| Director: | Juan Piquer Simón |
| Starring: | Kenneth More |
| Distributor: | Jacinto Santos Parrás |
| Runtime: | 90 min |
| Country: | Spain |
| Language: | Spanish |
Viaje al centro de la Tierra (English: Journey to the Center of the Earth) is a 1977 Spanish adventure film based on the 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. It has been released under the titles Where Time Began in theaters in the U.S. and The Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth on TV in the U.K. It was a rare later leading role for Kenneth More.[1]
A group of geologists, including Professor Otto Lidenbrock (More), discuss various theories on the make-up of the interior of the Earth. They decide that the only way to know for sure would be to mount an expedition to discover which theory was true.
Whilst visiting a book shop, Lidenbrock buys an old book, written by Arne Saknussemm, containing undisclosed, coded knowledge of the center of the Earth from a mysterious gentleman. Eager to know more, he enlists his niece Glauben and her fiance Axel, a soldier. Axel is charged with keeping a diary of the journey, and often enhances his contributions to the exhibition.
Upon arriving in Iceland, they hire shepherd and mountaineer Hans. Together, the four of them set off for the adventure of a lifetime to the center of the Earth. After a series of mishaps, including losing the mysterious book, about midway through their journey, Olsen, a time traveling scientist, meets the explorers.
Olsen reveals to the other travelers the existence of a lost city, where clones of Olsen are conducting experiments, using a mysterious box. Olsen shows the group the flora and fauna of the Earth's center, including surviving dinosaurs. Olsen later sets off an explosion to allow the others to escape back to their home.
Some years later, Glauben and Axel are married, and Hans has become a successful shepherd. Lidenbrock still searches old bookstores, hoping for more information. In one of those shops, Lidenbrock is told that a package has been left for him, and it proves to be Olsen's experimental box. Looking through the store window, Lidenbrock sees Olsen, now much older, looking back at him.
Creature Feature found the movie to be sluggish and boring, giving it two out of five stars. It found the movie did improve when the dinosaurs finally appeared, but that the effects were weak.[2] Monster Hunter found the use of shooting in a real cave to be a plus, but that there was little else of worth in the film.[3]
The film was released on DVD in 2006. And on Blu-Ray by Severin Films on August 29, 2023.[4]