The less-than-stellar box-office returns of last year's disaster/sci-fi opus, The Core, are surprising, seeing as there's a decent dose of star power and some far-better-than-average f/x to be had. But perhaps watching famous American monuments get destroyed still hasn't gained back any appeal since 9/11.

The Core (available at Boîte Noire) starts out strongly enough, with an hommage to The Birds and a superb crash space shuttle landing, in which star Hilary Swank emerges heroic. Then come further signs the earth is doomed, explained later by various scientist types as due to the planet's core ceasing to move. Several geniuses devise a plan to build a special vessel (with parts seemingly left over from the ship in Fantastic Voyage) that will burrow to the earth's centre, where a serious whack of nuclear weapons will re-ignite the earth's core, effectively saving the day. (Indeed, one character notes the irony of nuclear weapons being used to actually save humanity. God love those nukes.) Some obligatory cornball dialogue and effects make for fun viewing - could have used a bit more pointless carnage, however. » Matthew Hays