‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ Fails to Satisfy Critics, Moviegoers

It’s been three years since we last saw adventurers Josh Hutcherson and Brendan Fraser “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” Hutcherson is back in action and heading out on a “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” Were critics and moviegoers happy to take the trip with them?

I felt the movie was a genuinely fun trip to Jules Verne’s mysterious island that does what all sequels wish they could. It manages to be better than its predecessor. A great mix of humor, action, and fantasy makes for an entertaining 90 minutes fit for the whole family. The 3D was distorted, unfocused, and pain-inducing at times so you might want to think about seeing it in 2D.

Most critics weren’t impressed with the film. Associated Press’ David Germain reported, “The presence of actors as good as Caine and Guzman only highlights how dreadful and dumb the banter is.” Rafar Guzman of Newsday wrote, “Offers giant rocks clearly made of Styrofoam and Dwayne Johnson, who fits the same description.” Village Voice’s Melissa Anderson complained, “Screenwriters Brian and Mark Gunn still have trouble scripting action sequences or dialogue that rises above ‘Let’s do this’ level.”

Some reviewers thought the movie was fun. Claudia Puig of USA Today stated, “Don’t expect anything resembling believability, but enjoy the blend of strikingly colorful visuals and banter between odd couple Johnson and Caine, which combine for a mild escapist treat.” Globe and Mail’s Stephen Cole declared, “‘The Mysterious Island’ is everything a 12-year-old boy could want – endless adventure involving a reckless adolescent hero, with a pretty girl in a clinging T-shirt around to watch him struggle.” Glenn Kenny of MSN Movies said, “The best that moviegoers who don’t much enjoy genial sci-fi/fantasy silliness can expect is a relatively inoffensive time.”

Moviegoers had mixed feelings towards “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” Mae C. said, “I have never truly appreciated 3D before… until I, watched this movie. [It was a] pretty amazing experience.” Timon C. related, “It was a good family adventure. It had great special effects, great cast, good acting, lots of action, lots of funny moments, great music, good cinematography, thrilling adventure and a good storyline.” Ben P. exclaimed, “Great movie. The 3D was definitely worth the money. [I] recommend to everyone.”

However, it wasn’t loved by everyone. Vince H. said, “Everything is blatantly fake, from set to script. Great actors in a terrible movie.” Tosin L. complained, “Loud, clumsy… The effects and events were all so cheesy, the dialogue so lame, and the landscapes too colorful.” Tantya H. stated, “Boring and nothing new, just like [the] usual family movie.”

Family entertainment website Movieguide.org reported, “‘Journey 2′ is another fun outing. Best of all, the movie… delivers a positive message celebrating family bonds. Moreover, there is no foul language or other crude content. The message doesn’t get in the way of the action, humor, and suspense. Kudos to the cast and crew!”

Brad Peyton directed “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” It stars Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, and Luis Guzman. The movie is rated PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language. It was released through Warner Bros. Pictures on February 10, 2012.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

Blu-ray Review: ‘The Double’ Delivers Old-Fashioned Spy Thrills
‘The Woman in Black’ Wins With Old-School Terror
Joshua Trank Reveals Why ‘Chronicle’ Isn’t Just Another ‘Found Footage’ Film

Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.


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