They climb inside a large "giant's kettle" (a rounded stone basin) right as the geyser erupts. The pressure blasts them upward, shooting them through the volcanic shaft at incredible speed. They are ejected from the earth, flying out of a volcano in southern Italy.
The 2008 adaptation took a "meta" approach, where Jules Verne’s novel actually exists within the film’s universe and serves as a guidebook for the characters.
Whether you're a fan of 19th-century literature or modern 3D blockbusters, the story of Journey to the Center of the Earth
In an era where CGI spectacle was beginning to feel like homework, 2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth did something unexpected: it had fun. Directed by Eric Brevig (a visual effects veteran making his directorial debut), the film took Jules Verne’s 1864 landmark novel and treated it less like sacred text and more like a theme park ride. The result? A brisk, 3D-fueled adventure that reminded audiences that going down—way down—could still be a blast.
Alongside their guide, the Icelandic mountain-climbing Hannah (Anita Briem, refreshingly practical), the trio falls down a mine shaft. And that’s when the movie stops explaining and starts plummeting.
This subterranean world is breathtaking but deadly. The group encounters a variety of flora and fauna that have evolved in isolation. They encounter the Dinichthys (giant armored fish) while rafting across a subterranean ocean, and navigate through a forest of enormous mushrooms.