New York, NY - This February, join Filipina-Chinese American actress Vanessa Hudgens (“Sucker Punch,” Disney’s “High School Musical” series) and Samoan American actor Dwayne Johnson (“Fast Five,” “Tooth Fairy”) on an adventure in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. The film is a 3D family adventure movie filmed in Oahu, Hawaii, and is a present-day follow-up to “Journey to the Center of the Earth” released in 2008, with actors Josh Hutcherson (“The Kids are All Right”), Michael Caine (“The Dark Knight”), Luis Guzman (“Traffic”) and Kristin Davis (“Sex and the City”).
The journey begins when 17-year-old Sean Anderson (Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from the other side of the world, at an island where presumably, no island should exist. Sean is certain that the signal is from his missing grandfather, a discoverer who had embarked on a journey to discover the mysterious island years ago. His new stepfather, Hank (Johnson) joins Sean on the quest, unable to convince him otherwise. Together with a helicopter pilot, Gabato (Guzman) and his beautiful, determined daughter Kalahni (Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue his gradnfather (Caine) and escape before seismic shockwaves submerge the island under sea and bury its treasures forever.
Journey 2 is a cinematic adventure with mystery, travel gutsy teens, silly adults, and a happy ending, all of which would certainly entice the 9-year-old me to want to drag my parents to see the film. Although the members of the cast seemed to be randomly put together, they balanced each other out smoothly; not one character protruded too strongly out of the picture. Young boys and girls have figures to look up to: the defiant yet passionate Hutcherson and the beautiful, strong-willed Hudgens. Guzman and Johnson also turned out to be an amusing comedic balance, as Guzman’s character possessed the resilience of a kitten, while Johnson provided the paternal protection any kid would feel safe with on an unknown island. And lastly, seeing Caine out of his usual Alfred Pennyworth role in “Batman” was charmingly refreshing in his role as quirky grandfather and knowledgeable explorer of uncharted land.
Preparing for her role didn’t take much, as Hudgens could relate strongly to her character, Kalahni.
Me and Kalahni are a bit alike in the sense that she is really close to her father […] I’m extremely close with my family as well. Kalahni is not afraid to get her hands dirty when she’s outside, and in mother nature, she’s in her environment. It’s where she feels most comfortable, and that’s kind of like me as well, since I love being outside and just kind of being one with nature. To prepare, I didn’t do much. I kind of hung out with Luis Guzman a little bit, just so we could figure each other out a bit more. I love working out, I love staying fit, and especially if I’m going to do an action movie, it’s important to keep your cardio up, so just continuing to do my routine except in a much more beautiful place.
Filmed on location in the beautiful backdrop of Oahu, Hawaii, the movie features sites including Waimea Valley, Heeia Kea, China Walls, Kualoa Ranch and Halona Beach Cove. Although he was born in San Francisco, Johnson says,
I did a good part of my growing up in Hawaii, about an hour from where we were shooting, and it was wonderful to be back. In those days, when I was about 13 or 14, I loved watching movies and I had big dreams. So to come back to Hawaii and shoot a great adventure was really a blessing.
What the production company of this film could do with 3D was impressive; volcanic lava seemed to nearly flow into the theater, while a dangerous underwater electric eel seemed to nearly graze the necks of audience members, under the lighting of shimmering water currents. To top off the mysteriousness of the island, huge animals like elephants were shrunk to the size of puppies, while small creatures like lizards turned into huge, terrifying monsters the size of dinosaurs. If you are especially into graphic detail, Journey 2 hardly seemed to have missed a single one, with every leaf blown in the wind and every scenic moment a map of unlimited detail.
For adult viewers, although there may be some awkward times where you may lightly cringe at the script a moment or two, Journey 2 still makes for a lighthearted adventure film that can offer the eye something enjoyable to see for its meticulous detail, 3D experience and breathtaking view of the Hawaiian backdrop - refreshing to watch during the dreariness of this month’s winter weather. For parents and for all you babysitters, going to see the film is a the perfect opportunity to entertain your kids, as they most certainly will get a kick out of this cinematic adventure.
For more information about the film, visit www.themysteriousisland.com.
Courtesy of IW Group, Inc.
