Movie of the Week: Journey 2 The Mysterious Island

[jacey]

What can I say? It's Orange Wednersdays 2 for 1, so if we're not otherwise occupied, Wednesday is our girls-afternoon-out, wich means movie afternoon for H and I. It was a thin week for movies this week, though. It was eaither Journey 2 or This Means War - which has apparently had terrible reviews. Having seen the previous outing, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, in 3D, we did, of course opt for the 2D version of Journey 2 Mysterious Island. (I'm not sure exploding volcanoes and giant spiders in 3D would have been very pleasant.)

I suppose this movie was OK if you take intro account it's 'family entertainment'. I guess kids might not notice the plot holes big enough to drive a fleet of double-decker buses through. On the other hand, kids are really smart. Smarter than the script-writers? I hope so. The techno-babble about tectonic plates was truly eye-watering. This island (Atlantis?) is supposed to sink into the ocean and rise again on a regular basis, but whole new species of flora and fauna seem to have evolved into a complete and complex ecosystem since the last emergence, with miniature elephants, giant spiders and bees you can hitch a ride on. Does this happen every time? And why did the deserted city, supposedly age-old, crumble as the island sank this time? Are we supposed to believe that it has surived other inundations, but not this one?

Stangely enough the giant ride-on bees irritated me a lot less than the tectonic plate rubbish. I really wish they hadn't tried to sound scientific.

Well, what can I find to say about this movie that's good? It's fun, light, frothy, it moves along fairly briskly. It doesn't have a car chase (yay, score ten points). Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson is actually not as bad as I expected (if you ignore the pretty revolting pec-popping - don't ask!). Sadly Josh Hutcherson is immediately forgettable and Michael Caine, playing the feckless explorer grandad, looks as though he's only in it for the money. (Come on, Mr. C, you can't be that short of job offers.)

What else was good? Err... the Nautilus (yes, this is all things Jules Vernian, remember) was a lovely piece of CGI artwork, though recharging 120 year old batteries with the power from a giant electric eel is... well, just about as unbelievable as the rest of it really, so I shouldn't carp.

Vertdict? Slightly better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper, but if you have a choice go and see Woman in Black or Marigold Hotel or maybe even the Muppets Movie.

Comments

[seawasp]

Wow. I never even heard of this one. I thought you were reviewing the one with Herbert Lom as Nemo, then I come across "Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson" and my brain comes to a screeching halt.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

This is the one on release now. Or maybe it escaped. Anyhow, my recommendation is to avoid unless you are skulking in the cinema hiding from a) the Mafia or b) the tax man. Or unless maybe you are committed to going to the cinema with your best buddy and have seen all the other movies on offer.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

'Slightly better than a slap in the face with a wet kipper'

Well, having never experienced this particular perversion.....

Strange lot, folkies! :o)