The Core
The Core ★★½ 2003 (PG-13)
The moltenhot magma goo at the Earth's core has stopped spinning (?!), bringing about the end of the world…unless a team of scientists and pilots can drill to the center of the planet and detonate an atomic device to get it going again in this unabashedly silly popcorn flick. Led by scruffy geophysicist Josh Keyes (Eckard), the multiethnic, multitalented crew sets off on their preposterous mission, knowing fullwell that the whole thing is ridiculous. This self knowledge, agreeing that it's all absurd, and not taking itself to seriously, is what gets this disaster flick by. Everybody has a good time playing their characters' assigned quirks, especially Tucci as a smug, smarmy geophysicist. 135m/C VHS, DVD . US Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Delroy Lindo, Stanley Tucci, DJ Qualls, Richard Jenkins, Tcheky Karyo, Bruce Greenwood, Alfre Woodard; D: Jon Amiel; W: John Rogers, Cooper Layne; C: John Lindley; M: Christopher Young.