To steal from an old SCTV gag, Stanley Tucci blows up real good. Or at least his character does.
In The Core, Tucci plays Dr. Conrad Zimsky, part of a team of scientists and astronauts (and a computer hacker) who receives a call to literally dig in and save the planet.
British director John Amiel, known in this country for the TV series The Singing Detective, has assembled an A-list of character actors and Oscar winner Hilary Swank to take us for a fun but cautionary ride into the world of sci-fi adventure. Although the movie is not exactly a classic, it gets the job done.
A bizarre series of natural phenomena are popping up around the world. Although the government first speculates this is caused by a secret electromagnetic weapon, a scientist discovers something much worse: the Earth’s core has stopped rotating. The government recruits an expert crew to take an untested ship to the core, where they will detonate a nuclear warhead in hopes of reversing the slide toward disaster. Knowing they may not return, the "terranauts" fearlessly — and with little fanfare — embark on the mission.
This is strictly Jules Verne territory, with a bit of modern-day action thrown in for good measure. Although some corniness and extreme implausibility enter the picture, overall it works. This is thanks to an intelligent script and an excellent cast. Amiel does a nice job keeping us interested, but it is the cast that makes the difference.
In fact, it’s quite unusual to see such a distinguished group of actors in this type of movie. First you have Tucci, one of the best of the business when it comes to playing jerks. Then, Delroy Lindo, who was so good in The Cider House Rules. There’s also Aaron Eckhart, sort of a thinking man’s Tom Cruise. And to top it off, Swank, who won her Oscar for Boys Don’t Cry, is part of the team. I’m not sure how such a cast was assembled, but it makes for a different movie altogether. When various tragedies befall the crew members, you feel for them and stay on the edge of your seat as the action unfolds.
That said, this is still an action film and it succeeds on that level as well. If I have one complaint, it is about the several incongruities throughout the movie. One of the biggest concerned a character named Rat (D.J. Qualls), who hacks into a major weapons system as a general stands several feet behind him. Even in a sci-fi movie, that was a little implausible.
However, if you’re in a mood for likable escapist fare with great action, even better actors and fun special effects, you can do much worse than The Core.
The Core
PG-13
Opening tomorrow at area theaters
Three reels out of four
Red Dragon
Available Tuesday
R
Red Dragon marks Sir Anthony Hopkins’ third go at playing Hannibal Lecter. The movie, based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name, takes us back to before Hannibal the Cannibal met Clarice. FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) captures Hannibal, a demented psychiatrist with a taste for human flesh, and nearly dies in the process. Now in retirement, Will is approached by his former boss (Harvey Keitel) to help capture a serial killer nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy." As it turns out, Will’s best lead is Hannibal the Cannibal himself. Rush Hour director Brett Ratner brings a tongue-in-cheek quality to most of the movie and keeps the action moving at a brisk pace.
