“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”: A Hilariously Absurd Adventure
Mostly nonsense, but funnier and more enjoyable than the first film, primarily thanks to the stellar duo who play with as much inspiration as madness.
Teenager Sean Anderson (Hutcherson) embarks on another expedition, this time to a magical island with a golden volcano and miniature elephants. His buff stepfather (Johnson) and eccentric grandfather (Caine) join him on the adventure.
In one scene from the terrible 70s disaster film “The Swarm,” Michael Caine, upon learning that noisy insects have managed to shoot down two military helicopters, grimly turns to another star and utters the immortal words: “I never dreamed it would be bees. They’ve always been our friends.” It seemed that Caine had already played the most nightmarish bee scene of his life. However, the time for “Journey 2…” has come, where you can see an outstanding aerial chase in which the knighted actor – yes! – flies on a giant version of his ancient enemy.
Fortunately, unlike “The Swarm,” the cute adventures of this film are quite frivolous. Directed by Brad Peyton, the director of “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” i.e., a Hollywood specialist in silly sequels, “Journey 2…” gleefully piles one absurdity upon another. The result is a comedic duo of Caine and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – as eccentric and deadly a pair as Arnie and DeVito – who feud and call each other “Mary Poppins” and “Snowman.” Singing “What A Wonderful World” around the campfire becomes the film’s leitmotif. And in at least three scenes, Johnson turns out to be an expert in exactly the area needed to solve the next mystery, including impressive soil liquefaction.
The Good, The Bad, and The Berry Fight
No one will call this film great, but the episode in which Johnson gives his stepson advice on how to woo girls, and everyone ends up throwing berries at each other, will make anyone smile. On the other hand, the casting isn’t as fun. The characters barely mention Brendan Fraser’s character from “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” implying that his nephew has taken his place, but Josh Hutcherson is mostly disappointing on screen, and the fact that his character has to constantly sulk at Johnson, one of the most charming actors in the world, doesn’t help matters. The plot lines (will the heroic boy and the beautiful girl fall in love? Will the dumb helicopter pilot Luis Guzman find a way to pay for his daughter’s college education?) are unlikely to intrigue the viewer.
Final Verdict: Lighthearted Fun
So, don’t expect a second “Avatar” (although there are giant lizards here), but rather a not-too-dangerous adventure, quite pointless, but eccentric enough to endear you. After all, it’s not in every big-budget fantasy that the hero shakes his fist, threatening to “give you what for”…