Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

(Brad Peyton, 2012)

Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

Summary: Much better than the title would suggest, 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' is ridiculous fun brimming with charming chemistry. Great for the kids.

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'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' is no masterpiece and will probably be forgotten quite quickly, but it's a very watchable family film boasting some surprisingly good CGI and heartfelt, over-the-top performances.

It sees Sean, a headstrong teen played by Josh Hutcherson, drag his resourceful, muscular stepfather (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) on a mission to find his grandfather (Michael Caine) on the mysterious island of the title. Helping them get there is a scruffy, easily scared pilot (Luiz Guzman) and his daughter (Vanessa Hudgens). (Back at home, 'Sex and the City' star Kristin Davis is completely wasted as Johnson's wife).

With this fivesome of exaggerated characters, director Brad Peyton has a lot of fun letting them rip up the scenery and let their star qualities do most of the heavy lifting. Things you wouldn't expect include Michael Caine flying a giant bee and Dwayne Johnson singing while playing the ukulele around the campfire (he's surprisingly good).

The plot haphazardly draws on three classic adventure stories: Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island', Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels', and Jules Verne's 'Mysterious Island'. Despite this, 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' offers little in the way of solid writing and feels thrown together as the protagonists jump from one implausible, effects-driven scenario to another while delivering some terrible lines.

But, ultimately, it's fun. It does its job and has a blast in the process. Check out the theatrical trailer and cast featurette from 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' HERE at Cinemas Online.

 

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