The second installment of the “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” begins a few years after the last journey ended.
Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, “The Kids Are All Right”) and his new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson, “Fast Five”), search for Sean’s grandfather and renowned adventurer, Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine, “Inception”).
Anderson is thought to be stranded on the Mysterious Island, a fantastical land mass in the Pacific Ocean made famous by the novels of Jules Verne.
Director Brad Peyton (“Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”) and writer Brian Gunn took a big step up from their last projects.
Peyton made admirable use of the CGI, scenery and 3D and tied the stories of Jules Verne into a fun film that the whole family can enjoy.
“Journey 2” plays with the (very real) rumors that the stories by Jules Verne were more than just fiction.
Sean and Hank travel to the nearby coordinates of Palau with Gabbatto (Luis Guzman, “Arthur”) and his beautiful daughter Kallani (Vanessa Hudgens, “Sucker Punch”) as their guides.
Of course, they find the island, but the adventure truly begins when the island and its mysteries begin to sink back into the sea.
“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” was filmed in stunning 3D, making great use of the surreal landscapes, amazing creatures and great action sequences.
The use of multi-angle shots and slow motion makes the action sequences really pop. However, the shots are also cheesy at times, like when Kallani falls at an obnoxiously slow speed.
The general light-heartedness and humor of the film, brought mostly by the goofy Gabbatto, makes sure the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The banter between Hank and Alexander as they battle to be the best male role model to Sean is also extremely enjoyable.
And though Johnson is still unable to shake the image of being “The Rock,” he has really found his calling and does well in comedies and family films.
Hudgens, who is still trying to escape her familiar first role in “High School Musical,” doesn’t have many lines but is a great choice to play Josh Hutcherson’s love interest. She is often funny and adds depth to her and Guzman’s relationships by searching for a way to get away from her life on a small island and go to college in the States. Kallani wasn’t the hardest or best role, of Hudgens’s career, but her character was a nice addition to the story and future of the series.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
