On March 9, 1886, poor, deranged Gaston Verne shot his uncle Jules, the French writer often credited with the invention of science fiction. The great man survived, but if he’d known what filmmakers would do with his books in the centuries to follow, he probably would have reached for that revolver himself. The latest movie to spring from Verne’s pages, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” may turn out far better than what has come before, but the precedents are not encouraging. Previous “Journeys” — no fewer than five television projects and four feature films have worn the name [...]