Gripping story with well-crafted characters

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

This is a very educational high on moral movie, and kids still love it. I showed it to many students as part of literature classes, the movie deals a lot with books and a certain writer - Jules Vern - and all the kids were mesmerised. In this age of short attention span it's an amazing feat which makes this a masterpiece of youth movie making.

The writers and producers of this film were smart enough not to have Dwayne Johnson play the role of Brendan Fraiser. Sean, the son, is back and lives with his mom and step-dad in teen prison, known as Dayton, Ohio. Dwayne is intelligent and understanding. When Sean gets a cryptic message, Brainiac Dwayne Johnson helps him decode it. Sean wants to go to the Island and find his grandfather, who he thinks sent the message. Dwayne, who is trying to connect with Sean, decides to humor him and very quickly into the film, we are at Mysterious Island.Luis Guzmán plays a local helicopter pilot who along with his pretty daughter Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez of High School Musical) are capable of getting the foursome stranded on the Island. Once they meet up with Michael Caine, there is some ridiculous rivalry dialouge that doesn't fit well into the film. The special effects were good. The humor and story was aimed at the kids who enjoyed the picture far more than their parents with some scenes being downright juvenile. Sean, of course, has a thing for the island girl, who plays hard to get. All this is going on while the volcano blows smokes and oozes lava.Some cheesy fun. 3D effects...unfortunately bounce right at you.No F-bombs, sex, or nudity, Pure PG goodness. Good one for the kids (pre-teen and younger). WARNING: Dwayne Johnson sings

Remember the amazing high adventure movies you saw as a kid?This is the modern equivalent - more temple of doom than raiders the effect on kids is amazing. I now have to play Lego Atlantis and Captain Nemo with my 5 year old and its one all the kids enjoy.The bad reviews are not from this movies target audience.The Rock is awesome, the humour appropriate and the adventure tense but not scary.You know how Hollywood often gets it audience wrong these days well not this time.This will be a kids classic and much loved when they are older and they will decide this films place in the genre. Not grumpy adults who went to see it as a serious movie.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a great movie for families. Kids and adults alike will enjoy the action packed film while learning about some classical literature. The sequel to the 2008 movie Journey to the Center of the Earth, Journey 2 follows Sean Anderson on another adventure to find out if another one of Jules Verne's novels is based on fact, and not science fiction. We learn early on that there are people who believe that Jules Verne did in fact write stories from experience. These people are referred to as Vernians. When the movie starts, Sean has received a coded message from someone on a radio and he is determined to solve the code. We meet Sean's step-father, Hank, who, upon seeing the coded message, helps Sean to break the code. After a quick search through the attic, and two more classic novels, Hank and Sean discover what can only be the map of the Mysterious Island. Sean and Hank take off to Palau to find out if the island is in fact real, or if the message was just a hoax. In Palau they meet Gabato, a helicopter pilot and his daughter, Kailani. Once in the air, the four travelers discover that there is something wrong with the helicopter and they land on the island, but can this barren place really be the Mysterious Island that Jules Verne wrote about? Butterflies the size of cars and elephants the size of puppies are just a couple of the exciting things that await the travelers on their adventure.This movie is a great way to get kids to think about classic novels in a new light. Jules Verne is known world-wide as one of the best science fiction writers of the 17th century, but what few people know is that his books were actually meant for children. This movie can be used in conjunction with the book to give children a glimpse into the world of the Mysterious Island. It also encourages children to use their imaginations and see things in a different light.