Journey 2: The Mysterious Island parents guide

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Parent Guide

If you're squeamish about giant centipedes or embryonic reptiles, this may not be for you. But for older children looking for some mild thrills, this may be the perfect adventure.

Overall A-

When Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) receives a message from his long lost grandfather (Michael Caine), he sets off to find the intrepid explorer with the help of his stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) and the owners of a dilapidated helicopter eager for cash (Luis Guzmán and Vanessa Hudgens).

Release date February 10, 2012

Violence B
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A-
Substance Use A

Why is Journey 2: The Mysterious Island rated PG? The MPAA rated Journey 2: The Mysterious Island PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language.

Run Time: 96 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

People seem to have a habit of getting lost in the Anderson family. Four years ago, Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) tagged along with his uncle (Brendan Fraser) on a Journey to the Center of the Earth in search of the boy’s missing father.

Now, Sean’s grandfather (Michael Caine) has disappeared. When the police-dodging adolescent receives a mysterious radio dispatch suggesting the family patriarch is on a mystical island, he reluctantly teams up with his code-breaking stepfather Hank (Dwayne Johnson). It’s not a happy union but one that Sean is compelled to be part of in order to get funding for the trip. On the island of Palau, Sean and Hank employ a run-down helicopter flown by Gabato (Luis Guzmán) and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens).

Based on a novel by Jules Verne, this science fiction story introduces audiences to a curious world where elephants are the size of small dogs and bees loom as large as single engine airplanes. After narrowly escaping death by lizard, Sean, Hank and the others stumble upon Grandpa Anderson.

But getting off the island proves to be a problem. During the travelers’ approach, the helicopter was torn apart in a ferocious tropical storm. The group is left with only days to come up with an alternate form of transportation to escape the sinking landmass.

High on adventure, the film exposes castaways to regular bouts of peril that may be too intense for younger viewers, especially in the theatrical 3D format. However the film never takes itself too seriously and the script’s humor far outweighs the made-you-jump scenes. (And who knew, The Rock sings!) While moments of tension occur between characters, the story includes a positive father (in this case stepfather) figure, a trend that is thankfully gaining momentum.

If you’re squeamish about giant centipedes or embryonic reptiles, this larger than life caper may not be for you. But for older children looking for some mildly scary thrills, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island may translate into the perfect cinematic adventure.

Note:A Warner Brother’s short film featuring Daffy Duck as a singer on stage precedes this movie in theaters. During his performance, Daffy is repeatedly fired on by Elmer Fudd who attempts to kill the duck.

Directed by Brad Peyton. Starring Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Vanessa Hudgens. Running time: 96 minutes. Theatrical release February 10, 2012. Updated

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Rating & Content Info

Why is Journey 2: The Mysterious Island rated PG? Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is rated PG by the MPAA for some adventure action, and brief mild language.

Violence: While attempting to outrun the police, a boy on a motorcycle causes property damage before crashing in a swimming pool. He is also accused of breaking into a satellite facility. A fish’s head is chopped off in a market setting. Characters fly into a fierce tropical storm before their helicopter is destroyed, sending them into the ocean. (The scene includes some tense slow motion action as the helicopter is torn apart.) A man falls through the shell and into the interior of an egg with an embryonic reptile. A lizard is knocked out by huge swinging tree trunks. Adult males take verbal jabs at one another. Depictions of human skeletal remains are shown. Earthquakes and volcanic destruction occur on an island. Characters encounter moments of peril on numerous occasions, including being chased by large, threatening creatures.

Sexual Content: A teen girl wears a midriff-baring tank top. A man kisses another on the head, in a non-sexual way, to express his love. A man gives relationship advice to his stepson including a demonstration of the “pec pops” of love (where Dwayne Johnson shows off his pectoral muscles). A teen couple kisses. An adult couple embraces.

Language: Brief mild name-calling is heard along with infrequent references to crude bodily functions

Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Parents' Guide

Several years ago, Dwayne Johnson made the move from what was then the World Wrestling Federation into acting. And he seems to have come with a natural sense of comedic timing. Do you think Johnson is more suitable for roles in family-friendly films, like this one, or action flicks? Would your significant other be impressed or repulsed by the pec pops of love? What does Sean think about his stepfather’s relationship advice?

Do movies like this encourage children to read Jules Verne’s books? If you are familiar with the stories, how accurately does this film portray the novel’s description of the island?

What attempts does Hank make to connect with his stepson? Why is Sean hesitant to trust Hank’s overtures? What does Grandpa Anderson learn from Hank? Why are Hank and Grandpa so testy with one another when they first meet? Why do you think we are seeing more positive portrayals of father figures in the movies?

Learn more about Jules Verne, the sci-fi author on whose work this movie is based, at this website: href=“http://www.unmuseum.org/verne.htm.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island movie is June 5, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Release Date: 5 June 2012

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island releases to home video in Blu-ray (Blu-ray/DVD/UV Digital Copy) and 3D (Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/UV Digital Copy). Both packages include the following bonus extras:

- Are You Strong Enough to Survive Mysterious Island

- Deleted Scenes

- Gag Reel

Related home video titles:

This movie is a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth. The script makes reference to sci-fi author Jules Verne, whose stories are the inspiration behind Journey to the Center of the Earth (the prequel to this movie), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days (and the remake from 2004). The mysterious world they explore is also feature in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Another woman goes on a quest to find an uncharted location in Nim’s Island.