliant intro sequence using loads of slow motion and atmospheric music. This really drew my attention to it, but by the first 30 minutes or so, I realised that it was just B movie fare. And I could'nt figure out the plot...If there was one.

At least the actors aren't taking it seriously.