Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I actually didn't know this when I watched it, but Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the sequel to the 2008 remake of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Brendan Fraser didn't come back, but Josh Hutcherson did, and the story follows him as he and his stepfather, Dwayne Johnson, go to the famed "Mysterious Island" and meet up with his long-lost grandfather, Michael Caine.If you're expecting a lighthearted kid's flick, you'll be very entertained while watching this movie. It's got some incredible special effects that immerse you in the environment; every time there's a Mysterious Island movie, I love seeing the gigantic plants and animals. Josh is sweet and easy to root for, and Dwayne is given some pretty funny comic relief bits. And who wouldn't love travelling to an exotic fantasy island with Michael Caine as their guide? It's a very fun movie, if you don't mind seeing Michael playing grandfather to a teenager, and has a lot to offer for everyone in the family. While lots of movies claim to be "fun for all ages" and are really only enjoyable to toddlers, this one can truly be watched by the whole group. Grown-ups will be entertained by the grown-up actors, teens will be interested in Josh and his romance with Vanessa Hudgens, and the little ones will be awed by the scenery.

This movie tries to adapt to the cinema the sci-fi novel "The Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne and, at the same time, be a worthy sequel to the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth". However, despite assuming itself as a sequel, is also renewed in that both actors and characters, as well as technical team, director and screenwriters are different from the previous one. Only Josh Hutcherson remained, repeating his character but without mention of what happened to him before. Its a sequel that makes a new beginning, not properly a continuation, although its evident that everything happens after the facts occurred in the first film. The story is also brand new, but there are a number of similarities to the previous film. As before, it revolves around Verne's literature, assuming that its real, not just fiction. And just like in the first film, two guys (one of them with problems of teenage rebellion) will face the adventure next to an attractive beauty (do feminists, who are always criticizing everything, do not think this is misogynist?). The script, however, is also woefully similar to that of "Journey to the Center of the Earth," not having been able to correct it's errors: basic and far-fetched, it's full of clichés and runs over science in favor of dramatic effect. Here too there is a lot of silly and unbelievable things. Cinematography is good and the fast pace that the action takes, coupled with its short lenght, helps to make it enjoyable. In summary, it's a light and funny adventure movie with a painful plot that we easily forget.If in the first movie most of the actors were, for me, perfect strangers, it does not feel so obvious here. Josh Hutcherson retained his role, as I mentioned, and is joined by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who, surprisingly, showed some dramatic ability in the role of an overprotective stepfather (although his image still remains, at least for me, too clingy to a lot of muscles, gross as a rock). This actor is clearly trying to do the same path that Arnold Schwarzenegger did in the 1990s, humanizing his image and seeking to move away from the label of "Mister Muscle of Hollywood". Vanessa Hudgens is the sexy girl of the movie with an idiot father (Luis Guzmán) who are reserved the strangest jokes in the film. Finally, a note of merit for Michael Caine, a veteran always up to any role.

Because of the way that Pixar blurred the boundaries of adult vs. children's movies beginning with the "Toy Story" franchise, it is difficult to rate kiddie fare in this day and age. In the case of "Journey 2", however, the verdict is quite clear: The kids will sit through this one, while the adults will be looking at their watches or hitting the concession stand.For a basic plot summary, "Journey 2" sees young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and his step-dad Hank (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) travel to the Mysterious Island foretold by Jules Verne. While on their way to rescue Sean's grandfather Alexander (Michael Caine), the pair is accompanied by a comedic-relief airplane pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful young daughter (Vanessa Hudgens).There are some things that this film does get right: It most definitely covers all its bases. Young boys will love Hudgens, Johnson has pretty much a universal appeal now, and adults will smile to themselves at the presence of Caine. The cringe-worthy comedy from Guzman is even well- done...when aimed at the kiddies, of course. Plus, the visuals are stunning and the whole island adventure is magical.The trouble, of course, is that there is no plot development and only forced character growth. In this way, it is very much geared for the minds of children. Everything is predictable, and the characters act exactly as expected throughout. Even the sappy message at the heart of the film is geared for the young minds.Thus, from an "adult" point of view, I would struggle to give this film two stars. From the eyes of a child, however, there would be much more enjoyment (if not touching Pixar's level or anything like that, of course). As such, this is a "middle-of-the-road" 3-star experience. The visuals are nice and some of the characters are fun initially, but enjoying it any further requires a childhood perspective.

Josh Hutcherson is the only actor who reprises his role as Sean from Journey to the Centre Of The Earth as the rebellious, bookish and petulant teenager. Brendan Fraser is absent so the sequel fixer Dwayne Johnson steps in as Hank the former Navy code breaker who is his stepfather.When Sean receives a coded SOS message from his crusty grandfather (Michael Caine) who is in some remote island and they go off to find him with the help of Luis Guzmán as the comic relief helicopter pilot and Vanessa Hudgens as his nubile daughter and potential love interest for Sean.The film reprises the plot of Jules Verne's Mysterious Island as they crash land in this strange island. A place with giant bees and butterflies, small elephants, giant lizards, active volcanoes, golden lava. The submarine Nautilus even turns up as they escape the island before it sinks.The film does have dazzling CGI, Johnson provides a lot of charm making fun of his physique like bouncing berries of his pecs and singing a ukulele version of What a wonderful world. The plot is a little disjointed and silly but it is a fun enough family film.