This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The only untold secret in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is how the usually likable Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (who just came off the summer blockbuster "Fast Five") or Oscar winner Michael Caine got stranded on such a ridiculously featherbrained adventure.
Gargantuan bees, ants, birds and spiders on a hidden island seemed much more believable than the notion that Johnson's character would be married to "Sex and the City's" Kristin Davis or that Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzmán ("Boogie Nights," "Carlito's Way") could be daughter and father. They and Josh Hutcherson, the only carryover from the prequel, "Journey to the Center of the Earth," look for Jules Verne's mysterious island.
But instead of seeing awe and wonder, the group endlessly bickers and complains throughout the journey, with Guzman constantly mugging for the camera with his annoying reactions. Caine, who plays Hutcherson's eccentric and plucky grandfather, seems like the only bright spot in this otherwise silly 3-D excursion. Please let this be their last literary adaptation, as there isn't enough room in Verne's grave for him to turn over every time a new movie comes out. The movie is preceded by a computer-animated 3-D Looney Tunes short starring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd that's hardly loony and just doesn't seem right in the digital domain.
facebook.com/nowsaltlake —
Hhj
'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island'
Nothing worse than getting stranded on a mysterious island with a bunch of whiny people you don't want to be with.
Where • Theaters everywhere
When • Opens Friday, Feb. 10
Rating • PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language
Running time • 94 minutes