Journey 2: The Mysterious Island: Review

Today I finally mustered enough courage to take my family to see Journey 2: Mysterious Island. The trailers left the impression that this was going to be a cheesy and boring moving. However I quickly found this wasn't the case.

Breakdown:


Director:
Brad Peyton

Stars:
Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock (Hank Parsons)
Josh Hutcherson (Sean Anderson)
Vanessa Hudgens (Kailani)
Michael Caine (Alexander Anderson)
Luis Guzman (Gabato)
Kristin Davis (Liz Anderson)


Genre: Action/Adventure
Rated: PG
Run-time: 94 Mins
Released: 2/10/12


Plot:


As the title suggests, this is the sequel to the 2008 film Journey to the Center of The Earth. Much like the first film, it is loosely based on novels written by Jules Verne. However that's where the similarities end. Brendan Fraser is nowhere to be found in this film and there is no explanation as to why he isn't there. Hutcherson is the only returning member, and there is almost no reference to the events of the previous film.

When we catch up with Sean Anderson, he is on the run from the cops for breaking into a satellite facility. When he fails to escape, the police call his stepfather Hank Parsons to pick him up. The next day Sean admits that he broke into the facility to capture a broadcast that he believed was from his grandfather Alexander. Hank and Sean decode the message and discover that the message was about The Mysterious Island. The two of them set out for the island of Palau to search for its location.

Much of the plot of Journey 2 is rather far fetched, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying this movie. The story won't win any awards, but it entertaining none the less. Parts of the movie felt a little rushed due to the pacing of the film, but it didn't kill the movie. It always seemed like there was something going on, and this keeps the audience interested.

Visuals & Sound:

Journey 2 is a good looking movie. The CG creatures in this movie were well done and there were only a few that looked out of place. Additionally there were some breathtaking shots of the locale that really make the island feel authentic. 3D works well in this film, although some will feel it wasn't used enough to warrant the extra cost. There are a few bird and bug scenes that looked really cool in 3D. The sound is ok, but nothing spectacular. I think that it could've been more effectively used to help setup some of the scenes.

Performances:

Josh Hutcherson again plays the role of the smart but sometimes moody Sean Anderson. At the start of the film he has a bit of a superiority complex toward his stepfather Hank. Once he meets Kailani, he becomes a more likeable character. Hutcherson does a good job, however he doesn't have the same presence as some of the other actors in the film.

Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson brings his trademark swagger to the screen as Hank Parsons. I found it very entertaining watching the dynamic relationship between Hank and Sean. Even though he spent a majority of the movie trying to earn Sean's respect, it was entertaining and funny. I also want to know if he ad-libbed some of the nicknames used because they are awesome. My personal favorites were "The Pec Pop of Love" and "The Thunder Cookie".

Luis Guzman as Gabato was my favorite performance of the film. He is the loveable tour guide and father of Kailani. He has a warm and humorous personality and makes every scene he is in more enjoyable. His performance kept the movie from getting too serious and that's a good thing.

Sean's grandfather is played by Michael Caine. Through a good portion of the movie, he comes off as arrogant, especially when dealing with Hank. While Caine plays this part well, I didn't fully find him believable as this great explorer.

Vanessa Hudgens plays the smart and feisty Kailani. She is Sean's love interest, but doesn't really do much else.

Rating:


Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is an entertaining thrill-ride that is filled with strange creatures, beautiful settings and good action.  The 3D adds a little something extra to the movie, but some will feel that the extra cost isn't worth it. The story is not epic by any means, but the movie it still enjoyable. This movie feels more like a standalone title than an actual sequel. I think this movie is a good family flick and overall people should give this movie a chance. I rate it at 3.5 out 5 stars.