"How this laughable sci-fi flick embarrassed Hollywood into doing better science"I read this review of
The Core, a 2003 science fiction movie, with some amusement several months ago, but did not recall having ever watched it. Then, just last week, I found it was scheduled to play on the
ol' boob tube new simpleton flat-screen. So, I recorded it for my possible viewing pleasure.
As per the movie's review:
"No matter how much you might hate a movie, it is doubtful you loathe it as much as scientists despise this one infamous flick.
There is a motion picture so scientifically irresponsible that merely mentioning its title instantly arouses ire in countless otherwise stolid academic personalities. When first released in 2003, it badly bombed at the box office, prompting one physicist to speculate that the public stayed away because it could smell garbage. It "did not make money because people understood the science was so out to lunch," Emory University Physics Professor Sidney Perkowitz proclaimed at the time. Indeed, Perkowitz was so bothered by the movie's misinformation that he crafted a set of guidelines to help Hollywood studios avoid future embarrassments. Hundreds of fellow scientists expressed support for Perkowitz's position; today this movie is best remembered for helping inspire the creation of the Science & Entertainment Exchange, which promotes the use of better science in movies, television and other media."
Here's the link to the review:
https://www.salon.com/2023/02/05/the-core-science-entertainment-exchange/While watching this movie, I quickly came to agree with the review's assessment. The "scientific" causes given for the many disaster scenes really are incredibly bad. I suspect the producers were aiming for this to be an
Armageddon goes
Journey to the Center of the Earth flick, but they ended well wide of the mark. On the other hand, if they had added even more "scientifically" bad disaster scenes, this movie might have become a cult classic.
On the plus side, this movie should be required watching for future science fiction writers and producers, as it's a magnificent example of how not to do the genre. Also, for what it's worth, the movie's production values are high, and the acting isn't bad.
I wouldn't recommend spending your money on the DVD. But, provided it appears free on the flat-screen, and if you're a die-hard science-fiction fan, you might find
The Core entertaining.
