journey 2 the mysterious island hank's dad

Sean Anderson

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Sean Anderson is the deuteragonist in Journey to the Center of the Earth and the main protagonist in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island . He is played by Josh Hutcherson and is the nephew of Trevor Anderson , the stepson of Hank Parsons and grandson of Alexander Anderson . His father was  Max Anderson and Liz Anderson who was found dead in Journey to the Center of the Earth.

It is revealed in a leaked write-up of some earlier renditions of the script for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island that Sean used to be a mule for the Sinaloa Cartel's operations in southern California. His horrific backstory was originally to be showcased near the start of the film in a 13-minute action scene depicting his near-death escape from an illegal Tijuana brothel during a violent raid by the Federales targeting Sean's boss. Although the scene was fully rehearsed and produced- even featuring Jason Statham as the Tijuana drug lord fighting off a Mexican police raid- it was decided not much further into production that the scene be removed, and all intext mentions of Sean's experience in Tijuana redacted from the script. It is widely believed that the completed footage for said scene was comprehensively disposed of by its creators, as no evidence of its existence has been recovered save for the aforementioned write-up by an anonymous set crewman. It is considered lost media .

• 1 Sean Anderson
• 2 Trevor Anderson
• 3 Albino Giganotosaurus

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• DVD & Streaming

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• February 10, 2012
• Dwayne Johnson as Hank; Michael Caine as Alexander; Josh Hutcherson as Sean; Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani; Luis Guzmán as Gabato

Home Release Date

• June 5, 2012
• Brad Peyton

Distributor

• Warner Bros.

Movie Review

It’s not that Sean hates his stepdad, Hank.

He’s no little kid anymore, though. And he doesn’t need some new “rent” hovering over him, trying to get into his business. He’s a teenager now and can take care of himself.

Still, it was kind of fun that Hank knew so much about code-breaking from his Navy days. Together they were able to decode that puzzling message from his long-lost grandfather. And they even figured out the clues about the classic novels—Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island —how they all fit together and were really about the same island.

It was really cool that Hank agreed to help him hunt down the map coordinates they found and head off on an adventure to find that secret island. They might even find Sean’s grandfather in the process! Maybe he needs to give Hank a bit more credit for trying to be a pretty good dad after all.

How many guys would shell out the kind of bank required to take this trip and hire a helicopter to check out a set of coordinates out in the middle of the Pacific? Not many. That’s definitely something in Hank’s favor.

The trip even gave Sean the chance to meet Kailani, the helicopter guy’s daughter. And boy is she cute! She’s not really giving Sean the time of day yet, but, oh well. All in all it’s been an incredible couple of days so far. And, well, Sean figures he might actually owe it all to Hank.

Sean would probably almost be ready to, kind of, tell Hank how he felt about him now … if that funnel cloud hadn’t disabled their helicopter and they weren’t crashing into the ocean. Isn’t it funny how life flashes before your eyes and things get so clear just before you’re about to croak?

Positive Elements

Hank does indeed do his best to make a connection with his standoffish stepson. And as the movie progresses, the two take great strides toward a true father/son bond. Hank talks of his own dad abandoning him when he was 8. And he makes it crystal clear that he isn’t going anywhere. As unexpectedly crazy as their adventure becomes, Hank always comes back to trying to protect Sean and make wise choices.

When Hank gives Sean a little advice about the opposite sex, his speech includes some wisdom about being sensitive and curbing a teen’s natural instincts—along with just a dash of silliness about “pec popping,” which could actually be construed, in a bit of a roundabout way, as a hedge against getting too serious too fast.

Hank’s sense of parental commitment even impacts Sean’s grandfather, Alexander, whom they do meet in the middle of their journey. Alexander had, in a way, abandoned his family in the pursuit of his research. And eventually the old scientist realizes that it’s not too late to reconnect and have the same kind of rewarding relationships that Hank is forming with Sean.

The helicopter owner, Gabato, becomes part of the adventuring crew after the crash. And we learn of his love and devotion for his daughter. He longs to send her to college to give her a better life, and he puts his own life on the line to try to dig up a large chunk of island gold to make that possible. Kailani voices her love for her dad, but tells him, “We’ll have all the wealth we need—as long as we’re together.” On several occasions, Sean makes brave choices to protect Kailani from island threats.

Spiritual Elements

When Gabato first sees the beauty of the island, he coos, “If this is heaven, I’m checking in.” When he finds the gold, he exclaims, “My prayers have been answered.”

Sexual Content

Kailani wears a figure-fitting, midriff-baring and cleavage-revealing outfit of shorts and a tank top. Sean immediately takes notice of her. And, later, they share a brief kiss. Sean’s mom sports a little cleavage too.

Violent Content

The island has a special “what is normally small grows large” property about it. And so there are several chase scenes involving giant birds, a king-sized lizard and an enormous electric eel. The result is several slo-mo images of upclose chomping mouths and barely missing snapping beaks. The birds and the lizard are all eventually knocked out cold (with the birds flying into other objects and the lizard getting thumped by rope-suspended logs). An enormous spider and some oversized centipedes are a little frightening-looking, but never a real threat.

During one chase Sean falls and dislocates his ankle. A ravaging funnel cloud snaps the tail of Gabato’s helicopter, sending it and everyone aboard plummeting to the ocean below. (The humans all survive. The helicopter, not so much.) When the mysterious island starts sinking, the land shakes, volcanoes erupt and mayhem ensues. Alexander, Gabato and Kailani fall into the churning sea and are moments away from drowning when Hank and Sean come to the rescue.

Crude or Profane Language

Two uses of “heck” and one “crap.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Questioning someone’s poor choice, Hank wonders aloud what they were drinking.

Other Negative Elements

We see Sean riding his dirt bike to elude the police after he reportedly broke into a satellite facility. Comic relief guy Gabato delivers several light poop and body odor jokes. Hank tries to scare off a giant lizard with a lit road flare: When the creature bites the top off the flare, Hank looks at it and eeps out, “That’s emasculating.”

A sequel to 2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth , this film takes the same “what if?” premise of the original (What if Jules Verne’s books weren’t fabrications of the author’s imagination, but a record of his scientific discoveries?) and expands on it nicely.

New cast additions add some heft and chuckles. The mysterious island itself has lots of color and pizzazz. And the ride-a-giant-bee-and-pick-up-a-teeny-elephant contrariness of that secret place makes the journey all the more crazy and fun. Plus, the snippets of clues from classic novels make you want to explore your local library shelves.

Then add in the fact that the filmmakers go to great lengths to explore the value of strong family bonds and lasting parental commitment—while the gang is running from the mayhem of giant birds and torrential flood waters—and you’ve got a light family adventure with a fair amount going for it.

During the press screening I attended, a particularly frenetic—but not too scary—chase sequence had just taken place. We were all sitting back from the edge of our collective seats as a character onscreen asked, “Everyone all right?” And out of the audience, a small, sincere and youthful voice piped up with, “I’m OK.”

The adults in the audience chuckled, but that little moment drove the real charm of this pic home to me. This is the kind of movie that will draw in its audience with an exciting ride and a heartwarming message while making sure that even the youngest in the family feels safe and secure. And if you ask me, that’s pretty “OK” indeed.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Journey2TheMysteriousIsland

Film / Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

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A 2012 sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) , directed by Brad Peyton, starring Dwayne Johnson , and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The story is a very loose adaptation of Verne's The Mysterious Island .

Four years after the previous movie, the now seventeen-year-old Sean ( Josh Hutcherson ) is fixated on finding his long-lost grandfather ( Michael Caine ), and, driven by the first film's revelation that Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth was a factual account, believes he has found the key to discovering him: by overlaying the island maps in Gulliver's Travels , Treasure Island and The Mysterious Island , he creates a map of a new island, complete with coordinates. Heading to the western Pacific to seek out the island, Sean and his stepfather Hank (Johnson) secure a helicopter for their search but are caught in a storm and crash on their destination, a lost land of dwarf elephants, giant butterflies and huge, aggressive lizards — and also, incidentally, the home of the lost city Atlantis. They discover that the island submerges and reemerges on a regular cycle, and, when they realize that it will soon vanish back into the sea, they set out on a frantic search for their only way off — the Nautilus , Captain Nemo's legendary submarine.

This movie contains examples of:

• Artifact Title : A mild case. The title would have made more sense if they had left off the "Journey 2" part, but there is technically a journey (just not to the center of the earth and it's not particularly long as they spend most of the movie trying to get off The Mysterious Island ).
• Atlantis : The lost city is located on the island. They also reference the fact the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea had Atlantis under the ocean.
• Big Damn Kiss : Between Sean and Kailani in the movie's climax.
• Canon Welding : This movie makes at least the settings of Journey To The Center of The Earth , 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , and The Mysterious Island equally real in-universe, as well as parts of Treasure Island and Gulliver's Travels .
• Alexander brings up the Vernians in the opening narration and is established as the original Vernian in the Anderson family.
• Sean's wall displays articles referencing him and his uncle's expedition from the previous film.
• Alexander references Max's death in the last film.
• Death by Materialism : Narrowly averted with Gabato, who nearly dies trying to dig up a giant lump of gold. He isn’t motivated by greed, however. He just wants to give his daughter a better life and a good education.
• Disappeared Dad : Hank’s father ran out on him when he was a small boy. As a result , Hank is determined to be the best stepfather he can possibly be to Sean.
• Do Not Call Me "Paul" : Henry... er, Hank. Actually, it's not made clear if Henry really is Hank's name, or if Hank isn't really a nickname, but all the same, Hank doesn't like being called Henry.
• Fanservice : Vanessa Hudgens wearing a tank top and short shorts for almost the entire movie. Also, did any male viewers who saw it in 3D regret paying extra in the scene where she crawls out of a collapsing tunnel with the camera on her from behind ? Thought not.
• Hank is a genuinely caring person, and does worry about Sean. But, the way he insults Sean's grandfather, in front of Sean , is just a tad mean-spirited. He gets better though.
• Alexander, for mainly the same reasons. He and Hank pretty much take turns insulting and undermining each other for the first half of the movie before beginning to respect each other.
• Practically the moment Kailani appears, in a tank top, the camera goes straight to her breasts.
• As mentioned above, when Kailani is crawling out of the cave, the camera is focused on her butt.
• Oh, Crap! : When Hank attempts to punch the giant lizard. Hank: I think I just made it worse.
• Ominous Crack : The giant lizard egg that starts cracking under Gabato's weight.
• Psycho Electric Eel : A very big nippy one in the sea cave where the Nautilus is hidden.
• Remember the New Guy? : Alexander Anderson was never mentioned in the previous film, despite this film implying he was the one who get Max into Verne. Handwaved by the film noting that he was never around.

• Shout-Out : The giant iguana is a huge Shout-Out towards monster movies in the 50s when they used iguanas and gators for dinosaurs .
• The Stinger : A mid-credits scene reveals that three small elephants survived the submerging of Atlantis, and they are seen swimming underwater towards that city. Indicating that the flora and fauna of the island have evolved to survive the islands cyclists submerging.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? : Hank really doesn't like lizards and is freaked out by the overgrown one the group runs into on the island. "Why did it have to be lizards? Why couldn't it be snakes? "
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"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" looks like nothing so much as one of those live-action adventures that Disney used to grind out in the 1950s — and hey, here's Captain Nemo's Nautilus to prove it. Also, a tree house to humble "Swiss Family Robinson," which contains a short-wave radio that has been assembled from old spoons, I think I heard.

The movie is very, very loosely a sequel to " Journey to the Center of the Earth ," with only two connections: It's inspired by a Jules Verne novel, and it co-stars young Josh Hutcherson as the hero Sean. The film opens with him on a motorcycle and being chased by cops, but not to worry; all he did was break into a satellite-tracking station to boost the power on a message for help sent by his grandfather from a lost island in the Pacific.

Sean, whose father in the first film ( Brendan Fraser ) has disappeared (from the cast, anyway), now has to deal with Hank ( Dwayne Johnson , aka the Rock). Hank is his new stepdad. Josh and Hank make friends by decrypting grandfather's message; Hank glances at it and intuits that the two-syllable words stand for dots and one-syllable words stand for dashes, which means Grandpa has had enough free time on his remote island to figure out a way to make Morse code several times longer than it previously was. Unanswered is why grandfather would encrypt a call for help.

This Hank, what a swell guy. He proposes that the two of them fly off to the Pacific and find Grandpa. On arrival somewhere, they hire a tourist helicopter pilot named Gabato, played by Luis Guzman as another one of those low-comedy guys who gets all worked up and is scared of stuff. (I enjoyed a reprise of this classic shot: Gabato runs toward camera, falls on stomach, looks up …and up … and up.)

Gabato has a daughter named Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ), a Polynesian beauty who wears a tank top and Daisy Dukes throughout the film. These four fly off in the helicopter, are trapped in a Force Five hurricane that rips it to pieces and are lucky enough to find themselves alive on the beach of the Mysterious Island.

This is your complete island. It has an active volcano; waterfalls with no apparent water sources streaming down cliffs; elephants the size of dogs, and giant lizards that are nowhere big enough to account for the size of their eggs. (Josh falls through the shell of one, splashes in a pool of yolk and is attacked by an unborn lizard chick.) Also on the island is the lost city of Atlantis, even though it's in the wrong ocean, and bees so big Sean and Kailani can both ride on the back of one. And Alexander Anderson, Sean's grandfather, played by Michael Caine , who will not be editing this role into his videos about how to act in movies.

I hope you understand I enjoyed most of this stuff. The director, Brad Peyton , apparently intended it as a genial parody of countless other movies in this spirit. There is, for example, a scene were Sean, Grandpa, Kailani and Gabato all sit around the old campfire and listen while Hank strums a ukulele and sings "What a Wonderful World." And I mean he sings it: every word of three verses. It's not every day you see the Rock channeling Gene Autry.

Sean deduces that Verne's novel contains everything they need to know, and this comes in handy when the volcano explodes, and the island begins to sink into the sea. Sure enough, Captain Nemo's submarine is still hidden underwater. Hank and Sean, trusting Verne, dive off a high cliff, and while holding their breath and swimming underwater, are able to (1) find the sub, (2) open the hatch by tugging and twisting it, (3) swim inside, (4) push a lever to fill it with air, and (5) get the power generator working by jump-starting it with an electric eel.

This is transcendently goofy. It isn't a "good" movie in the usual sense (or most senses), but it is jolly and good-natured, and Michael Caine and Dwayne Johnson are among the most likable of actors. Johnson is such a good sport, he even shows young Sean how to impress girls by flexing your pecs so quickly that nuts will ricochet off them. I can't think of any reason to pay extra for the 3-D.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Journey 2: Mysterious Island (2012)

Rated PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language

Josh Hutcherson as Sean

Dwayne Johnson as Hank

Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani

Michael Caine as Alexander

Luis Guzman as Gabato

Directed by

• Brad Peyton

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Journey 2: the mysterious island, common sense media reviewers.

Adventure sequel is clunky but has positive role models.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie is intended to entertain rather than edu

Families work hard to stick together and stand by

The movie's two father figures are both positive r

Giant monsters roar and chase the main characters;

Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) is shown in slow-motion

Sporadic use of potty talk and mild language -- mo

Sean opens and drinks from a Coca-Cola in an early

Not an issue except for a quick, humorous line of

Parents need to know that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the sequel to 2008's entertaining Journey to the Center of the Earth . The Hunger Games ' Josh Hutcherson is the sole returning cast member, but the tone is very similar to the original. Overall, it's a family-friendly adventure --…

Educational Value

The movie is intended to entertain rather than educate.

Positive Messages

Families work hard to stick together and stand by each other, even if that requires making sacrifices. Teens learn to understand and respect their parents and guardians. Together, and by using teamwork, the group is able to overcome many giant-sized challenges.

Positive Role Models

The movie's two father figures are both positive role models. Neither is perfect -- they have moments of bull-headedness, cowardice, and other flaws -- but they're completely devoted to their kids and will never give up, even if that means making sacrifices or facing fears. A young woman shows that she can take care of herself.

Violence & Scariness

Giant monsters roar and chase the main characters; many of those chases end up with the creatures getting smushed and crunched. There's a somewhat scary helicopter crash scene and some "gross out" scenes as well.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) is shown in slow-motion letting down her hair and removing a button-up shirt to reveal a tight-fitting tank top. Her cleavage is sometimes visible. She and Sean often argue in a flirty way, and there's a kiss at the end.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sporadic use of potty talk and mild language -- mostly during loud chase scenes -- as well as insults; words include "hell," "oh my God," "ass," "piss,'' "poop," and ''crap."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sean opens and drinks from a Coca-Cola in an early scene. The label isn't clearly on view, but the bottle's shape and color are unmistakable.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Not an issue except for a quick, humorous line of dialogue: "What were you drinking?"

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the sequel to 2008's entertaining Journey to the Center of the Earth . The Hunger Games ' Josh Hutcherson is the sole returning cast member, but the tone is very similar to the original. Overall, it's a family-friendly adventure -- albeit one with frequent tense chases, monster attacks, and a somewhat scary helicopter crash (some of which is a bit more intense in the movie's 3-D version). There's also flirting and a kiss between the two main teen characters, and co-star Vanessa Hudgens is often shown wearing a tight, cleavage-enhancing tank top. Expect some gross-out humor, as well as potty talk and very sporadic mild language ("ass," "hell," etc.). This is no cinematic classic, but it is bright and cheerful and has positive characters, including fatherly role models. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (28)
• Kids say (58)

Based on 28 parent reviews

Are the producers obsessed with young girls bodies? Smh

Just like a poop in a punch bowl, what's the story.

After surviving his Journey to the Center of the Earth , Sean Anderson ( Josh Hutcherson ) is back living with his mom ( Kristin Davis ) and step-dad, Hank ( Dwayne Johnson ). Sean gets a coded message from his grandfather about the location of Jules Verne's famed "Mysterious Island." Hoping for some much-needed bonding time, Hank volunteers to go with him. In Palau, they hire a ramshackle helicopter, piloted by Gabato (Luis Guzman). Happily for Sean, Gabato's pretty daughter, Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ), comes with the deal. After crashing on the island, the explorers discover a world of tiny elephants, huge bees, and lost cities. But they also realize that they must find Sean's grandfather -- and discover a way off the island before time runs out.

Is It Any Good?

From the director of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore , JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND is as clumsy and clunky as its title. The pace is speedy, but it seems as though the movie sacrificed logic, character, mood, and rhythm to achieve that speed. Moreover, the visual effects appear soft and never quite mesh with the real stuff. Even the 3D effects don't really add anything except for the occasional "comin' at ya" moment.

On the plus side, the movie has an inviting, warm, open-air feel, and it's more innocuous than it is obnoxious. Strong, positive characters -- including a young woman who can take care of herself -- and family bonding moments are also very appealing. Not to mention that this is the only movie in which you can see former pro wrestler Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. "The Rock") playing the ukulele and singing "What a Wonderful World."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Journey 2 's violence and scary stuff. How does its fantasy nature affect its impact? How do the movie's intense experiences affect Sean and his step-dad's relationship?

How does the movie portray families? How does that message/depiction compare to what you've seen in other movies and TV shows?

How does the movie portray fathers? There's a theme of "missing dads," but there are also great dad characters here. What's the take-away?

The first Journey movie was an adaptation of a Jules Verne novel; this movie's title also cites a Verne book but isn't a direct adaptation. What other books does it remind you of? Are there any you'd like to read after watching the movie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 10, 2012
• On DVD or streaming : June 5, 2012
• Cast : Dwayne The Rock Johnson , Josh Hutcherson , Vanessa Hudgens
• Director : Brad Peyton
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Asian actors
• Studio : New Line
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures
• Run time : 94 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : some adventure action, and brief mild language
• Last updated : April 29, 2024

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Movie Review: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)

• Amy Bigmore
• Movie Reviews
• 5 responses
• --> February 2, 2012

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a follow on to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth” which starred Brendan Fraser. In this one, Fraser has been unceremoniously replaced by former WWE star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson who plays shunned step-dad Hank Parsons to spoiled Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson).

As Hank desperately searches for a way to connect with his uncooperative step-son, an unexpected opportunity arises in the form of a mysterious coded distress signal that Sean receives and needs help deciphering. Hank puts his days in the Navy to good use and cracks the code for Sean with relative ease (this is not his only talent he’s retained as he proves later on in the film). In need of a ride to a mysterious island (coordinates provided by message) they enlist helicopter pilot Gabato (Luiz Guzman) and his strong-willed and moody daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) to get them there. After a very stormy, eventful flight, they eventually reach their destination, stumble across Sean’s grandfather (Michael Caine) and begin a fun adventure. A fun adventure, I fear, that’s not intended for adult viewers.

The one thing that adults (and kids) will certainly commend, however, is the beautiful CGI realm dreamed up for this forgotten island. It is full of vibrant, luscious colors, housing a topsy-turvy world where everything big becomes small and vice versa. Things, like lizards, that we take for granted and see as being mostly harmless suddenly became predators in their giant form. Also, I never thought I’d see the day when an elephant could be described as cute, but within the first few minutes of our protagonists arriving on the uncharted isle a herd of adorable miniature elephants ran past. Giant bees proved themselves to be very useful when the group had no other method of getting up a steep mountain (although how they managed to steer them remains unclear).

The plot was unsurprisingly non-surprising. The plot points were there, but they had been done to the death already in other films of similar nature. There was also an inordinate amount of annoying conveniences — elements put in place solely to further the plot along to predetermined outcomes. One such example was when the adventurers realized that Sean’s grandpa had inaccurately predicted the date of when the mystical island was due to sink. It turned out to be far sooner than he expected, in fact, only a few short hours away!

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island does have its share of comedic moments, with most of them being delivered by Guzman and, quite surprisingly, by ‘The Rock’ himself. Johnson, it turns out, is full of charisma and has a natural comedic presence about him. His infamous “popping of the pecks” party trick, which no doubt viewers will have seen in the trailer, is prominently used (unfortunately, this got pushed too far after the fifth or sixth time of it being repeated). There was also a few chuckles to be had from the dynamic between Johnson and Caine (I bet you never expected to see those two as a comedy double act!). And showing off yet another string to his bow, Johnson demonstrated a softer side to his persona when he gives a bizarre and randomly unnecessary rendition of ‘What a Wonderful World’ whilst sitting around a camp fire.

Others, like Sean and Kailani, do not fare so well. Their lack of warmth made them un-endearing and the “will they, won’t they” theme running throughout the film was completely uninspiring. It’s clear that Kailani was intended to be received as an independent, headstrong character but she just came across as petulant and emotionally distant. Therefore it begged disbelief, when, halfway through the movie, she suddenly developed a heart and preached to Sean that having a dad who cares too much is better than one who doesn’t care at all.

Nowadays, highlighting how difficult it can be for a new partner to be accepted by their new partner’s children and how important familial relationships are is an admirable moral to espouse. Too bad it was done so clumsily and required a fair amount of digging to uncover. After all, considering the amount of work involved, it shouldn’t have been upstaged so easily by Johnson’s popping pecks.

Ultimately, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island has all the necessary ingredients for the recipe for a perfect kid’s film (bugs, colors, silliness, fast action). The odd moments to keep the adults entertained are far too few and not particularly good (Caine riding a giant bee is a highlight?) though. Basically, it’s a visually stunning throwaway.

Tagged: explorer , island , secret , sequel

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'Movie Review: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)' have 5 comments

February 2, 2012 @ 5:02 pm Garbage

Its settled, this is the worst sequel for a movie that should never had a sequel made for it.

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February 2, 2012 @ 9:33 pm mr. peep

I really like Dwayne Johnson but c’mon man he’s got to stop with this kiddie crap.

February 3, 2012 @ 9:53 am Danny

STOP THE EARTH. I WANT TO GET OFF. NOW.

February 4, 2012 @ 11:33 am Souderton

I’m just going to laugh.

February 10, 2012 @ 1:15 am Adrianne

The kids liked it. I liked ‘The Rock’. Win win.

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

As simple and direct as its abbreviated title, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is a fun though rarely funny family adventure whose lively special effects compensate somewhat for actors who largely sleepwalk through their roles.

By Russell Edwards

Russell Edwards

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As simple and direct as its abbreviated title, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” is a fun though rarely funny family adventure whose lively special effects compensate somewhat for actors who largely sleepwalk through their roles. With franchise continuity hinging solely on Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from 2008’s hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” it’s up to Dwayne Johnson to fill the father-figure vacuum left by Brendan Fraser. Despite limp characterizations, the eye-popping effects and Johnson’s fanbase should combine to help this Warner Bros. release capitalize swimmingly on its 3D upcharge.

Opening narration by Michael Caine describes sci-fi pioneer Jules Verne and the “Vernians,” followers who believe the French novelist’s works offer more than just science-flavored entertainment. The pic’s uncredited source text is Verne’s 1874 novel “The Mysterious Island,” which has provided a rich cinematic vein in the past: Multiple versions have appeared since the silent era (elements of the story were folded into 1916’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” with which it shares the character of Captain Nemo), and it even inspired ABC’s “Lost.”

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Auds get an early taste of the pic’s 3D effects with an opening chase sequence in which teenager Sean Anderson (Hutcherson), having broken into a satellite tracking station, is pursued on his motorcycle by cops around the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio. Five years after the events of “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” Sean clearly still needs a firm hand, and his concerned new stepfather, Hank (Johnson), hopes to provide it.

Sean has gotten hold of a coded transmission that consists of character names from Verne novels, and that’s enough to convince him that his Vernian grandfather is sending a message. As with the first film, which used its source material as a convenient guidebook to keep the plot moving, Sean is certain his hardback copy of “The Mysterious Island” provides the clue to his granddad’s location.

Having been a codebreaker in the Navy, Hank helps Sean solve the puzzle and figure out the location of the titular Pacific island in a matter of seconds. As the boy already has been to the center of the planet with his uncle, it’s a small matter for his mother (Kristin Davis, replacing Jane Wheeler) to let him travel to the South Pacific accompanied by his stepdad, low-rent helicopter pilot Gabato (Luis Guzman, stuck playing the cowardly comic relief), and Gabato’s fiery daughter, Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens), who gets Sean’s pulse racing.

Following a lightning storm that strands the quartet in a tropical paradise, the pic finally hits its stride both in terms of effects and excitement with the appearance of a giant, aggravated lizard. Coming to the rescue is Sean’s grandfather, Alexander Anderson (the previously heard but not seen Caine), whose resemblance to Indiana Jones is emphasized by a John Williams-esque flourish in Andrew Lockington’s score.

From there, the proceedings are mostly stop-and-go, alternating dazzling special effects with dull expository passages and flaccid character conflict, much of it driven by the difference in mentoring styles between Sean’s competitive father figures. A belching volcano foreshadows a big finish, but the pic never develops a sense of building momentum, and most of the jokes fall flat.

With helmer Brad Peyton (“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”) primarily invested in the CGI elements, the actors often seem stuck in an energy-draining vortex; Hutcherson appears less engaged the second time around and none-too-eager for a possible third installment of the Verne-inspired franchise, while Caine merely looks fatigued. Johnson at least embodies a near-shameless charm, at one point warbling his way through a ukelele-backed rendition of “What a Wonderful World.” Hudgens, who spends almost the entire film in khaki shorts and tanktop and is subjected to some prurient glances by the camera, provides a feisty presence, even if her aggressive attitude seems more redolent of L.A. than the tropics.

The unspoiled island looks supernaturally vivid, the colorful backdrops seamlessly blended with North Carolina and Hawaii locations to create a persuasive impression of an actual world. All other tech credits are first-rate.

• Production: A Warner Bros. (in U.S.)/Roadshow Entertainment (in Australia) release of a New Line Cinema presentation of a Contrafilm production. Produced by Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson, Charlotte Huggins. Executive producers, Richard Brener, Michael Disco, Samuel J. Brown, Marcus Viscidi, Michael Bostick, Evan Turner. Co-producer, Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Brad Peyton. Screenplay, Brian Gunn, Mark Gunn; story, Richard Outten, Brian Gunn, Mark Gunn.
• Crew: Camera (color, widescreen), David Tattersall; editor, David Rennie; music, Andrew Lockington; music supervisor, Andrea von Foerster; production designer, Bill Boes; supervising art director, Bruce Hill; set designers, Chad S. Frey, Dean Wolcott, Greg Papalia, Stella Vaccaro; set decorator, Gary Fettis; costume designer, Denise Wingate; sound (Dolby Digital/ Datasat/SDDS), Jonathan Gaynor; supervising sound editor/sound designer, Al Nelson; re-recording mixers, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker; visual effects supervisor, Boyd Shermis; visual effects, Rising Sun Pictures, Scanline VFX, Pixomondo, MPC, Method Studios Vancouver, Trixter Film, ICO VFX; special effects supervisor/coordinator, Peter Chesney; stunt coordinator, Alex Daniels; associate producers, Adam Ellison, Hiram Garcia; assistant director, John Hockridge; second unit director, Boyd Shermis. Reviewed at Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney, Jan. 17, 2012. Running time: 94 MIN.
• With: Hank - Dwayne Johnson Alexander Anderson - Michael Caine Sean - Josh Hutcherson Kailani - Vanessa Hudgens Gabato - Luis Guzman Liz Anderson - Kristin Davis

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island —The Rock’s Latest Family Role

(L. to R.) Josh Hutcherson, Luis Guzmán, Vanessa Hudgens and Dwayne Johnson

A majestic mountain of muscles, Dwayne Johnson is fully capable of using his pectorals to catapult small objects hither and yon, a skill he demonstrates with berries in the blithely idiotic family movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island . But the muscles that matter most to Johnson, the actor, as opposed to the former pro wrestler, are the zygomaticus major, which control the smile. They are as buff and ready for action as his chest and arms, an emblem of easy charm.

He uses the quick smile on his future stepson, Sean (Josh Hutcherson, returning to this Jules Verne-goes-21st-century franchise, which began with 2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth ) but to no avail. The boy dislikes Hank even though he seems to make mom (Kirstin Davis) happy and is kind and decent. The movie’s largest emotional concern is creating a bond between the recalcitrant, Verne-obsessed teen and the man obsessed with being a good father figure to Sean. Hank’s motivation comes from his own bad dad experience; his father “left when I was eight and I haven’t seen him since.”

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Don’t worry; their emotional journey is a piece of cake, as is every easily earned triumph in this lightweight adventure tale. The story opens with Sean puzzling over a coded radio signal he believes is a message from his missing grandfather. (The family has a tendency to wander; Dad was missing in the first Journey, which starred another muscle man, Brendan Fraser.) Hank, who has a Navy background, cracks the code far faster than most parents decipher the grading system on an elementary school report card. The radio communiqué contains an announcement to quicken the heart of any Vernian; the writer’s allegedly fictional island from his 1874 novel The Mysterious Island is in fact real and located in the South Pacific. Come visit!

If ill-mannered Sean were my future stepson I doubt very much I’d want to take him halfway across the world, and particularly not to an uncharted isle where we could potentially get stuck together for all time, but that’s just what Hank does. Mom stays behind (Davis has maybe four minutes of screen time, all of it smiling benevolently), but two other travelers join them, a hapless helicopter pilot (Luiz Guzman) and his daughter (Vanessa Hudgens). Another quibble – if I’d traveled all that way to see a hidden tropical treasure, where butterflies are the size of condors and elephants the size of cocker spaniels, I’d plan to linger and smell the hibiscus or at least let red-faced, immature Grandpa (Michael Caine) cook me a nice plate of scrambled lizard eggs. But not Hank; he’d like to keep the visit as short as a pit stop on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Danger in the form of giant lizards and bad jokes await them, as well as a clumsy mishmash of classic literature references – not just Verne – meant to make the audience feel erudite while explaining the complexities of the island. It’s Jonathan Swift’s Lilliput or Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island or Atlantis, or maybe all three at once. (I was disappointed that Sean, Hank and their companions — who provide comic and comely relief — didn’t spend a few nights at CliffsNotes Cottage.) All this is just an excuse for action sequences broadly influenced by the Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean movies but nowhere near as technologically lively, even in 3-D. The crumbling caverns and skeletons all look as fake as the drooling volcano towering over the center of the island.

But as cartoonish as those giant lizards, spiders and hungry, angry birds appear, parents are advised to take that PG rating seriously. A child near me at an advance screening hid his face in his chair during every chase sequence and bellowed “this is not a movie to take kids to!” (Okay, he was sitting right next to me. And on our car ride home, he voiced the opinion that PG should be for kids 9 and up.) Certainly it’s not for very small kids. It’s silly enough that young teens are unlikely to be drawn to it unless they’ve got a thing for Hudgens or want to take an early peek at Hutcherson, who will soon be seen as Peeta in The Hunger Games. He was great as a sulky brat in The Kids Are All Right but in Journey 2 he comes across as wooden, dull and though not yet 20, too old for roles like these. So an awful lot is riding on Johnson’s zygomaticus major. They’re powerful, but they can’t work miracles.

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In this sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D , we catch up with young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson), now a bit older and getting into all kinds of mischief. Sean's mom (Kristin Davis) and step-dad Hank (Dwayne Johnson) try to pry the reason for his bad behavior out of the recalcitrant teen, and Hank finally manages to get the answer: Sean is trying to piece together the mystery of his missing grandfather, Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine), who went searching for a mysterious island of legend.

Working together, Sean and Hank decode a message from Alexander based on the famous adventure tales of Jules Verne, Robert Lewis Stevenson and Jonathan Swift. Sean immediately sets his sights on the island of Palau, the next step to locating his grandfather, and Hank - trying to bond with the boy and/or exhaust his curiosity - decides to chaperone the journey.

In Palau, Hank and Sean meet Helicopter tour guide Gabato (Luis Guzmán) and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) - who is pretty enough to make Sean risk a flight on her rusted copter into the eye of a hurricane that just so happens to hide the entrance to the mysterious island. Once they are (crash-)landed on the island, the party sets out to find Alexander - and then, find passage off of the mystical land mass before it sinks back into the sea, taking them with it.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island  is one of those "good for what it is" films - and what it is, is a light-hearted, family-friendly adventure film in the vein of  Goonies  or  Honey I Shrunk the Kids  (only not that good). The film is filled with cheesy dialogue and jokes, one-dimensional characters and an overdone plot that offers just a few notes of genuine heart or drama - but none of that really matters in this context. Kids will have fun with the material, and the adults accompanying them will be reasonably entertained as well.

Director Brad Peyton ( Cats & Dogs 2 ) crafts a suitable visual experience via some nice tropical locales and striking (but obvious) green-screen and CGI effects. Journey 2  is not likely to win any technical awards - but again, in the context of a kids' film, the visuals are sufficient. The 3D certainly adds to the fun - though it's more often than not used in that pop-out, 'in-your-face' manner meant to capture the fleeting attention of youngsters. But, to be fair, any movie that spends time showcasing The Rock bouncing CGI berries off of his pecs is just out to have a good time, rather than impress with its technical prowess.

Of course, all the silliness would be too much if not for the cast of actors who manage to ground it, and Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine are two of the main reasons why this film works as effectively as it does. Both are great leading men in their own right, and the contentious relationship between Hank and Alexander (as Sean's competing paternal figures) creates some great banter, which are probably the movie's best moments.

Josh Hutcherson has become something of a bigger name since his first  Journey  film, but he does a good job holding the screen and potraying a somewhat layered protagonist - good qualities in a young lead. Hutcherson's chemistry with Johnson is also strong, and certain moments between Sean and Hank even manage to be somewhat moving as the film progresses.

Hudgens doesn't offer much except her pretty face (not that she's required to) and Guzmán gets the task of playing the irritating comic relief character - which he is certainly successful(?) in doing.

On the whole,  Journey 2  is just a fun ride from beginning to end. It's not a piece of classic cinema by any means, but between some great set pieces, a healthy mix of non-threatening action, (chessy) kid-friendly comedy, and some likable leading performers, you can easily set this Journey above the one that proceeded it.

BONUS: Journey 2 also includes a new 3D CGI Looney Tunes short featuring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. It's a different look for Looney Tunes, featuring some new voices behind the iconic characters and a spastic, hyper-kinetic pace - but the young'uns should enjoy. Although, it is a little unsettling to end an animated short on an image of a 3D shotgun pointed in the face of a young audience. But I digress.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island  is now playing in 2D and 3D theaters.

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Den of Geek

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island review

The pecs of The Rock and Michael Caine riding a giant insect are but two reasons to see the really enjoyable Journey 2: The Mysterious Island...

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Animated movies have always been a constant source of entertainment for both children and adults alike, going from strength to strength over the past decade or two, in no small part due to Pixar.

Thanks to the incredibly high bar set by them, other studios have raised their game, resulting in such recent gems as Despicable Me , How to Train Your Dragon and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs .Each provides a really good balance of humour and excitement, for pretty much all ages.

Live action movies aimed at a younger generation, though, have fared less well over the years, proving to be utterly predictable in terms of quality, with adventure stories even more so. Just look at the awful Will Ferrell version of Land Of The Lost , or even the predecessor to Journey 2 , the forgettable Journey To The Center Of The Earth , which starred Brendan Fraser back in 2008. In most cases juvenile humour takes centre stage, with a total lack of wit, or anything approaching ingenuity sadly absent.

Thankfully, then, Journey 2 is an absolute blast, proving that one man’s pecs and a knighted, British legend on the back of a giant insect really can be the making of an entire film.

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The plot is brutally efficient, as Journey 2 races through its ninety-minute runtime at speed. It starts with a motorbike chase, as the now teenage form of actor Josh Hutcherson appears, returning as Sean Anderson (the only character kept on from the original as far as I can remember), is on the run from the police. Within minutes we’ve established that Sean’s suffering from being a near intolerable teenager, with a step-father, Hank, in the large shape of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who Sean resents for being nice to him (seriously, who wouldn’t want The Rock as a step-dad?). Furthermore, Sean is  hell bent on finding his missing grandfather.

Soon a bonding adventure is under way between the estranged pair, after a quick bit of map puzzling and riddle solving, as they seek out the Mysterious Island, picking up a Looney Tunes pilot (Luis Guzman) and his teen hormone igniting daughter (Vanessa Hudgens, who has little to do aside from delivering some fairly clunky dialogue and providing a little love interest). So far, so predictable, and in truth, the film continues along a well worn route.

But sometimes a film makes no bones about its lack of originality, it just chooses to make the journey itself as entertaining and slick as possible. In this case, it also takes great pleasure in referencing its Jules Verne origins, as well as Indiana Jones, along the way.

Take Guzman’s character, Gabby, who fills the role of comedic idiot (in this case bordering on total mental deficiency). He’s there to nothing more than make noises and panic, to amuse younger children. At first, the overacting seemed too out of control, yet as the film progresses and his adoration of Hank becomes slightly more homo-erotic, I found myself chuckling along. Inno small part, I’m sure, because I’d almost certainly act the same way in the presence of The Rock.

And it’s the humour in Journey 2 that’s really the making of the film, with the more outlandish elements just adding to its enjoyment.

I found myself laughing throughout the entire movie, especially during the surreal sight of Sir Michael Caine atop a giant bee, or consistently facing off against the might of Johnson. In fact, despite Caine’s clear desire to pay for an extension to his house, he does seem to have fun with the role, and more surprisingly has a proper part for the duration of the movie. I was perfectly prepared for a brief cameo at the end.

Still, if there’s one reason to watch this film, it’s the big man himself.

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Dwayne Johnson has always kept one hand in the kids movie jar, regardless of how many times it’s been shut on his fingers, yet I admire his tenacity and ability to walk from the extreme gory violence of Doom , straight into the super sugary world of Hannah Montana. Don’t get me wrong, I was the first person to rejoice when his involvement in both Faster and Fast Five were announced, and if I had my way he’d be confined only to action movies.

Yet maybe that’s a little selfish – surely every generation deserves some of The Rock in their lives? I’m almost certain that there’s a mathematical equation for how much better he makes a movie, just by appearing, he even proved a bright spot in the otherwise wonky You Again .

The man just radiates charisma with an uncanny ease and charm, which makes him a much more suitable fit for both adult action movies and children’s entertainment, unlike some of his predecessors. What’s more, his comic timing simply shines in Journey 2 . For anyone, like me, who mostly wants to see the film off as a Johnson completist, there are some truly great moments.

Have you ever wondered what paternal advice from The Rock about relationships would be like? Wonder no more, as the hysterical sight of cherry bouncing, pec flexes in full 3D reveal all. Ever wanted to see the big man play a ukulele while singing? Done. In fact stay for the end credits and you’ll get even more of him singing, all to the backing of a big band. It’s a sound so glorious I may have to take a pregnancy test in the morning.

Even the 3D was an unexpected delight, providing plenty of theme park style moments to the effects, though scenes might prove a little too intense for the very young, as giant eels, spiders and lizards all make an appearance.

Despite the odd scare though kids should love it, with adults having plenty of surreal moments of inspired lunacy to keep them amused. And Journey 2 ? Against what you might be expecting, it turns out to be a visually rich and thoroughly entertaining ride.

Duncan Bowles | @duncanbowles

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Dove Review

This second “journey” is well worth taking! This is one of the best “family-oriented” films we have seen in sometime. It offers something for everyone: breakneck action and adventure, romance, fantastic special effects featuring giant lizards and bees, and quotations and references from Jules Verne’s classics. The 3D effects are some of the best in recent memory.

In this follow-up to “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) is a few years older, rides a motorcycle, and is wary of his step-father Hank, played by “The Rock”, Dwayne Johnson. Yet it is Hank who helps Sean decipher an encrypted message from his grandfather. To help him and hopefully form a bond, Hank accompanies Sean to Palau to try to locate his grandfather. They travel by helicopter and the father-daughter tour guides, Gabato (Luis Guzmán) and Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) wind up sticking around much longer than they planned. Gabato provides comic relief and his pretty daughter Kailani draws Sean’s undivided attention. Soon they locate Sean’s grandpa, played by Michael Caine, and the adventures are on. They run into much more than they bargained for including some amazing creatures on the Mysterious Island. The island itself is beautiful, featuring lush foliage, rushing waterfalls, fantastic peaks and gorgeous butterflies. Ultimately, the would-be heroes pursue Captain Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus, as their only hope of getting off the island before a surprising catastrophe occurs.

Here is a movie which features wonderful themes such as a young man bonding with his step-father, and finding his first love. The literary references to Jules Verne are inspiring and educational. You’ve never been on a journey like this one. This is one fun ride and we highly recommend this movie, and award it our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal and five Doves to boot! This is one movie you can truly enjoy with your family. So whose up for an adventure?

Dove Rating Details

Police pursue a young man on a motorcycle but he changes his ways; young man on a cycle runs over a gnome and winds up in a pool in a homeowner's back yard; a helicopter is struck by lightning; a girl falls a long distance; large birds pursue the humans; birds collide with one another; a large lizard chases the humans; a large creature nips at a man's hand; an electric eel pursues a couple of characters; a character falls off a large bee and hurts his ankle; a character falls down a hill; a girl swats away a large creature which jumps in front of her.

A young couple shares a kiss.

Freaking-1; Crap-1; Poop-1

Cleavage; Bare midriff.

A young man speaks with disrespect to his step-father but changes and does some growing up; a large bird lets down a dropping on a character; tension between a few characters.

More Information

Film information, dove content.

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Movie Review

Journey 2: the mysterious island.

US Release Date: 02-10-2012

Directed by: Brad Peyton

Starring ▸ ▾

• Dwayne Johnson ,  as
• Michael Caine ,  as
• Josh Hutcherson ,  as
• Luis Guzman ,  as
• Vanessa Hudgens ,  as
• Kristin Davis ,  as
• Anna Colwell as

Dwayne Johnson admires his tiny elephant trunk in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island .

I didn't see 2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth but considering the cast changes and the simplicity of the plot, I don't exactly think I missed out because of it. Gone is Brendan Fraser and Jane Wheeler as Sean's parents and instead Dwayne the Rock Johnson is now playing his step-father while his mother has been re-cast with Kristin Davis now playing the small, generic and thankless part of his mother.

When Sean, now in high school, receives a mysterious signal from his grandfather, he and Hank (Johnson) head off to Palau, near where they've determined the signal is coming from. Sean is convinced that the signal will lead them to Jules Verne's mysterious island. Hank just hopes to bond with his step-son. They hire Gabato (Guzman) and his daughter Kailani (Hudgens) to fly them to the coordinates in their tour helicopter. When the helicopter crashes the four of them find out that Sean was right and they are in fact on the Mysterious Island of legend and Sean's grandfather, played by a mischievous and under-used Michael Caine, is living there.

The plot is very lightweight and seems to be aimed at young children. The island is brightly colored and filled with dangers that don't generate any serious tension. You never feel that anyone is in any danger despite a giant lizard and an erupting volcano. Guzman is there to provide comic relief but he's so bumbling and immature that only the under five year olds will find much to laugh at.

Once they arrive on the island they learn that it is sinking and so they spend the rest of the movie trying to get off of it. This brings up the movies biggest plot hole. The island turns out to be Atlantis (although how it got into the middle of the South Pacific is never explained) and apparently it rises above the ocean and then sinks below it on a 140 year cycle. Somehow though, the exotic animals and vegetation keep coming back every time it rises back up above water.

It is only the likability of Johnson and Caine that make the movie watchable at all, at least by grown-ups. Caine is a scene stealer and I wish he was in it more. The back and forth between the two of them provides the funniest moments. Although I seriously question the decision to have Johnson sing a version of Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" while accompanying himself on the ukulele.

I actually paid the extra amount to see this movie in 3-D hoping that at least I would get some eye candy out of it, but I needn't have bothered. Apart from having some cherries bounce off of Johnson's pecs, the third dimension adds nothing to the second.

The ending hints at another sequel, possibly in space this time. I know that I for one won't be lining up to see it.

Vanessa Hudgens and Josh Hutcherson in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island may as well have been called Journey to CGI Island.  Other than a couple of sets and a few scenes filmed outside in Hawaii, most of this movie is animated.   The helicopter, the Nautilus, the creatures, the storm and most of the Island was all created on a computer screen.   And that includes those peck popping cherries as well.  CGI has its place in movies, but it eliminates the sense of discovery and adventure.  None of the CGI is at all convincing. 

Scott mentioned the flaw in the history of the Islands 140 year cycle and how the exotic animals and vegetation keep coming back every time it rises back up above water.  Another flaw is that when the island sinks, it does so by breaking apart.  How have those thousand year old buildings survived every destructive sinking and rising?  None of this makes sense, but the entire film has ridiculous plot holes so it hardly makes a difference.

The biggest WTF scene for me was when Johnson and Hutcherson dive off the cliff, swim very deep into the ocean, find the Nautilus, open it's hatch and enter the submarine without flooding it in any way.  With a quick glance at the controls, they know exactly how to charge the batteries, start it up and drive it.  How they then collect their other three companions is likewise illogical.

As Scott also wrote, this is intended for children who will likely not question the ridiculousness of it all.  For adults however, this is as intellectual as an episode of "SpongeBob SquarePants."  The one and only scene I found amusing was when Hutcherson and Hudgens are about to share a "G" rated romantic scene and Johnson whispers to Hutcherson to, "Pop your pecs."   

Scott liked and wanted more between Johnson and Cain.  I however, thought the film could have worked if it had been able to create more of a storyline between Johnson and Hutcherson.  The films story arc is supposed to be them bonding during an adventure, but it generates zero emotion.  It almost suggests a moment when Hutcherson tells Johnson to, "Come back."  as people in his life do not always do that.  That should have preceded a scene where Johnson almost does not.  It could have created a real moment with some genuine emotion. 

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is content to merely settle for lots and lots of CGI animation.  If as much effort was put into the writing as the especial effects, this could have been a decent film.  As it is, it is almost as unwatchable as it is pointless.

Photos © Copyright New Line Cinema (2012)

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Essaying the pop culture that matters since 1999

‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ Is Obvious

“The island is real!” So concludes Sean (Josh Hutcherson) when he finds a coded message from his long-absent grandfather, Alexander (Michael Caine). That would be the Mysterious Island, titular subject of Jules Verne’s 1874 novel and now, the movie called Journey 2: The Mysterious Island .

You might appreciate his delight, as the rest of Sean’s experience is so resolutely unreal. Set four years (more or less) after Journey 1 , also known as Journey to the Center of the Earth , this next installment begins by introducing Sean as a full-on teenager, complete with angst and attitude… and a motorcycle that he uses to escape from police, at least until he flips it into a neighbor’s swimming pool.

At this point, the cops call in his stepfather, ex-Navy SEAL Hank (Dwayne Johnson), and the movie reveals just why this kid is so troubled: not only is his father still missing (as learned in the first movie), but now so is his uncle (Brendan Fraser), who accompanied him to the center of the earth. Now he’s living in Dayton with Hank and his mom… no longer played by Jane Wheeler, but instead, by Kristin Davis.

As Sean looks for something “real,” he’s drawn to the Vernians’ diehard faith in the non-fiction of Verne’s books. Though he resents Hank for being mom’s new man, he has to agree to bring him along on a journey to Palau after Hank’s military training provides him so very conveniently with the “expertise” to decode the map in Alexander’s message. Though mom expresses doubts that a “couple of days” in the Pacific are precisely the best way for Hank to bond with Sean, well, she’s a stand-in anyway, and so she sends them off — and sets in motion the film’s incessant and unoriginal focus on dads.

Thus, when Hank and Sean land in Palau, they enlist the services of the helicopter pilot Gabato (Luis Guzmán), also a dad in search of a way to bond with his offspring. She is Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens), who happens to be around Sean’s age and interested in going to college: the fee Gabato charges to fly to the legendarily terrible waters near the supposedly non-existent Mysterious Island (compared to the Bermuda Triangle) will help pay for that. Smitten as soon as he sees Kailani, Sean is thrilled that she decides to she needs to look after her dad, and comes along on the journey.

Barely making their way through the foretold storms, the foursome crash-lands on the titular island and immediately meet up with Alexander, who serves as a tour guide for the many creatures who live there, from miniature elephants and giant lizards to big fuzzy bees the humans can ride in order to escape even bigger birds. The movie’s tendency to combine mythologies ensures that the crew faces an assortment of obstacles: they soon learn they’re on a deadline to get off the island, as the Mysterious Island is actually Atlantis (!?), and oh dear, it’s sinking again.

And so they go in search of Captain Nemo’s 19th-century submarine, the Nautilus. They follow a map that’s apparently designed to to lead them from one encounter with bugs and reptiles to another. The dads compete, the kids flirt and fight, and the dads and kids resent each other before they come to appreciate each other.

Hank and Alexander engage in a particular sort of contest, each trying to be a good father, the grandfather offering “adventure” (Caine in a jungle hat and boots) and the other “stability,” by way of the Rock’s signature charm and sentimentality. The crises survived lead to family bonds, however makeshift. They’re apparently real enough, at least until the next installment.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)

Vanessa hudgens: kailani.

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• Quotes (10)

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Quotes 

Hank : [fighting a giant lizard with a flare]  Not now, Sean. She's scared!

Sean : No, it's cold-blooded and it's attracted to heat.

[the lizard bites the flare] 

Hank : That's emasculating.

Sean : Now what?

Hank : Now there's only one thing left. The thunder cookie.

[clenching his fist at the giant lizard and punches it] 

Hank : I think I just made it worse.

[the lizard growls at them] 

Kailani : Hope she doesn't like Polynesian food.

Gabato : I hope she doesn't like food with poop in its pants!

Kailani : Hey, I can't believe we actually made it off the island!

Sean : Yeah...

[they look at each other] 

Hank : [whispering into Sean's ear]  Pop your pecs.

Sean : [turns to face Hank, whispering back angrily]  I'm not gonna pop my pecs.

Hank : Now's the perfect time to pop your pecs. She's gonna love it, believe me. You...

Sean : I'm not gonna pop my pecs!

Hank : Do it, do it...

Sean : No, I'm not gonna pop my pecs!

Hank : She would love it, believe me!

Sean : No...

Kailani : Ahem!

[Sean turns back to her] 

Kailani : You two done yet?

Kailani : [puts her hands around Sean's neck]  Thank you. For everything.

[she kisses him] 

Hank : [to himself]  That works too.

Kailani : What was that?

Gabato : It's a scary noise in a dark cave. Keep moving...

Hank : It looks like the liquefation has tripled overnight.

Kailani : What does that mean?

Hank : It means this island is sinking a lot faster than we thought.

Alexander : I thought you said a couple of days.

Hank : Now it looks more like a couple of hours.

Sean : A couple of hours?

Hank : We need to get to that sub now or we're all gonna be 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Kailani : Who are these guys?

Sean : Uh... I am a scientific explorer. Hi.

Kailani : [after Sean catches her in her fall, riding a bee]  You saved me!

Sean : [proud]  Yeah... I guess I did!

[the monstrous bird comes back] 

Sean : Or maybe not!

Kailani : [about her father]  Last summer I was trying to get a job, so he flew all over Palau dropping thousands of copies of my résumé from his helicopter.

Sean : That's embarrassing. Isn't that the worst when they try so hard?

Kailani : No... I mean, the worst would be if they didn't try at all.

Kailani : [off-screen; conversing with Sean]  Happy birthday.

Hank : [to Liz]  You raised a great man.

Liz : No...

Kailani : [off-screen; conversing with Sean]  So sorry I'm late.

Liz : ....WE are raising a great man.

[last lines] 

Alexander : [presenting Sean with a birthday gift]  I wanted to give you... this.

Sean : [receiving the gift]  A book?

Alexander : Oh, it's not just a book: it's a trip I want us to go on... All of us, as a family.

[Sean unwraps his gift and gives a knowing look to Hank] 

Sean : [showing the book to everyone]  "From the Earth to the Moon".

Alexander : What do you say?

Kailani : Well, I think there's only one thing to say.

Sean : So who's up for an adventure?

[Alexander giggles] 

Liz : No, no, no!

Hank : Oh, honey, what could possibly go wrong? It's only the moon.

Kailani : [the group's helicopter is being sucked into a hurricane; calmly]  We need to get out of here.

Gabato : [whimpering fearfully]  I was thinking the same thing!

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Sean Anderson

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Sean Anderson is a main character of The Journey series, being the deuteragonist of Journey to the Center of the Earth and main protagonist of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island .

He is portrayed by Josh Hutcherson, who also portrayed Walter in Zathura , Peeta Mellark in The Hunter Games films and voiced Nod in Epic .

Biography [ ]

Sean is the son of Max, an adventurer and Liz Anderson and born at an unknown time. Max journeyed to the center of the Earth from Jules Verne's novel of the same, but died by falling into lava after being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Journey to the Center of the Earth [ ]

To be continued

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island [ ]

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