Journey 2 The Mysterious Island

Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens
Release Date: 2012-02-03 08:00:00
Quick Take: Abysmally blah


It’s been five days since Journey 2 The Mysterious Island hit theatres. It’s been as much time since I saw the movie. This review’s as late too. But what’s still fresh is the recollection of Michael Caine riding a giant bee and Dwayne Johnson bouncing berries of his chest. Journey 2 The Mysterious Island is full of such outrageous moments that no matter how much you try to forget will linger in memory.

Jules Verne wrote The Mysterious Island about 140 years ago. Read the book today and you’ll still feel a sense of futuristic drama about it. But that’s completely absent from the film, because Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is too busy grinning away to glory and Michael Caine is too busy being cocky. As the story unfolds, Sean (Josh Hutcherson) stumbles upon a radio transmission that gives clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Mysterious Island. From there on Sean and his stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson) tag along and head to the middle of the Pacific. Their journey to the island is as easy as hiring a chopper and flying a few miles.

The film employs such colossal levels of suspension of disbelief that the shock of sitting through the film pales in comparison. Sure the film was made for a young audience, but then so are the Harry Potter movies. And they don’t feature clichés like stepping on an angry mother lizard’s eggs and the hero having herpetophobia (fear of lizards in this case). But this film does. What saves the cause of the film is some fine 3D. But when the story dives to 20000 leagues under the sea there isn’t much cause celebre for watching.

That Caine and Johnson are reduced to mockeries amidst a million clichés is the lowest point in the film. Watch Journey 2 The Mysterious Island at IMAX only. At least the larger-than-life splendour of 3D will keep your brains from thinking too much. And if you call yourself a Vernian you’d better stick with the book. Because this film is like Captian Nemo’s Nautilus. It’s destined to explore the depths of uncharted abysses. All the way to the bottom.