In 2007, Trevor Anderson is a
Bostonian
volcanologist whose 13-year-old nephew Sean is supposed to spend ten days with him. Trevor learns at work that his brother's lab is being shut down because of a lack of funding. He had forgotten that Sean is coming until he receives several messages from his mother-in-law, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth drops him off, she leaves Trevor with a box of items that belonged to Max, Trevor's brother and Sean's father, who disappeared 10 years ago. Sean suddenly takes interest in what Trevor has to say after he tells him about his father Max, whom he never really had a chance to know. In the box, Trevor discovers the novel
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Inside the book Trevor finds notes written by Max, then goes to his laboratory to find out more about the notes. There, he decides to go to
Iceland to investigate for himself. Trevor intends to send Sean back to his mother, but relents at the latter's protests, so is forced to take Sean to Iceland with him. They start by looking for another volcanologist. When they get to that scientist's institution, they meet his daughter Hannah, who informs them he died. She also tells them that both her father and Max believed that
Jules Verne's books were factual accounts. Hannah offers to help them climb up to the instrument that has suddenly started sending data again. While hiking the mountain, a
lightning storm forces the three into a cave. The cave entrance collapses, trapping them, so they have no alternative but to go deeper into the cave, which turns out to be an abandoned mine. Trevor, Sean, and Hannah investigate further into the mine and find a volcanic tube with walls containing various gems, including diamonds, which Sean takes. However, the ground under them breaks and they fall into a deep hole, taking them to the "
Center of the Earth". They continue and discover Max's cave dwelling and his old journal. Hannah and Trevor discover Max's dead body and bury him. Trevor reads a message from Max's journal that was written on Sean's 3rd birthday (8.14.97). He continues to read from Max's journal until he realizes from his notes that they must quickly leave, as the temperature is steadily rising. Trevor figures out they must find a
geyser that can send them to the surface. They must do this within 48 hours or all of the water to create the geyser will be gone. They also realise they must get out before the temperature rises above 135 degrees. They build a raft to cross the underground ocean. However, during a storm, Hannah and Trevor get separated from Sean after they are attacked by a school of piranhas and Sean gets dragged off by a strong wind. Sean's guide is now a little glowing bird who has been present since the trio entered the Earth's center, and it leads him towards the river. However, he encounters an
albino Giganotosaurus, and Trevor – who has been desperately searching for him – saves him. When they arrive at the geyser it is all dried up. All the water is on the other side of the walls. Trevor uses a flare to ignite the
magnesium in the wall to causes a geyser to shoot them through
Mount Vesuvius in
Italy. When they damage the vineyard of an
Italian man, Sean gives him a diamond that he had found earlier. Trevor sees that he has many more in his backpack and he uses them to fund his brother's laboratory. Throughout the adventure, Hannah and Trevor gradually become so attached to each other that they share a kiss. On the final day of Sean's visit with Trevor (and now Hannah), as he is leaving their new home, (which was purchased with some of the diamonds Sean took from the tube), Trevor hands Sean a book titled "Atlantis". This suggesting they could maybe hang out at Sean's during Christmas break. The glowing bird, also smuggled out by Sean in attempt to keep it as a pet, flies off. ==Cast==