We’ve been to the Center of the Earth, but why no try to go to the Earth’s core? Err, wait… aren’t they the same thing? Regardless, Edgar Rice Burroughs take on the Earth’s middle portions is a cheap, oddly, and most of the time bizarre spin on the concept that is very much a ‘70s piece of filmmaking.
There must be something about Burrough’s novels that when translated to film, they must contain some of the worst monster suits in history. As with the prior Land that Time Forgot in 1975 and proceeding People that Time Forgot, the monster suits in Earth’s Core are simple atrocious. Whether they’re two-legged or four-legged, or even a mysterious, fire-breathing, exploding frog, these are some of the worst attempts at giant monsters you’ll lay on eyes in a major studio production.
At the least, the film moves quickly. It’s a scant few minutes before we arrive inside the drilling machine that will lead the characters to the destination, and just a short time later the heavy action begins. The brisk pacing along with a priceless, campy performance by Peter Cushing make this tolerable to sit through. Doug McClure’s serious tone is somewhat counterintuitive compared to the lighthearted tone of Cushing, but they do mesh well somehow in the end.
Strange, goofy editing gives much of the action a trippy feeling. The grating soundtrack likewise dates the film to its period. The film is so concerned with showing some of the miserable creature suits, it forgets to put the science in sci-fi. How did the people get to the center… err, to the Earth’s core to become slaves? Why are Cushing and McClure from the Victorian era yet all of the slaves have hair styles from the ‘70s?
Then again, it’s impossible to take any of this seriously enough to care. This preposterous story and hilariously awful effects are worth it for fans of camp. No one else should even give this one a chance. 
Some great care was apparently taken to preserve this schlock as this DVD transfer is all-around superb. Colors haven’t faded in the least, and the transfer is sharp. Detail is high, and the print is absolutely flawless. You can pick up on a slight hint of compression at times, though mostly negated to backgrounds. 
Audio didn’t make the modern transition as well. The high end is a scratchy mess, especially a problem with the grating soundtrack. Dialogue is flat, and this 2.0 presentation comes off scratchy and muddled.
A trailer is the only extra. 
Poor Bobby Parr. During his fight scene with Doug McClure, an accident caused one of his fingers to be lopped off. Shame it couldn’t have been a movie worth remembering.
Article comments
1 - Andy
Dude, how could you review this film (which I agree is a standard 1970s B movie) and not mention its sole redeeming feature, and the most AMAZING special effect in the picture? That being, of course ... Caroline Munro as Dia, and the way she ALMOST wears that fur bikini. Hubba, hubba.