Sanctum
Long ago, in the early days of digital 3D--we're talking aught-aught-nine here, maybe aught-aught-eight--the inimitable Brendan Fraser starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, a Jules Verne-inspired romp that featured the charming Mr. Fraser tumbling into a hole alongside his slightly less charming son. Landing in a fantastical world of giant mushrooms and phosphorescent CG bullshit, Mr. Fraser bonded with his son as they built a raft, jumped on floating rocks, and fought a tyrannosaur. Also, because the film was in 3D, a whole bunch of dumb crap was always flying at the camera. The 3D in Sanctum, another underground father/son bonding flick, is less garish than that--I'm guessing producer James Cameron was kind enough to tell Sanctum's director, Alister Grierson, that not every single thing onscreen needs to be lewdly thrust into viewers' faces--but in every other capacity, Mr. Fraser's dorky Journey kicks Sanctum's ass.
by Erik Henriksen