Viagem 2: A Ilha Misteriosa

I hate to admit this. But I actually enjoyed this movie... I feel ashamed but it's a bit of goofy fun. Far superior to it's overlong, too silly predecessor this fun, energetic fantasy adventure movie keep things moving quickly. After a short but cool setup reintroducing us to the Josh Hutchinson character from the predecessor as he's escaping from some cops after breaking into a satellite station. He soon engages his stepfather played by The Rock and discovers a message from his grandfather about the mysterious island. Moving things along quickly they get there and it's filled wonders from giant lizards, mini elephants and sharks, giant bees they fly on, a gold filled volcano. All visualized in a bright, cheezy sort of CGI that is reminiscent of the 1950s monster, adventure flicks that inspired this one. Sadly, I skipped this in theaters but from what I've seen the 3D must have been pretty amazing. Of course not a lot of the movie makes much sense, but I think it's important to shut your brain off when watching it. it's a very entertaining popcorn flick. There a few laughs, some exciting action set pieces and even a little romance. And as for performances Michael Caine and The Rock leave a better impression than Brendan Frasier left in the first one, Vanessa Hudgens is fine in a supporting role and well Josh Hutchinson is looking pretty good. He's definitely a good actor and his movie star looks are starting to show. So all in all it's more fun than you'd expect ignore the cynics and go in with an open mind. 3.5/5

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is a blue-screen CGI extravaganza that is mixed in with the picturesque Hawaii locations, but containing a plot that is essentially all told in the trailer and presented with the dynamics of an amusement park tour. The "2" in "Journey 2" is because it is the sequel to the 2008 movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth"; the "The Mysterious Island" in the title because both movies are both derived from books by Jules Verne.

Watching "Journey 2" is like being stuck in a vacation with five slightly unpleasant people with slightly uncomfortable dynamics between. Sean (Hutcherson) is bratty and overly entitled, Hank (Johnson) his stepfather and Alexander (Caine) his grandfather are constantly bickering, the tour guide Gabato (Guzman) is overly emasculated and his daughter Kailani (Hudgens) surly.

The 3D, the CGI of the island and the sets are perhaps main draw of the movie. We see elephants as big as cats and bees as big as cars. The effects are mostly impressive all around but it never manages to find the right pace or impact because it just comes in one after another without the dramatic tension. It's hard to care about the perils or be in awe at what's shown when the characters are so thin.

After watching the movie, I get this feeling that the Rock had way too much creative input in the movie. His absurd peck joke from the trailer aside, his character is a prize-winning Navy cryptographer who also knows structural engineering and who can also play a mean ukulele and really hold down a tune (although awful singing truth be told); This all hints at the big guy pretending to be smart and sensitive. Combine this with the almost palpable resentment between him and Caine and the sickening obsequiousness of Guzman towards him, it just feels uncomfortable.

While the movie is impressive as a 3D CGI set piece, it is severely let down by the characters. A lot of kids/family movies lately have this undertone of spoiled rich American kid gets everything he wants but this movie does this in a very ugly way. Kids will overlook all these flaws in the movie and be mesmerized by the 3D and special effects but I think adults would find it a bit pointless and uncomfortable. Empty entertainment for kids is my view of this movie.

After seeing the trailers, I looked forward to this movie. But although I am a fan of Dwayne Johnson, I cannot recommend this movie to much of anyone. It moves too quickly at the beginning. The premise is interesting but completely implausible, especially the time frame. Some of the scenery is enjoyable but fleeting. Michael Caine's character is entirely too negative. The special effects were not very realistic either. The plot was designed to be a dramatic thriller but it was so pat it was boring. I almost left before the ending as there was no mystery left shortly into the film. Also, the two young people were rather lackluster and the pilot was annoying. For something that held so much promise of a lovely adventure, it was a big disappointment.

Not so much a sequel as a new story altogether comes this likable (if unnecessary) adventure about Sean Anderson, a callow youth and "Vernian" who receives an encoded message then becomes obsessed with the idea that it was sent by his absentee grandfather who may or may not have discovered a mythical island that may or may not really exist. Accompanied by his stepfather, a frugal pilot, and the pilot's attractive daughter, Sean travels across the Pacific to the island where they encounter an assortment of wonders but just as many dangerous perils. Uninspired, fairly predictable, but Johnson and Caine add much needed gravitas, Guzmán his trademark comic relief, there's some good effects and exciting moments now and again, but a subplot about parents and their kids doesn't really resonate. A good family-oriented fare, just nothing special. **

The 17-year-old Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded signal and his stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson) helps him to decipher the message. They find that Sean's grandfather Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine) has found the mysterious island in the Pacific described by Julio Verne and two other writers in their novels.

The stubborn Sean wants to travel to the coordinates and Hank decides to buy the tickets and travel with the teenager to a small island nearby the location. They rent an old helicopter owned by the locals Gabato (Luis Guzmán) and his teenage daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) and the group heads to the unknown spot. Along their journey, they cross a hurricane and crash in the island. They find a beautiful and dangerous place, surrounded by forests, volcanoes with lava of gold and menacing life forms. The meet also the old Alexander and Hank discovers that the island is sinking. Now their only chance to survive is to find the legendary Nautilus.

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is a movie with a trailer that is better than the film itself. The lame screenplay begins in a fast pace, with Hank and Sean guessing to quickly the message. The story is very weak and the film is supported by the special effects only. The spoiled Sean and the rude Alexander are detestable characters and Gabato is stupid and annoying and never funny as supposed to be. Hank is multi- skilled in codes, hydraulic and electric engineering, medicine, and music and diving. In the end, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is a very disappointing adventure. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Viagem 2: A Ilha Misteriosa" ("Journey 2: The Mysterious Island")