Journey 2

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet, as I don't think a review for this movie really needs to go  too deep to say what works for this movie and what doesn't...

In Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) receives a distress call from his grandfather (Michael Caine), who is believed to be missing on an island that isn't supposed to exist, and sets out with his step father, Hank (Dwayne Johnson) to help find him with the help of a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzmán) and his daughter (Vanessa Hudgens).

What I like most about the Journey movies is that they aren't direct adaptions of the Jules Verne books they draw inspiration from. In the Journey universe, it turns out that books are really a recollection of true events, and our Vernian family of explorers set out to discover where these lands of adventure and treasure may be. I will admit that I found myself getting caught up in some of the action, like when the characters are being chased by a giant lizard or being chased by a behemoth electric eel underwater. I also enjoyed some of the quick witted banter between step dad and grandpa.  For the most part, the 3D is well done. I think you would be missing out if you didn't see it with the extra dimension.

However, they do rely on a few 3D gags, such as berries "jumping" out at you. I'm not a fan of these cheap 3D thrills. I prefer when films utilize 3D to add perspective and depth to the screen. I also wish the Island was a little less cartoony. The writing also lacked substance. It was very cheesy and the characters were often quick to change opinions, but what can you expect from this kind of movie? Not much, so I can't really complain. All logic and sense of reality seem to be left outside of the theater.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is intended for a child audience, but I think they keep it exciting enough to keep most adults from wishing they were somewhere else. If you end up being dragged to this movie, it isn't the worst thing in the world. It is pretty good for what it is.