I love being a part of Warner Brothers Blogger Outreach programme because most of the times they send through a newDVD, not only you get a great film to watch but they also go out of their way to add in some extra goodies that tie in with the theme of the film. So far, we have had the Penguintastic Happy Feet pack, the Oscars pack with chocolate Oscar statuette lollipops and a fabulous Santa sack filled with festive family faves, amongst others.
Well, this time, they sent us through a copy of Journey 2 The Mysterious Island and included some goodies that made the kids squeal with excitement, including plastic bugs, some temporary tattoos and an egg to put in water to hatch a lizard. Actually even I might have got a bit excited about that one !
Journey 2 The Mysterious Island is the follow-up to the 2008 hit movie Journey To The Centre of the Earth. That film alluded to the novel of the same name by Jules Verne, and another Jules Verne novel called The Mysterious Island gave the name and inspiration for the second opus in the series.
Josh Hutcherson again plays the role of Sean, now aged 17, who receives a coded distress message from his madcap adventurer grandfather (played by Michael Caine) and sets off to the mysterious island to rescue him, with his stepfather (Dwayne Johnson - AKA The Rock, with the popping pecs !) tagging along to keep an eye on him. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they discover the mind-blowing island and its deepest secrets, getting into all sorts of dangerous adventures along the way.
Often, when we settle down to watch a film with the whole family, either the kids get a bit bored when the complicated plotline goes over their heads, or the grown-ups get a bit bored by the mindless, totally predictable kid-friendly movies. Well, that didn't happen this time. Sure, this is family viewing so you know from the outset that the adventurers will survive and get out in one piece, and the dialogue isn't particularly deep and meaningful, but nevertheless, it's action-packed and exciting enough to keep the whole family entertained.
The kids loved the part where the humans fly on giant bees (which reminded me of Arthur & The Minimoys) and the various other creatures on the island, especially the miniature elephant and the scary lizards. The grown-ups loved seeing Michael Caine gallivanting about as an explorer reminiscent of Indiana Jones. What the film lacks in originality, it makes up for in special effects.
We all sat happily for the whole 90 minutes, munching on popcorn from the comfort of our living room sofa and watching the movie from start to finish. As well as the fast-paced adventure, you also get a nice little message about what "family" means, with a touching speech from step-dad Hank saying that he will always be there for his stepson as if he were his own son. Perfect family viewing for all ages.
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £12.53 on amazon
- DVD Release Date: 28 May 2012
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Classification : PG
Disclosure : We received a review copy of the film in order to give our honest opinion.
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What a great sounding DVD. I will definitely look out for this one.
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