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Taking a deeper look at current and past films and how they relate to the world today.

Jonathan Kim is an independent film critic who writes and produces film reviews for Uprising and other outlets. He is a former co-producer at Brave New Films.

Read his reviews online at ReThinkReviews.net. Watch his videos at www.youtube.com/user/jsjkim, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReThinkReviews. ReThink Reviews’ theme song is by Restavrant.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

‘Journey 2: the Mysterious Island’ is VERY loosely based on the 1874 book by Jules Verne, ‘The Mysterious Island’, and the film is a sequel to the 2008 film ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’, which is a slightly closer adaptation to Verne’s 1864 novel. The first ‘Journey’ has the distinction of being the first live-action digital 3D film, which means it’s filled with objects and animals being flung at the camera, flying debris, and lots of CG graphics to make use of the novel but often annoying added dimension — and since ‘Journey’ made over $240 million, ‘Journey 2’ is no different.

The film opens with the now moodier teenage Sean (played by Josh Hutcherson), evading the police after stealing a coded transmission he believes is from his long lost grandfather, who Sean believes has found the Mysterious Island Verne might have based his book on, since Sean and his grandfather belong to a group known as “Vernians” who believe that Verne’s science-fiction novels are based on actual people and places.

After decoding the transmission with the help of his stepfather Hank, a former Navy man played by professional wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson, the two head to Palau, where they hire a helicopter pilot (played by Luiz Guzman) and his daughter (played by Vanessa Hudgens) to see if the island really exists. Naturally, they find the island, a place where normally large animals are miniaturized and small ones grow enormous. After locating Sean’s grandfather (played by Michael Caine), they embark on a race to escape the island before it sinks into the ocean.

‘Journey 2’ is clearly aimed at fairly young children, which is supposed to excuse the fact that the dialogue is clunky, the performances are wooden, the emotions inauthentic, and gaping plot holes are brushed aside as long as they provide an excuse for a supposedly harrowing chase or another CG creation to fly at the camera. There are no lessons to be learned, few laughs, and little growth to be found, and it’s hard to imagine that kids will feel a kinship with any of the characters. If young viewers are unfamiliar with Verne and his legacy, I imagine they’ll find the references to his work confusing, while parents who are fans of Verne will probably feel cheated or disgusted by a film that turns a beloved classic into little more than a forgettable video game.

Unless, of course, a parent’s goal in taking their child to see ‘Journey 2’ is simply to have their kid sit still and be quiet for an hour and a half as they’re dazzled by meaningless spectacle, even if it costs the ever-increasing price of a movie ticket with a 3D surcharge as well as snacks. While ‘Journey 2’ doesn’t strike me as overtly evil or damaging, it feels cynical and unambitious both in the way it uses Verne’s name as well as how it views its target audience. While Verne’s books exude a palpable feeling of wonder, adventure, and curiosity, perhaps the best parents can hope for is that their children are mature enough to recognize that all of these are sadly lacking in ‘Journey 2’ and demand something better next time.

‘Journey 2: the Mysterious Island’ is rated PG and opens today.