The Core

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2:11

The Core

PG-13

2003

2h 16m

Action

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

39%

Tomatometer

150 Reviews

34%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes discovers that an unknown force has caused the Earth's inner core to stop rotating. With the planet's magnetic field rapidly deteriorating, our atmosphere literally starts to come apart at the seams with catastrophic consequences. To resolve the crisis, Keyes, along with a team of the world's most gifted scientists, travel into the Earth's core. Their mission: detonate a device that will reactivate the core.

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Critics Consensus

A B-movie with its tongue planted firmly in cheek, The Core is so unintentionally (intentionally?) bad that it's a hoot.

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Matthew Rozsa

Salon.com

Feb 5, 2023

1.5/4

Although the acting is top notch, the rest of "The Core" is too cliché and bloated to be enjoyable... the bigger problem with "The Core" is that the information that it presents to audiences as legitimate science is, quite simply, bunk.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 28, 2010

2/5

This is a big, dumb, explosion movie.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Jun 19, 2003

2/4

Sadly, that's not the case. Cooper Lane and Jon Rogers' script is paint-by-numbers at best and Amiel directs as if his attention is firmly rooted somewhere else, like on his next project.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

May 5, 2023

3/5

The Core may be among the worst disaster thrillers as far as realism is concerned but the the film's cast keeps it entertaining.

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Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

Mar 17, 2023

2.5/4

Bombastic and ridiculous, this bonkers action movie is a lot of fun as a throwback to science-versus-nature thrillers of the past.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Jun 9, 2022

2.5/5

Is this the most bonkers blockbuster disaster movie of all-time?

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mark G

@Mark_Alan_G. Sep 16, 2026

A monotonous movie that seems like a chore to get through. It wanted to be a summer popcorn hit, but doomed by a boring story and a cast that just isn't suited for blockbuster status. The Bore.

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Jordan C

@RT05058361 Aug 22, 2026

I've watched it a couple of times over the years. Just watched again in 2026 and it's a very watchable, compelling movie, where you root for every individual. It's not high art, but definitely a fun watch or rewatch!

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Clara T

@Cterry26 Aug 9, 2026

I think that it is a movie that is rotten to the core. And it smells x2. And if you go to the core that is even worse. It is definitely not my favorite. My lips are burning and the end

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Richard L

@KaneLives Jul 19, 2026

While it certainly isn't a masterpiece, The Core is a thoroughly enjoyable disaster film filled with unlimited techno-babble, Hollywood science, and 90s 'hacking'. Yes, some of the effects look like a Red Alert cutscene, and the characterization is weak across the board, but it conveys a sense of scale and adventure that makes its honestly slightly long runtime breeze by in an instant.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Apr 26, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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ICUR M

@icurmtheaded Apr 10, 2026

Time for this crusty old guy to mismantle this movie to the core. At the core, good acting, especially by Dr. Unobtainium MacGuffin. Too bad that the director got credit for his sabbatical during filming. He should have been forced to at least join the circle ray beam TBM crew on its maiden voyage. Special deffects ranged from cheesy to passable (barely). Can't be sure, yet I believe some early TV ST clips and sets were snuck in, here and there.

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Jon Amiel

Director

Aaron Eckhart

Dr. Josh Keyes

Hilary Swank

Major Rebecca "Beck" Childs

Delroy Lindo

Dr. Ed "Braz" Brazzelton

Stanley Tucci

Dr. Conrad Zimsky

DJ Qualls

Theodore Donald 'Rat' Finch

The Core: Official Clip - The Golden Gate Bridge Melts

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The Core: Official Clip - Empty Space

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The Core: Official Clip - The Earth Will Be Cooked

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The Core: Official Clip - The Birds

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The Core: Official Clip - Unobtainium

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The Core: Official Clip - Rome Destroyed

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The Core: Official Clip - Drilling In

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The Core: Official Clip - Braz Burns Alive

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Synopsis

Geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes discovers that an unknown force has caused the Earth's inner core to stop rotating. With the planet's magnetic field rapidly deteriorating, our atmosphere literally starts to come apart at the seams with catastrophic consequences. To resolve the crisis, Keyes, along with a team of the world's most gifted scientists, travel into the Earth's core. Their mission: detonate a device that will reactivate the core.

Director: Jon Amiel
Producer: David Foster, Sean Bailey, Cooper Layne
Screenwriter: Cooper Layne, John Rogers
Distributor: United International Pictures, Paramount Pictures, GAGA Communications [jp], Humax Pictures Inc., 01 Distribuzione
Production Co: David Foster Productions, Horsepower Films, Paramount Pictures, Core Prods. Inc., StudioCanal, RAI Cinema
Rating: PG-13 (Sci-Fi Life/Death Situations|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 28, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.1M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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