journey 2 3d reviews

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Hit Man Link to Hit Man
Babes Link to Babes

New TV Tonight

Evil: Season 4
Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.: Season 1
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 1
Tires: Season 1
Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza: Season 1
Trying: Season 4
Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 1
Mulligan: Season 2
The 1% Club: Season 1

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Reviews

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island immediately recognizes its audience and, fully accepting its constraints, pleases them with its fabulous drive and its intrinsic linearity. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jun 22, 2023

There’s nothing about this family-friendly movie that’s outrageously offensive, but there’s nothing about it that’s particularly interesting, well-executed, or inventively conceived either.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Feb 22, 2023

...entertaining yet chintzy...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 5, 2020

A screenplay that never quite clicks on all cylinders. There are too many scenes dealing with relationships that really halt any momentum.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Apr 13, 2019

Journey 2 is simply magical.

Full Review | Jan 26, 2019

Undeniably an exhilarating family friendly, action adventure that'll no doubt thrill younger audiences.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 13, 2018

Like its predecessor, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a race against time to survive, but the inclusion of new characters adds a little more interest.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 6, 2017

For a family, this is an agreeable Saturday outing, largely because director Brad Peyton doesn't set his sight higher than the material actually is.

Full Review | May 9, 2016

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is light, airy family entertainment that actually ends up being too light and airy.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 17, 2012

It's a harmless, lighthearted film with wooden acting, a nice message about accepting your parents-whoever they are-and again, lots of ridiculous CGI.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 4, 2012

The only defense for this movie is to say that it's not actually 'trying' to be good ... Are we supposed to applaud just because they set the bar low and barely reached it?

Full Review | Original Score: 3/10 | Aug 22, 2012

It definitely has its appeal to the crowd it's pandering toward, and it's a success in its mission to bring the awe and thrills.

Full Review | Aug 7, 2012

The whole movie has such an air of giddy adventure that I had a good time with it. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is charming, in spite of its imperfections.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 4, 2012

Visually rich with lavish sets and fun movie monsters, but Journey 2 is about as underdeveloped and hollow as assembly-line filmmaking can get.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 25, 2012

...a family adventure aimed squarely at children. For kids, it's fine; they'll probably enjoy all the color, action, and preposterous goings-on.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 22, 2012

Panders to the kiddies, caters to the teens, and tosses in a loser-ethnic-sidekick. The shrugging tone of this 21st-century sabotage of the original novel is summed up by this slogan masquerading as dialogue: 'It's Jules Verne, man-ya gotta believe.'

Full Review | May 10, 2012

Falls far short of cinematic art but goes down pretty well with a box of popcorn and modest expectations.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 6, 2012

Amusingly childish...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 23, 2012

Feeding this to a young mind should count as a chargable offense.

Full Review | Original Score: D+ | Mar 20, 2012

It's all a bit silly. But Journey 2 does have the uncomplicated charm of those ancient mid-budget epics in which Doug McClure narrowly avoided being eaten by Pterodactyls.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 19, 2012

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - 3D

The new journey begins when Sean receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist - a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean's new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson, Walking Tall) joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzmán, Boogie Nights) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens, Sucker Punch), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant (Michael Caine, The Dark Knight), and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

'Journey 2' tries to do and be a great many things in a short amount of time. How well it succeeds at any of them makes the difference between it being a fun and exciting thrill ride for the whole family or one of the tamest and most vapid voyages into seemingly dangerous territory. After suffering through 90-minutes of very much PG-rated action, I'm leaning heavily towards the latter, which I admit is largely my fault for expecting a bit more than what is seen in previews. And unless you're so young as to be frightened by the sight of ginormous red ants lifting trees by their roots or prehistoric electric eels the size of a house, I'm guessing you'll probably feel the same.

As a loose sequel to 2008's ' Journey to the Center of the Earth ' with Brendan Fraser, the family comedy tries to recapture the same audience which made the first movie a hit. It succeeded for the most part and shockingly surpassed its predecessor at the box office by a fairly decent margin, guaranteeing a second sequel in the near future, which is already hinted at by film's end anyways. In spite of making more money, the story is less funny and not the least bit exciting, which I would argue is quite a challenge given how terrible the first movie actually is. The extent of the humor ranges from Luis Guzmán acting the clown, the presence of giant bird poop, and bouncing berries off of Dwayne Johnson's pulsating pecs. And those are the moments I found myself chuckling.

As some kind of heart-warming family adventure, the movie tries to insert a dramatic subplot that sees Sean's (Josh Hutcherson) hokey bad-boy persona at odds with his well-to-do, well-intentioned stepfather, Hank (Johnson), but apparently, the filmmakers' definition of a problem teen is a straight-A student who's smart enough to break into a satellite research center so he can boost his radio signal. In the first minutes, we quickly surmise Sean is a completely ungrateful, off-putting little jerk. You know the cliché: boy hates his stepdad for no genuine reason. When we meet his grandfather (Michael Caine), we also realize where he gets his ugly attitude. Essentially, as far as the filmmakers see it, acting unappreciative, annoying and insulting strangers like grandpa does signifies family troubles. There's no surprise where this is going, especially when it's clear Hank makes a fantastic father. Indeed, it only makes the journey that more mind-numbingly boring and frustrating to watch.

As a sci-fi fantasy, the closest we come to science-fiction is Captain Nemo's legendary submarine, Nautilus , and the fantasy aspect is pretty much the result of a weak imagination. As harsh as that may sound, it's a fair assessment since we're talking about a story where adventurers discover an island with so many possibilities. It's reasonable to expect something a tad more fanciful than everyday creatures simply turned monstrous, or perchance exploring the island a bit longer than a couple days. There's never a feeling that the group, which includes Guzmán's goofy helicopter pilot and Vanessa Hudgens as his daughter, is ever in any real mortal danger, and not once was I swept away by the adventure. The chase with the colossal lizard is more of a light jog, and the aerial dogfight with the enormous bees is a cross between 'Return of the Jedi' and 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' and none of the fun.

'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' toys with many of our childhood imaginations — stranded on an exotic island like the 'Swiss Family Robinson' or 'Robinson Crusoe' but with overgrown creatures. In fact, this adventure is sparked not only by Verne's classic 1874 novel, but also by Stevenson's Treasure Island and Swift's Gulliver's Travels — all beloved childhood favorites. The early sequence where they discover the secret map is probably the movie's most clever aspect, other than figuring a way to erase Fraser's memory from the story. The problem comes from director Brad Peyton, whose only other filmmaking duties of note is 'Cat & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,' unable to make the expedition into the fantastically unknown something thrilling or rousing. Instead, he treats the entire film like a five-dollar tour on Guzmán's rickety, dilapidated helicopter.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Warner Home Video brings 'Journey 2' to Blu-ray as a three-disc combo pack with a code for an UltraViolet digital copy. The first two Blu-rays are Region Free, BD50 discs with one the 3D version while the second is the 2D release with all the supplements. Inside a regular blue keepcase with a lenticular slipcover is also DVD-9 copy. After a promo trailer for Warner 3D, viewers are taken to a rather ugly main menu window with a photo still and music.

Video Review

Much like its 2D counterpart, the journey to 'Mysterious Island' improves dramatically with a stunning video presentation. Shot natively in digital 3D, the MVC encode looks practically flawless, taking advantage of the technology in several scenes, especially while on the island. Some visual tricks tend to feel like obvious gimmicks, but thankfully, they never detract from the enjoyment of the picture quality. The most notable moment is Hutcherson and Guzmán bouncing berries off of Johnson's gyrating pecs. In fact, it's pretty amusing seeing the little red balls jump out of the screen. Other sequences are put to better use, such as the bee ride and the gang's escape from giant birds. The actors and CG creatures often float in midair, independent of their surroundings.

When filmmakers are not pushing such stunts, the picture displays some fairly amazing depth with terrific separation between objects. The 3D camerawork is employed with appreciable subtlety, focused on generating a three-dimensional that's surprisingly immersive. Unfortunately, it's not always consistent as several sequences, especially during the darker, poorly-lit segments, the image appears a bit flatter than others. It's not a complete loss, however, since a majority of the presentation has background information penetrate deep into the screen. The walkthrough in the city of Atlantis is particularly impressive with a great pop-up book feel to it and characters genuinely seem to wander around in the distance.

Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the freshly-minted transfer is razor-sharp and squeaky-clean from beginning to end. Fine lines around foliage, local wildlife and the architecture of the ancient civilization are very distinct and detailed. Pores, wrinkles and other trivial blemishes are apparent while hair and clothing are clearly outlined. The rest of the cinematography displays lush, sumptuous primaries and an extensive array of vivid secondary hues, giving the family comedy a pulsating, animated quality that leaps off the screen. Contrast is vibrant and pitch-perfect with brilliant, clean whites while black levels are inky rich and luxurious, providing the image with plenty of pop and a great deal of depth. In the end, the high-def video is simply astounding.

Audio Review

Although the audio doesn't quite match the visuals — meaning, it's not as equally impressive — the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is still pretty enjoyable, especially when the group arrives on the island. Discrete effects are employed often to enhance the soundfield and generate some decent ambience. Action sequences, in particular, provide nice moments with good panning and directionality. The problem is the design never feels immersive or convincing and given the movie's setting, it's fair to expect a bit more from the rear activity to surround and pull viewers into the scenery.

The rest of the lossless mix delivers clean, precise vocals in the center of the screen and excellent channel separation. But much like the surrounds, the fronts are not all that striking or exciting despite coming with a nice, broad imaging and lots of off-screen commotion. The mid-range is detailed and for the most part full-bodied, yet the upper frequencies are never pushed very hard and the soundstage can be sometimes feel somewhat narrow and limited. Low bass is adequate with good depth in a few scenes although it's nothing that will give the system a lengthy workout.

All things considered, the high-rez track is satisfying and ample enough for a light family comedy.

Special Features

Two supplements which can also be found on the DVD release.

Gag Reel (HD, 1 min) — The usual footage of the cast flubbing their lines, missteps and having some fun on set.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 6 min) — Five trivial scenes that add nothing to the overall plot.

'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' is a loose sequel to 2008's 'Journey to the Center of the Earth,' minus the Fraser. Despite being a slightly bigger hit than the first movie, this family fantasy adventure is less funny and less exciting than the its predecessor, but the arduous journey to see it through to the end is just as grueling and tiresome. There is very little sense of adventure or excitement in its entire 90-minute runtime. The Blu-ray, however, arrives with a stunning 3D presentation and excellent audio. While supplements are the same as the DVD release, one small interactive exclusive adds a bit of fun to the package, making it a decent purchase for the little ones in the family.

Bringing you the best reviews of 4k and high definition entertainment

Blu-ray news.

The latest Blu-ray News

Blu-ray In Stores This Week

New Releases on Blu-ray

Blu-ray Coming Soon to Stores

Upcoming Releases on Blu-ray

Forum Listing
Marketplace
Advanced Search
Blu-ray & HD DVD
Official AVS Forum® Blu-ray Disc Reviews

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

Add to quote
(HD) Are you strong enough to survive Mysterious Island? – Interactive map with area specific production info and cast/crew interviews (includes a Junior Explorer option to allow direct viewing of the videos)
(HD) 1 minute Gag reel
(HD) 5 deleted scenes – 6 minutes
Ultraviolet Digital Copy

Scores are on par with what I expected. Great review as always Ralph.

Mediocre at best and the special effects were somewhat ok.

Family loves the original Journey so this will be a blind 3D buy for us! Good to hear nice 3D and audio.

I thought rental at best with this movie

...the actress that plays Guzmans daughter has a body to die for, seriously, I would....

I actually ended up liking this movie somewhat. I was expecting a complete dud, but I loved the 3D this movie had to offer and I think it made the movie more enjoyable for me. My opinion of this movie might be different if I saw it in regular 2D. In my own personal opinion and call me crazy if you want, but this is some of the best 3D I have seen.

Quote: Originally Posted by DJ Matt /t/1412803/journey-2-the-mysterious-island-3d-blu-ray-official-avsforum-review#post_22102118 I actually ended up liking this movie somewhat. I was expecting a complete dud, but I loved the 3D this movie had to offer and I think it made the movie more enjoyable for me. My opinion of this movie might be different if I saw it in regular 2D. In my own personal opinion and call me crazy if you want, but this is some of the best 3D I have seen. Click to expand...

Ralph, Can I ask a hardware question? I don't have a 3D capable projector. Why do I see acceptable if not very good 3D effects on the original Journey to the Center of the earth movie? I use the Play Station 3 as my player.

Quote: Originally Posted by Wind_Wound /t/1412803/journey-2-the-mysterious-island-3d-blu-ray-official-avsforum-review/0_20#post_22301537 Ralph, Can I ask a hardware question? I don't have a 3D capable projector. Why do I see acceptable if not very good 3D effects on the original Journey to the Center of the earth movie? I use the Play Station 3 as my player. Click to expand...

Quote: Originally Posted by Ralph Potts /t/1412803/journey-2-the-mysterious-island-3d-blu-ray-official-avsforum-review#post_22301597 Greetings, I assume that you are referring to the standard Blu-ray version. The film was shot natively in 3D so what you are probably seeing is the innate effects of images coming at the camera etc. Without a 3D display/hardware there is no way for you to be seeing anything otherwise. If you find that acceptable you will more than likely really enjoy actual 3D.. Regards, Click to expand...

That Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D BD disk you're referring to was an Anaglyph 3D version released a year after that movie was put on video. It was re-released about a year ago on video in the same "true 3D" method used in theaters using special Shuttered or Passive 3D glasses systems.

?
34.1M posts
1.5M members

Top Contributors this Month

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D Review

June 13, 2012

In 1925, Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World became a theatrical juggernaut, based almost entirely on the strength of stop motion dinosaurs, sourced from the hands of Willis O’Brien. In 1960, Irwin Allen remade Lost World , but ditched the stop motion for a slap dash iguana covered in a prosthetic. Audiences didn’t buy it, although calling the creature a Tyrannosaur wasn’t brilliant either.

That’s all relevant here because like those Lost World adaptations, Journey 2 is pulling its structure from famous literature. The irony is that Journey couldn’t come up with any sensible monsters either, although instead of real iguana, someone had to animate one… with teeth. History, however loosely, does repeat itself.

Warner’s sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth writes itself into a rut, savagely attacking not only the Jules Verne source material, but others like Treasure Island . One piece wasn’t enough to fuel summer escapism apparently, as if the Treasure Island aspects actually amount to anything (they don’t).

Journey 2 is structurally stupid, mind-numbingly dumb if you will. With a little more history, Ray Harryhausen created an alarmingly convincing giant bee sequence for the 1961 edition of Mysterious Island . Two leads are inadvertently led directly into the hive where they’re sewn up in amber and need to make a heroic escape. Journey 2’s version? The bees are the friendly types, the villains played by colorful birds. How does it make any sense for the star of Rio to gain top villain billing over a bee in a child’s film? It seems backwards because it is.

The whole thing is a giant excuse for egregious 3D effects, overblown and popping through the screen with such force, it’s a wonder they even allowed it shown in 2D. All that does is expose the blatant nature of the “in your face” shenanigans that add nothing to the narrative, and only bog down a film barely cracking 90-minutes. Whatever spirit was gained by snagging Dwayne Johnson is lost when Juan Guzman begins pegging Johnson’s pecks with berries as a lunch trick. Scratch that. Most of it is lost when the usually enjoyable Guzman is shuffled into a role beneath his talents.

Much of Journey 2 is weighted by an endless series of continuity issues (Hutcherson’s neck cut, sweaty shirts), needless emotional fodder between the family, and wildly bogus science, there’s hardly any time for genuine fun. Action scenes are driven by their prerequisite need to showcase ticket-sucking 3D first, and excitement levels second. [xrr rating=2/5 label=Movie]

Practically drowning in primaries, Journey 2’s purposeful existence is driven by saturation. Kids love the colors, right? From the island greens to seas of flowers and brilliant browns of Atlantis, there are only a handful of shots that choose to dim their palette for effect. Most of those occur before heading to Sau Paulo in the Dayton home of the family.

Those “home sweet home” interiors also show what the Sony CineAlta cannot do: black levels. Interiors are drained of the boldness that permeates such a wide swatch of this presentation. The same goes for scenes inside caves or at night as Johnson delivers some pulverizing vocals by the campfire. When they finally have a grasp on the material -the closing moments inside the Nautilus- it’s too late.

Still, the niggling issues with the black levels are squelched by the enormity of the texture and brilliance of the dazzlingly colorful visual effects. The feel of this island is intact at home, those dramatic pauses to soak up the scale of specific talking points still felt on Blu-ray. With well controlled compression schemes, Journey 2’s grandest (and some would say cheesiest) elements are conveyed with reverence for the material.

When the camera swoops in close, the texture will adorn the actor’s faces. The same goes for their tight shots on the jungle, where foliage is spectacular in how deep and rich it can look, all without any sore spots. That comes with a small caveat which is noise. Digital effects play a role in the screen crawling with noise as often as low light will. It’s a rather distracting layer of digital buzz that swarms the image and sucks a little bit of life, enough to bring this one down to reality.

Bringing into its own realm of realism is the 3D presentation. While the expectation lies with the action scenes, it is the breathtaking beauty of enormous depth of the island that sells the 3D. Miles of trees, plants, and animal life are visible with remarkable distance. In flight during the bee ride, looking over the rolling ponds and hills is a marvel.

That aside, those major moments of action are a little dull. Many carry a pace too quick to really appreciate the 3D. Journey 2 has to slow down to appreciate the material. During the finale as the Nautilus careens underwater, rocks begin falling in front of the cabin, and there, with the slower pace of movement, is the scale sold. It is a rare case where the more open aspect ratio is a true winner in scaling up the size of the action. [xrr rating=4/5 label=2D-Video] [xrr rating=4/5 label=3D-Video]

Want a buzzkill? Check out the early storm sequence in Journey 2 , which feels as if the DTS-HD track was suffocated under a pillow and then stepped on by giant iguana. There’s no zest to what should be a wide, open, and full moment as the helicopter is sucked into a massive twister. A few stray parts will whoosh by, but the rain and wind seem all but forgotten, mashed together with the stereos while being lost in the bustle.

Journey 2 does get better as it lurches forward, some jungle ambiance nicely peppered around the space, and some cave work carries a definite echo effect. The creepy crawlies slink around in the surrounds or work through the stereos, showing that yes, this disc can split up a few channels of audio.

Major actions are up to par, but not much more. That’s probably the greater disappointment when laid out in text. The giant lizard doesn’t produce much of a pounding in the LFE and it sort of begrudgingly powers through the jungle. Emphasis on scale isn’t there, or rather, not in line with what the images show. Some island rumblings as the ground begins to give out? Those are more definitive.

As a final attempt at a showstopper sequence, a brief struggle with an electric eel sends electricity cackling through the speakers as a warning sign. It drifts and sways as needs be, tracking on cue. An escape underneath the collapsing island leads to a slightly out of balance torpedo shot that bursts above the volume line, but still leaves the listener on a vivid note. [xrr rating=4/5 label=Audio]

Note: The 3D disc has no extras. They are all contained on the 2D version.

Are You Strong Enough to Survive Mysterious Island? takes a kitchen sink approach to featurettes, cramming all of the loosely educational material and behind-the-scenes fluff into an annoyingly interactive interface. There’s a bunch of stuff buried in there if you wish to look for it, but the majority isn’t worth the time.

A gag reel portrays a strictly in-control set since there’s only a minutes worth of stuff, and deleted scenes are worth watching for two reasons: the hilarious explanation for how the animals will live once the island is sunk, and the priceless unfinished effects. [xrr rating=2/5 label=Extras]

Full disclosure : This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For more information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki has critiqued home media and video games for 20 years across outlets like Washington Post, Variety, Rolling Stone, Forbes, IGN, Playboy, Polygon, Ars, and others. His current passion project is the technically minded DoBlu.com . You can read Matt's body of work via his personal WordPress blog, and follow him on Twitter @Matt_Paprocki .

Screen Rant

'journey 2: the mysterious island' review.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

10 Twists Everyone Knows But Don’t Remember What The Actual Movies Are About

Why the harkonnen planet is black & white in dune, 12 twists that feel so obvious when you rewatch those movies, on the whole, journey 2 is just a fun ride from beginning to end..

In this sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D , we catch up with young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson), now a bit older and getting into all kinds of mischief. Sean's mom (Kristin Davis) and step-dad Hank (Dwayne Johnson) try to pry the reason for his bad behavior out of the recalcitrant teen, and Hank finally manages to get the answer: Sean is trying to piece together the mystery of his missing grandfather, Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine), who went searching for a mysterious island of legend.

Working together, Sean and Hank decode a message from Alexander based on the famous adventure tales of Jules Verne, Robert Lewis Stevenson and Jonathan Swift. Sean immediately sets his sights on the island of Palau, the next step to locating his grandfather, and Hank - trying to bond with the boy and/or exhaust his curiosity - decides to chaperone the journey.

In Palau, Hank and Sean meet Helicopter tour guide Gabato (Luis Guzmán) and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) - who is pretty enough to make Sean risk a flight on her rusted copter into the eye of a hurricane that just so happens to hide the entrance to the mysterious island. Once they are (crash-)landed on the island, the party sets out to find Alexander - and then, find passage off of the mystical land mass before it sinks back into the sea, taking them with it.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is one of those "good for what it is" films - and what it is, is a light-hearted, family-friendly adventure film in the vein of Goonies or Honey I Shrunk the Kids (only not that good). The film is filled with cheesy dialogue and jokes, one-dimensional characters and an overdone plot that offers just a few notes of genuine heart or drama - but none of that really matters in this context. Kids will have fun with the material, and the adults accompanying them will be reasonably entertained as well.

Director Brad Peyton ( Cats & Dogs 2 ) crafts a suitable visual experience via some nice tropical locales and striking (but obvious) green-screen and CGI effects. Journey 2 is not likely to win any technical awards - but again, in the context of a kids' film, the visuals are sufficient. The 3D certainly adds to the fun - though it's more often than not used in that pop-out, 'in-your-face' manner meant to capture the fleeting attention of youngsters. But, to be fair, any movie that spends time showcasing The Rock bouncing CGI berries off of his pecs is just out to have a good time, rather than impress with its technical prowess.

Of course, all the silliness would be too much if not for the cast of actors who manage to ground it, and Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine are two of the main reasons why this film works as effectively as it does. Both are great leading men in their own right, and the contentious relationship between Hank and Alexander (as Sean's competing paternal figures) creates some great banter, which are probably the movie's best moments.

Josh Hutcherson has become something of a bigger name since his first Journey film, but he does a good job holding the screen and potraying a somewhat layered protagonist - good qualities in a young lead. Hutcherson's chemistry with Johnson is also strong, and certain moments between Sean and Hank even manage to be somewhat moving as the film progresses.

Hudgens doesn't offer much except her pretty face (not that she's required to) and Guzmán gets the task of playing the irritating comic relief character - which he is certainly successful(?) in doing.

On the whole, Journey 2 is just a fun ride from beginning to end. It's not a piece of classic cinema by any means, but between some great set pieces, a healthy mix of non-threatening action, (chessy) kid-friendly comedy, and some likable leading performers, you can easily set this Journey above the one that proceeded it.

BONUS: Journey 2 also includes a new 3D CGI Looney Tunes short featuring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. It's a different look for Looney Tunes, featuring some new voices behind the iconic characters and a spastic, hyper-kinetic pace - but the young'uns should enjoy. Although, it is a little unsettling to end an animated short on an image of a 3D shotgun pointed in the face of a young audience. But I digress.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is now playing in 2D and 3D theaters.

Our Rating:

Movie Reviews
3.5 star movies

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND Blu-ray Review

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND Blu-ray Review. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island stars Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, Michael Caine and Vanessa Hudgens.

One of the oddest franchises of the last couple of years is the Journey series. The first film, Journey to the Center of the Earth (which starred Brendan Fraser ) managed to make $100 Million domestic, and inspired a sequel with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stepping if for Fraser. It too made over $100 Domestic and much, much more internationally. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island stars Johnson, Josh Hutcherson , Michael Caine and Vanessa Hudgens in an adventure on an island that reveals itself to be Atlantis. Our review of Journey 2 The Mysterious Island on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Hutcherson plays Sean, who starts the film being chased by the police. He broke into to a transceiver so he could get a coded message. His little stunt gets him arrested, and his stepfather Hank (Johnson) gets him out of trouble. But the message reveals the location of a mysterious island of legend. They go to find it, and recruit Gabato (Luiz Guzman) and his daughter Kailani (Hudgens) to take them there via helicopter. The copter crashes, but there’s no movie if they don’t find the mysterious island, which is filled with all sorts of wonder, from miniature elephants to gigantic lizards. It’s there they meet Sean’s Grandfather Alexander (Caine), who has been sending out the signal. He’s found Atlantis, and he knows it will sink to the bottom of the ocean in a couple of years, but those years become hours when his calculations prove wrong, so they have to find Captain Nemo’s Nautilus to escape.

There’s not much of a story here, and the romantic interest between Hudgens and Hutcherson is pre-ordained. But Johnson shows that he is a movie star in the film by nearly single-handedly making interesting choices, and by being funny. He more than makes up for Hudgens, who might attractive as all get out, but can’t manage to show fear without cracking a smile. When asked to do pretty much anything, she’s at a loss. Guzman helps, as does Caine. But Hudgens should be banned from cinema as anything but eye candy until she takes some acting lessons.

The plotting of the film basically says that the film is a ride, so there’s going to be something CGI-exciting every couple of minutes. But the performers are engaging enough to make the film interesting, even if the idea of stepfather’s being accepted is never trusted to be subtext. It’s text. I guess it’s for little children. Still, painless.

Warner Brothers presents the film on Blu-ray in widescreen (1.85:1) and in 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio. The transfer is excellence. The Blu-ray set also comes with a digital copy and a DVD. Extras are limited. There’s an ‘interactive’ feature that lets you walk around the island with making of clips for each section. There’s a junior explorer section that makes offers the same footage in a less interactive version (21 min.). There’s a blooper reel (1 min.) and five (6 min.) useless deleted scenes.

Den of Geek

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island review

The pecs of The Rock and Michael Caine riding a giant insect are but two reasons to see the really enjoyable Journey 2: The Mysterious Island...

Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
Share on email (opens in a new tab)

Animated movies have always been a constant source of entertainment for both children and adults alike, going from strength to strength over the past decade or two, in no small part due to Pixar.

Thanks to the incredibly high bar set by them, other studios have raised their game, resulting in such recent gems as Despicable Me , How to Train Your Dragon and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs .Each provides a really good balance of humour and excitement, for pretty much all ages.

Live action movies aimed at a younger generation, though, have fared less well over the years, proving to be utterly predictable in terms of quality, with adventure stories even more so. Just look at the awful Will Ferrell version of Land Of The Lost , or even the predecessor to Journey 2 , the forgettable Journey To The Center Of The Earth , which starred Brendan Fraser back in 2008. In most cases juvenile humour takes centre stage, with a total lack of wit, or anything approaching ingenuity sadly absent.

Thankfully, then, Journey 2 is an absolute blast, proving that one man’s pecs and a knighted, British legend on the back of a giant insect really can be the making of an entire film.

Ad – content continues below

The plot is brutally efficient, as Journey 2 races through its ninety-minute runtime at speed. It starts with a motorbike chase, as the now teenage form of actor Josh Hutcherson appears, returning as Sean Anderson (the only character kept on from the original as far as I can remember), is on the run from the police. Within minutes we’ve established that Sean’s suffering from being a near intolerable teenager, with a step-father, Hank, in the large shape of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who Sean resents for being nice to him (seriously, who wouldn’t want The Rock as a step-dad?). Furthermore, Sean is hell bent on finding his missing grandfather.

Soon a bonding adventure is under way between the estranged pair, after a quick bit of map puzzling and riddle solving, as they seek out the Mysterious Island, picking up a Looney Tunes pilot (Luis Guzman) and his teen hormone igniting daughter (Vanessa Hudgens, who has little to do aside from delivering some fairly clunky dialogue and providing a little love interest). So far, so predictable, and in truth, the film continues along a well worn route.

But sometimes a film makes no bones about its lack of originality, it just chooses to make the journey itself as entertaining and slick as possible. In this case, it also takes great pleasure in referencing its Jules Verne origins, as well as Indiana Jones, along the way.

Take Guzman’s character, Gabby, who fills the role of comedic idiot (in this case bordering on total mental deficiency). He’s there to nothing more than make noises and panic, to amuse younger children. At first, the overacting seemed too out of control, yet as the film progresses and his adoration of Hank becomes slightly more homo-erotic, I found myself chuckling along. Inno small part, I’m sure, because I’d almost certainly act the same way in the presence of The Rock.

And it’s the humour in Journey 2 that’s really the making of the film, with the more outlandish elements just adding to its enjoyment.

I found myself laughing throughout the entire movie, especially during the surreal sight of Sir Michael Caine atop a giant bee, or consistently facing off against the might of Johnson. In fact, despite Caine’s clear desire to pay for an extension to his house, he does seem to have fun with the role, and more surprisingly has a proper part for the duration of the movie. I was perfectly prepared for a brief cameo at the end.

Still, if there’s one reason to watch this film, it’s the big man himself.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Dwayne Johnson has always kept one hand in the kids movie jar, regardless of how many times it’s been shut on his fingers, yet I admire his tenacity and ability to walk from the extreme gory violence of Doom , straight into the super sugary world of Hannah Montana. Don’t get me wrong, I was the first person to rejoice when his involvement in both Faster and Fast Five were announced, and if I had my way he’d be confined only to action movies.

Yet maybe that’s a little selfish – surely every generation deserves some of The Rock in their lives? I’m almost certain that there’s a mathematical equation for how much better he makes a movie, just by appearing, he even proved a bright spot in the otherwise wonky You Again .

The man just radiates charisma with an uncanny ease and charm, which makes him a much more suitable fit for both adult action movies and children’s entertainment, unlike some of his predecessors. What’s more, his comic timing simply shines in Journey 2 . For anyone, like me, who mostly wants to see the film off as a Johnson completist, there are some truly great moments.

Have you ever wondered what paternal advice from The Rock about relationships would be like? Wonder no more, as the hysterical sight of cherry bouncing, pec flexes in full 3D reveal all. Ever wanted to see the big man play a ukulele while singing? Done. In fact stay for the end credits and you’ll get even more of him singing, all to the backing of a big band. It’s a sound so glorious I may have to take a pregnancy test in the morning.

Even the 3D was an unexpected delight, providing plenty of theme park style moments to the effects, though scenes might prove a little too intense for the very young, as giant eels, spiders and lizards all make an appearance.

Despite the odd scare though kids should love it, with adults having plenty of surreal moments of inspired lunacy to keep them amused. And Journey 2 ? Against what you might be expecting, it turns out to be a visually rich and thoroughly entertaining ride.

Duncan Bowles | @duncanbowles

Han Solo, Pierce Brosnan and Ryan Reynolds quipping Warm Lohan feelings when Indy is whipping All 19 versions of Lord of the Rings These are a…

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Real-Life Heroes on YouTube for Tweens and Teens

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Journey 2: the mysterious island, common sense media reviewers.

Adventure sequel is clunky but has positive role models.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie is intended to entertain rather than edu

Families work hard to stick together and stand by

The movie's two father figures are both positive r

Giant monsters roar and chase the main characters;

Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) is shown in slow-motion

Sporadic use of potty talk and mild language -- mo

Sean opens and drinks from a Coca-Cola in an early

Not an issue except for a quick, humorous line of

Educational Value

The movie is intended to entertain rather than educate.

Positive Messages

Families work hard to stick together and stand by each other, even if that requires making sacrifices. Teens learn to understand and respect their parents and guardians. Together, and by using teamwork, the group is able to overcome many giant-sized challenges.

Positive Role Models

The movie's two father figures are both positive role models. Neither is perfect -- they have moments of bull-headedness, cowardice, and other flaws -- but they're completely devoted to their kids and will never give up, even if that means making sacrifices or facing fears. A young woman shows that she can take care of herself.

Violence & Scariness

Giant monsters roar and chase the main characters; many of those chases end up with the creatures getting smushed and crunched. There's a somewhat scary helicopter crash scene and some "gross out" scenes as well.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) is shown in slow-motion letting down her hair and removing a button-up shirt to reveal a tight-fitting tank top. Her cleavage is sometimes visible. She and Sean often argue in a flirty way, and there's a kiss at the end.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sporadic use of potty talk and mild language -- mostly during loud chase scenes -- as well as insults; words include "hell," "oh my God," "ass," "piss,'' "poop," and ''crap."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sean opens and drinks from a Coca-Cola in an early scene. The label isn't clearly on view, but the bottle's shape and color are unmistakable.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Not an issue except for a quick, humorous line of dialogue: "What were you drinking?"

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the sequel to 2008's entertaining Journey to the Center of the Earth . The Hunger Games ' Josh Hutcherson is the sole returning cast member, but the tone is very similar to the original. Overall, it's a family-friendly adventure -- albeit one with frequent tense chases, monster attacks, and a somewhat scary helicopter crash (some of which is a bit more intense in the movie's 3-D version). There's also flirting and a kiss between the two main teen characters, and co-star Vanessa Hudgens is often shown wearing a tight, cleavage-enhancing tank top. Expect some gross-out humor, as well as potty talk and very sporadic mild language ("ass," "hell," etc.). This is no cinematic classic, but it is bright and cheerful and has positive characters, including fatherly role models. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (28)
Kids say (58)

Based on 28 parent reviews

Are the producers obsessed with young girls bodies? Smh

Just like a poop in a punch bowl, what's the story.

After surviving his Journey to the Center of the Earth , Sean Anderson ( Josh Hutcherson ) is back living with his mom ( Kristin Davis ) and step-dad, Hank ( Dwayne Johnson ). Sean gets a coded message from his grandfather about the location of Jules Verne's famed "Mysterious Island." Hoping for some much-needed bonding time, Hank volunteers to go with him. In Palau, they hire a ramshackle helicopter, piloted by Gabato (Luis Guzman). Happily for Sean, Gabato's pretty daughter, Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ), comes with the deal. After crashing on the island, the explorers discover a world of tiny elephants, huge bees, and lost cities. But they also realize that they must find Sean's grandfather -- and discover a way off the island before time runs out.

Is It Any Good?

From the director of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore , JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND is as clumsy and clunky as its title. The pace is speedy, but it seems as though the movie sacrificed logic, character, mood, and rhythm to achieve that speed. Moreover, the visual effects appear soft and never quite mesh with the real stuff. Even the 3D effects don't really add anything except for the occasional "comin' at ya" moment.

On the plus side, the movie has an inviting, warm, open-air feel, and it's more innocuous than it is obnoxious. Strong, positive characters -- including a young woman who can take care of herself -- and family bonding moments are also very appealing. Not to mention that this is the only movie in which you can see former pro wrestler Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. "The Rock") playing the ukulele and singing "What a Wonderful World."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Journey 2 's violence and scary stuff. How does its fantasy nature affect its impact? How do the movie's intense experiences affect Sean and his step-dad's relationship?

How does the movie portray families? How does that message/depiction compare to what you've seen in other movies and TV shows?

How does the movie portray fathers? There's a theme of "missing dads," but there are also great dad characters here. What's the take-away?

The first Journey movie was an adaptation of a Jules Verne novel; this movie's title also cites a Verne book but isn't a direct adaptation. What other books does it remind you of? Are there any you'd like to read after watching the movie?

Movie Details

In theaters : February 10, 2012
On DVD or streaming : June 5, 2012
Cast : Dwayne The Rock Johnson , Josh Hutcherson , Vanessa Hudgens
Director : Brad Peyton
Inclusion Information : Female actors, Asian actors
Studio : New Line
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures
Run time : 94 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : some adventure action, and brief mild language
Last updated : April 29, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

National Treasure

Night at the Museum

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Excellent adventure movies for family fun, adventure books, related topics.

Magic and Fantasy

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - Vanessa Hudgens - Featured

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Review

When considering whether or not you want to watch Journey 2 , the only question you have to ask yourself is: “Do I desperately need to see The Rock play a ukulele and bounce berries off his pecs in 3D?” As far as I can tell, those two scenes are the only reason for the film’s existence. The rest is a hodgepodge of half-baked sci-fi ideas, cartoony CGI spectacle and sickly sweet family sentiment that should have even the most forgiving children on a sugar-high rolling their eyes in disbelief. The whole thing smacks of desperation with the filmmakers struggling to stretch a forgettable blockbuster into a franchise and a cast of recognizable actors barely trying to conceal the fact that they signed up for a well-paid tropical vacation that just happened to involve a film shoot. It feels more like a souped-up direct-to-DVD sequel than a marquee studio release.

Now, Journey to the Center of the Earth was never a great movie, but at least it delivered some breezy entertainment. With the new-fangled 3D still in it’s infancy when that flick came out, it played more like a 90-minute theme park attraction than a movie, showing off the fancy pop-out-of-the-screen technology with an seemingly endless series of set pieces that never got bogged down with concerns like telling a story or crafting memorable characters. It wasn’t great, but it was a good showcase for 3D when it was still a novelty and that’s all the movie had to be. But it’s sequel time now, and with audiences already tiring of 3D, that isn’t enough to carry a movie anymore. Nope, 3D flicks have to work on their own merits now and sadly the folks in charge somehow dreamed up an even less compelling story this time.

The movie opens John Hutcherson’s teen protagonist Sean from the last movie escaping from cops on a dirt bike clutching a stolen broadcast that he hopes is from his grandfather. You see, Sean is a Vernian, a special breed of people convinced that everything Jules Verne wrote about was fact. Given his last adventure, he has good reason to feel that way and is convinced his grandfather is stuck on Verne’s Mysterious Island. Thankfully, he’s got a new stepfather played by The Rock whose navy training gives him the necessary skills to decode the message and kick some mythical creature ass. They head off to the coordinates they were sent and meet up with Luis Guzman and teen love interest Vanessa Hudgens as the father/daughter team who takes them there via a rickety helicopter. Shockingly, they end up trapped on the island with Sean’s grandpappy Michael Caine as their guide. Cue a series of CGI set pieces involving volcanoes of gold, riding giant bees, learning lessons about connecting with parents, and for some reason finding the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea .

Right off the bat, the 3D in this movie is fairly lackluster. While Journey 1 featured scenes with characters spitting into the camera every few minutes to take advantage of the new dimension, in Journey 2 it almost feels like an afterthought. Sure there are plenty of perfunctory action scenes, but they never really take advantage of 3D, which kind of seemed like the whole point of this franchise. The giant lizards and tiny elephants that populate the island are kind of fun, but honestly the trailer gives away every expensive sequence, so you can’t even count of getting some sort of minor joy or surprise there.

The cast is good in theory, they just have nothing to work with. The Rock knows how to charm and beat things up, but he’s grasping at straws with a boring, caring stepfather character. He does get to play the ukulele though, which is weird as hell to see, but it might be best to wait until the inevitable and numerous YouTube videos that will arise from the scene to catch it. Luis Guzman flails around and pulls pratfalls like a silent movie clown, while Hutcherson and Hudgens are stuck with drab pretty teen archetypes with little to no personality. Then there’s Michael Caine. You might be asking yourself, “What the shit is Michael Caine doing in Journey 2 ?” Well, he claims it’s for his grandkids, but this movie was shot in Hawaii and I’m sure that Caine had a nice relaxing time because he certainly wasn’t burdened with much acting to worry about.

So, as you probably worked out by now, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a bad movie. There’s really nothing in here you haven’t seen done better before and even Dwayne Johnson has a healthy list of movies on his resume that are better than this (and yes, that includes The Tooth Fairy ). To be fair, this movie is for children and I suppose that if you’re taking along a youngster who hasn’t seen many adventure movies or isn’t exhausted with 3D, the little tike could have a good time. The kid would probably have a better time with 80s family cheese like The Goonies , but that wouldn’t get him out of the house, so I can sympathize. Just bring along a pillow for yourself. You’re going to need it.

Metro Morning: Canadians at Cannes 2024

by Jason Gorber | May 24, 2024, 11:31 am

Our Editor-in-Chief Jason Gorber stops by CBC's Metro Morning to give listeners a preview of Canadian content at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Luxe Listings Toronto Review: New Real Estate Series is ‘Prime’ Weekend Viewing

by Erin Fernie | May 21, 2024, 3:00 pm

Prime Video's new unscripted series, Luxe Listings Toronto, centres on two agencies competing for the city's most exclusive and lavish properties.

Unboxing: Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 3 – The Asylum Years Vinyl Box Set

by Jason Gorber | November 3, 2023, 9:54 pm

In this Unboxing video, Jason Gorber checks out the Joni Mitchell Archives Volume 3 on vinyl and covers just what you get with this latest release.

Hazel and Katniss and Harry and Starr Podcast: Aquamarine

by Joe Lipsett | May 24, 2024, 2:55 pm

Aquamarine is discussed on Hazel and Katniss and Harry and Starr Podcast!

Movies & TV
Featured Categories
Action & Adventure

Buy new: #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventPriceAccordionT2 .a-price-whole { font-size: 28px !important; } #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventPriceAccordionT2 .a-price-fraction, #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventPriceAccordionT2 .a-price-symbol { top: -0.75em; font-size: 13px; } $33.42 $ 33 . 42 FREE delivery May 30 - June 4 Ships from: ICTBooks Sold by: ICTBooks

Save with used - good #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventpriceaccordiont2 .a-price-whole { font-size: 28px important; } #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventpriceaccordiont2 .a-price-fraction, #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventpriceaccordiont2 .a-price-symbol { top: -0.75em; font-size: 13px; } $13.24 $ 13 . 24 free delivery monday, june 3 on orders shipped by amazon over $35 ships from: amazon sold by: shop brilliant, return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

Go to your orders and start the return
Select the return method

Image Unavailable

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Three-Disc Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available
To view this video download Flash Player

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Three-Disc Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Prime Video $3.79 — $12.99
Blu-ray $40.55
Multi-Format $7.47

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together.

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

Journey Double Feature (Journey to the Center of the Earth / Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) [Blu-ray]

Product Description

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (3D Blu-ray+Blu-ray)

The follow-up to the 2008 hit! The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist—a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

It's tough being a teenage boy, especially when your mom's just remarried, you've moved to a new town and school, and your grandfather's gone missing. Sean (Josh Hutcherson) is angry and resentful, especially toward his mom's new husband Hank (Dwayne Johnson), and he's acting out in ways that just might land him in jail. Hank has been patiently trying to establish a rapport with Sean, even smoothing things over with local law enforcement officials. But Sean rebukes his every attempt at friendship, until he discovers that Hank might be useful in decoding a satellite message he's recently intercepted. The two learn that the message alludes to a mystery Jules Verne wrote about in his 1874 science fiction novel The Mysterious Island , a story that's fascinated Sean and his missing grandfather for years. Suddenly Sean and Hank find themselves in an uneasy alliance, and the two somehow convince Sean's mom that they need to head to Palau in pursuit of an island that, in all probability, doesn't exist. The two survive a stormy trip on a decrepit helicopter piloted by Gabato (Luis Guzmán) and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) to land on a mysterious Lilliputian island where big creatures are small, small creatures are big, and surprises lurk around every corner. It turns out that Sean's grandfather Alexander (Michael Caine) was the one who summoned them to the island, but his plans to announce their discovery to the world go awry when the group notices that the island is in danger of sinking--with all of them on it. So begins a desperate scramble to find a way off the island. This film is part adventure and part rite of passage, and it's full of juvenile humor and absurd coincidence. While all films require viewers to suspend some sense of disbelief, it's an almost Herculean effort in this movie: Hank can translate Morse code, is familiar with the same Jules Verne books as his new wife's son, knows how to interpret the tectonic signs of continental displacement and soil liquefaction, and can set a dislocated ankle in the middle of nowhere. As for the juvenile humor, it ranges from Hank's unlikely talent of washing away pain with a song and a ukulele to his advice that impressing women is as easy as performing the pectoral "Pec Pop of Love." While Dwayne Johnson has a history of pulling off the fantastical and ridiculous in films like Race to Witch Mountain , Tooth Fairy , and The Game Plan , this time it all feels just a bit too shallow and far-fetched. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 3.2 ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ WHV1000278469TD
Director ‏ : ‎ Brad Peyton
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, NTSC
Release date ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2012
Actors ‏ : ‎ Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Luis Guzmán
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Japanese, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Thai, Korean
Producers ‏ : ‎ Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson, Charlotte Huggins
Language ‏ : ‎ Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 4.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Thai (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Studio ‏ : ‎ WarnerBrothers
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007RCNQXW
Writers ‏ : ‎ Brian Gunn, Mark Gunn, Richard Outten
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
#1,503 in Kids & Family Blu-ray Discs
#6,922 in Action & Adventure Blu-ray Discs

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Newsletter
About Amazon
Accessibility
Sustainability
Press Center
Investor Relations
Amazon Devices
Amazon Science
Sell on Amazon
Sell apps on Amazon
Supply to Amazon
Protect & Build Your Brand
Become an Affiliate
Become a Delivery Driver
Start a Package Delivery Business
Advertise Your Products
Self-Publish with Us
Become an Amazon Hub Partner
› See More Ways to Make Money
Amazon Visa
Amazon Store Card
Amazon Secured Card
Amazon Business Card
Shop with Points
Credit Card Marketplace
Reload Your Balance
Amazon Currency Converter
Your Account
Your Orders
Shipping Rates & Policies
Amazon Prime
Returns & Replacements
Manage Your Content and Devices
Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
Your Ads Privacy Choices

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 review: a captivating tale of darkness and desolation

Into the world of icelandic wilds, winds, and words.

TechRadar Verdict

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a bleak yet deeply absorbing game - and one I’ve not played anything like before. Combat is a little simplistic, and some parts are pedestrian, but the remarkable visual and audio design, performances and acting, the intriguing narrative throughout, and a beguiling world that has one of the strongest senses of place I’ve experienced elevate the game wonderfully.

Superb acting and voice performance

Rich, mysterious, and atmospheric setting

Incredible design from audio to beautiful landscapes

Gripping narrative throughout

Embraces harrowing themes with confidence

Repetitive, limited combat

Very slow and empty at times

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Platform reviewed: Xbox Series X Available on: Xbox Series X|S, PC Release date: May 21, 2024

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a narrative-driven action game almost like no other. Developer Ninja Theory’s sequel to the 2017 game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice delivers a harrowing, bleak, and heavy experience that will live long in the memory.

Subtle and unobtrusive traversal, exploration, and combat mechanics collide with world-beating audio-visual design, out-of-this-world motion capture, and stellar character performances to bring a captivating adventure across Iceland in an unmissable tale.

While Senua’s journey in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 starts in relative simplicity - to confront slave traders and end the theft of her fellow Orkney people by Icelandic raiders - it soon becomes something much deeper and darker as she crosses a clutch of distinct and rugged Icelandic landscapes that are rich in a thick sense of place and atmosphere.

Some parts of that journey are overly slow and empty, and combat does get repetitive, but this sequel improves greatly on all that came before it in the first game. Senua’s experience and endurance of the world, her enemies, and herself is an intensely gripping one.

Senua traipsing through a storm in Senuas Saga Hellblade 2

This intensity is tangible from the beginning with Senua’s mental condition and voices in her head (The Furies) providing a constant soundtrack. Ever present in every step of her thought process, they immediately help to remind us of Senua’s mental state, but this time looking more outward than inward, informing how Senua sees the world.

Bringing this to life is breathtaking voice acting and performance capture, spearheaded once again by a stunning performance from Melina Juergens. Such is the conviction, grit, and intensity of Juergens’ portrayal of Senua, that it often feels like you’re channeling what Senua feels. The binaural audio design once again works video game magic to disorient, trick, and immerse you further into a unique cerebral experience.

From battling deep fear, guilt, and self-loathing, to concepts of sacrifice, a weight of responsibility to others, and the struggle to balance all these and keep pushing through the darkness toward the light, this is a character performance for the ages.

The supporting cast is an excellent addition too. A clutch of allies and companions join Senua across parts of her journey, offering insight, friendship, worldbuilding, and background. They are all voiced and portrayed excellently, and help to bring the journey and world to life with acute humanity and realism.

A landscape vista with a hut and rocky outcrops in Senuas Saga Hellblade 2

Barren but beautiful

One of the other stars brought to life with intense realism and accuracy in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the world and its spectacular environments. The landscape of Iceland has been rebuilt with such care and accuracy that you, and Senua, can almost feel the fury of the volcanoes and the tranquility of the ocean that formed it.

A landscape vista with lake and sunset in Senuas Saga Hellblade 2

It’s one of the most atmospheric game worlds I’ve ever experienced, and one of the best-looking Xbox Series X games to date. The sense of place it has is so rich in every location: from the most isolated, destroyed fishing shack on a stormy cliff edge, to the deepest darkest caves subtly lit with flickers of Senua’s torch, and from gloomy mysterious misty forests to desolate barren Icelandic landscapes, each location is beautiful and vividly brought to life. In every location this sense of place is heightened by other design elements; the score, the audio design, performances, voices, the weather, and lighting - it all comes together in moments across the landscapes and environments in such a powerful way.

Senua looking at a lore stone in Senuas Saga Hellblade 2

I found the smaller stories that are presented to Senua are some of the most captivating bits of narrative and lore in the game. Shown through ethereal visions and use of lighting, they are voiced superbly and poetically tell tales of tragedy or despair that perfectly complement the main story.

As a result, the world demands to be appreciated and soaked up, which complements the slower-paced parts of the game. I always found myself peering into every nook and cranny, searching rock formations for secrets, taking in views (and screenshots) through trees and over cliff edges, and rounding every corner to find one of the game’s lore stones to pull me deeper into the world.

Dotted throughout the larger areas of the environments are puzzles that expand on the first game and offer a greater range of interactions with the world. While some are similar to the first game’s - finding rune symbols in the landscape to open doors, for example - and none are particularly taxing, there are some reality-bending, world-altering puzzles that are exquisitely executed and satisfying to solve.

Senua battling a Draugar in Senuas Saga Hellblade 2

Combat is markedly improved from the first game - though remains a close relative. Senua’s moves and strikes are much slicker than in the first game, and each hit feels weighty and brutal. New graphic and bloody finisher animations emphasize this further, with each killing blow traveling from Senua’s hands to yours.

Timing is crucial and is the point at which you’ll find the most risk and satisfaction. One well-timed heavy strike can break an enemy's guard with a ringing clang, while one poorly-timed strike or dodge can leave you exposed. With the latter, enemies are quick to take advantage of such mistakes to beat you down. This is where the combat can feel hard, heavy, and brutal - even if you never really feel in danger of ever dying.

The tools available to Senua are stripped back with only a light and heavy attack, a dodge, a block, and her focus ability (which slows down time) available to utilize. While I can recognize that the game is gunning for a more cinematic experience, enlivening combat with some more moves or weapons would have helped spice things up on a moment-to-moment level.

A swordfight encounter between Senua and a Draugar enemy in Senuas Saga Hellblade 2

Imperfect ripples

For all it does expertly and impactfully, however, there are chinks in the leather armor of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 . For example, that excellent and detailed audio design can often go too far. In some darker environments, it appeared that some ‘scary-sounding’ noises were added to an already-tense environment too heavy-handedly for the sake of it. Elsewhere, the Furies that reside in Senua’s head can offer too much chatter, strange commentary that doesn’t match the action, or over-explain things repetitively. In these instances, letting some silence do the talking could have worked wonders.

It swings the other way at points, however, when some long walks through the Icelandic landscapes become far too long and empty. These can drag on, making for some uneven pacing at points, especially when all you’re doing is pushing forward on the left stick.

Combat is lean to a fault too; mainly because it becomes repetitive. You only ever fight enemies one-on-one, and once you learn the different enemies’ movesets, you’ve basically seen all the combat on offer. However, this is slightly offset by the gruesome and slick animations and finishers.

Minor grumbles aside, every single one of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 ’s elements, be they design features and details, puzzle nuances, or gameplay mechanics, combine to create an experience that is far greater than the sum of those parts.

It is such a well-designed, well-polished, and well-crafted game that it’s a clear demonstration of video games being the art form they can be. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 might not take you a long time to finish - but it will leave an indelible mark on you.

Accessibility

There are a number of accessibility features in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 . Graphically, there are motion blur adjustments to be had, as well as three color blind modes on offer: Deuteranope, Protanope, and Tritanope. On the audio front, there are menu narration settings to tinker with, adjustments to be made on the SFX mix, and you can change subtitles’ display settings while making adjustments to text size, some animations, and UI color schemes.

You can also change bits in the game’s action such as initiate self-play for offensive and/or defensive combat actions (where the game takes control of fights for you, removing any difficulty), customize your inputs, and adjust the camera bob settings.

Should I play Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Play it if....

You want to play a gripping game full of immersive detail The game’s focus on mental health, combined with its intense performances, atmospheric location, and immersive cinematic setting meant this game offers a unique experience.

You want the highest quality audio-visual experience The audio design and photorealistic art style of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is of an incredibly high -standard; one of the highest I’ve ever seen. If accuracy and realism in visuals, and multi-faceted, brilliant binaural audio design is what intrigues you, then the game will not disappoint.

Don't play it if...

You’re after a chilled and relaxed game Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is not for the faint-hearted. It wears its heavy, bleak, and harrowing themes on its sleeve, and offers a very particular kind of intense experience about darkness, the human psyche and mental health, and tales of sadness.

You enjoy multi-faceted combat Senua only has four moves when it comes to combat in the game, and while the animations are slick and brutal, it reveals itself as very simple early on and becomes repetitive.

How we reviewed Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

I played Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 for about nine hours, finishing its main story as well as exploring as many nooks and crannies of the game world as I could. I played the game on Xbox Series X on a Samsung Q6F 4K QLED TV, with my Thrustmaster eSwap X 2 controller and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 headset . While Ninja Theory advises to play with a headset or headphones, I found that the game’s audio does perform nicely on a soundbar.

Revisiting the first Hellblade game to completion in the past few weeks also gave me a great reference point for this sequel, enabling me to appreciate and interrogate the second game and where it differed or advanced from its predecessor.

First reviewed May 2024.

Rob is the Managing Editor of TechRadar Gaming, a video games journalist, critic, editor, and writer, and has years of experience gained from multiple publications. Prior to being TechRadar Gaming's Managing Editor, he was TRG's Deputy Editor, and a longstanding member of GamesRadar+, being the Commissioning Editor for Hardware there for years, while also squeezing in a short stint as Gaming Editor at WePC just before joining TechRadar Gaming. He is also a freelance writer on tech, gaming hardware, video games, gardens, and landscapes and is crowdfunding a book on video game landscapes that you can back and pre-order now too.

This 4K monitor with a 1,000Hz refresh rate is impressive but ultimately useless

Lenovo unveils surprisingly affordable AMD Ryzen 8000 mobile workstation — but why they saddled this capable workhorse with a puny 39WHr battery is beyond me

I've been skeptical about 8K, but I'm testing one of Samsung's new 8K mini-LED TVs and I'm starting to believe

Most Popular

‘Hellblade II’ is awe-inspiring to look at — not so much to play

‘Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’ is an eye-popping, immersive experience — but a regression from the first game.

“Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II” may have lots to say about the reality of people with psychosis, but studio Ninja Theory already said much of it, and better, in 2017.

The British studio, under Xbox ownership since 2018, released the first “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” as an art house project — it was marketed as an “independent AAA” — with industry-leading visual presentation. It won much-deserved critical acclaim due to the seriousness with which it addressed people with mental illness (rare in a medium that usually dismisses mental illness as “crazy”), and because it was created by a motley crew of just 20 developers.

After 6 years and a staff of 80 people, “Hellblade II” arrives Tuesday (on PC and Xbox platforms) to continue Senua’s story. The first game detailed Senua’s cartoonishly tragic past as she learned to look past her father’s abuse to accept the death of her mother, her lover and her entire hometown. This time, she travels to Iceland to find her missing people and take revenge on those who killed her loved ones. “Sacrifice” was practically a one-woman show with novice Melina Juergens putting on a compelling, if overwrought, performance. “Saga” introduces a wider cast of characters, and the game is largely about how Senua navigates dealing with other people in a new land.

Iceland, it turns out, seems to be haunted by giants. Senua’s last journey had her fight gods, but the game made clear it didn’t reflect reality. This time, supernatural elements seem to be a shared reality among Senua and Iceland’s native people. The games never outright say Senua has psychosis; you need external media like documentaries and interviews with developers to know this. Thus, the stories layer mythology over its depiction of mental illness. This makes for terrific visuals, and “Hellblade II” makes a strong case for the most impressive looking frames in video games at the moment. Its robust photo mode helps capture this game’s realistic and gritty beauty in every frame.

Its character rendering technology, powered by Unreal Engine, is unparalleled. In many frames, the 3D models look indistinguishable from real people. Finally, here is a game that matches the visuals of that famous “Matrix” demo distributed by Unreal creator Epic Games .

All this visual fidelity comes at a cost. The sequel is a lesser game than its predecessor. There are fewer combat mechanics in play, removing the melee button and directional attacks and replacing them with nothing. Perspective puzzles to make background details match rune symbols return, unevolved from the 2017 model. The scale of the puzzles are also smaller, as the game’s level design has shrunk. The former game had larger areas with vertical structures. This game’s level design is mostly a straight line, with a few small puzzle areas to break up the pacing.

It’s still an eye-popping, immersive experience. The use of binaural audio remains convincing and compelling, paired with moments of genuine beauty and tenderness. When others treat Senua with respect and kindness, the game finally shimmers with much-needed warmth, before reverting back to its exhausting depiction of cold anguish. Juergens puts on a memorable performance, but this is the second game to write for Senua a one-note performance of torment and rage. “You will never leave your past behind,” growls her father’s voice. Try as they might, Senua, and Ninja Theory, just can’t seem to shake off what happened in 2017.

As such, “Hellblade II” as a gameplay experience is a regression from the first game. As a story, it’s intriguing enough to stay for the ride, especially on the back of Thórgestr, Senua’s first companion and one whose motivations are key for the end conflict. The payoff is questionable, and will likely be the subject of debate. I’ll fall on the side of disappointment.

At $50 and about six to eight hours of play total, “Hellblade II” is worth a peek if you’re interested in what games could look like in the future. Imagine an “Elden Ring” that looks like this! Will I live long enough to see it? So I’m grateful “Hellblade II” exists today to give me a glimpse. I just wish it had a little more to say, and gave us a little more to do.

Cast & crew

Inside Out 2

Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions. Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions. Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.

Kelsey Mann
Dave Holstein
Meg LeFauve
Amy Poehler
Phyllis Smith
Lewis Black

Embarrassment

Riley Andersen

Mrs. Andersen

Mr. Andersen

Valentina 'Val' Ortiz

Coach Roberts

Subconscious Guard Frank

Subconscious Guard Dave

Forgetter Bobby

Forgetter Paula
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

The Big List of Summer Movies

More like this

Did you know

Trivia The first trailer received 157 million online views within the first 24 hours, more than any other Disney animated film, surpassing Frozen II (2019) , with 116 million views.

Riley Anderson : [from the trailer] I'M THE WORST!

Mom's Anger : Welp, there's a preview of the next ten years.

Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The D23 Expo 2022 Special (2022)
When will Inside Out 2 be released? Powered by Alexa
June 14, 2024 (United States)
United States
Instagram - Disney's Announcement
Instagram - Pixar's Announcement
Những Mảnh Ghép Cảm Xúc 2
Walt Disney Feature Animation - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA (Studio)
Pixar Animation Studios
Walt Disney Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 40 minutes
Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos
12-Track Digital Sound
D-Cinema 96kHz Dolby Surround 7.1
D-Cinema 96kHz 7.1

More to explore

Demon Slayer Season 4 Ep 2 Review: Giyu's Backstory Saves A Boring Episode

The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 2, "Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka's Pain," now streaming on Crunchyroll .

Demon Slayer Season 4 has yet to roll out full steam ahead even though there's still a lot of story to develop. From Nezuko able to withstand the sun to Tanjiro's mysterious mark manifesting in other Hashira, the Demon Slayer corps has much to ponder. What may seem like a problem is a blessing in disguise, as attaining this mark may hold the key to defeating the villainous Muzan Kibutsuji once and for all. Thus begins the Hashira Training Arc with a renewed hope that the Corps has been missing for so long after frequently losing comrades to the demons. The latest season looks to prepare for a coming battle, which has been in the works since the anime started.

Currently streaming on Crunchyroll , Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 2 is not the episode fans were hoping for. As the title suggests, Giyu's backstory takes center stage. But this is not a simple flashback arc that dumps a bucketload of emotions on the viewer. So far, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has gathered an immense fan following on the back of its flashy fight scenes, slapstick comedy, and intense character arcs. Even though Season 4, Episode 2 does not tick all the boxes in that regard, it wears its heart on its sleeve with a heartfelt story that gives Tanjiro a challenge that not even a Nichirin Sword can scratch.

Tanjiros Latest Mission Leads to an Emotional Journey

Demon slayer takes a breather before season 4 even starts, demon slayer season 4, episode 1 review: a sluggish start for the fan-favorite anime.

It seems that the insipid pace that permeated the last episode is not something the anime will be letting go of easily. Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 2 picks up from where it left off, with one of Kagaya Ubuyashiki's crows inviting Lady Tamayo to the Demon Slayer Corps mansion to use her expertise in demon physiology to defeat Muzan. Although the first few minutes borrow from the previous episode, the aftermath of that brief meeting has the added bonus of watching the overprotective Yushiro run to his master in the most comical fashion. The main story picks up another loose thread left behind by Episode 1 when Tanjiro receives a letter from Kagaya Ubuyashiki himself, urging him to bring Giyu out of his shell. From here on out, the anime only follows Tanjiro as he, in turn, follows his target, turning the episode into a two-character play for the entire runtime.

With how stubborn both these characters are, this act goes on for a prolonged length of the runtime, so much so that day turns to night and night turns to day, and neither budges from their stance. Like the previous episode, the story adapts two back-to-back chapters of the manga, with some scenes taken straight from the panels. Much of the narrative is about who will budge first – whether it is the overzealous Tanjiro who gets fed up with the task or Giyu giving in to the poking and prodding. Demon Slayer 's slow-burning pace is still a problem , with no mystery or tension in the tale. That said, it is fun to see the comical side of their interaction play out. The emotional gut punch comes later when the episode delves into flashbacks, unearthing some deep, dark memories that stir something in the Water Hashira.

It is evident that even though Episode 2 is a standalone tale, series director Haruo Sotozaki wants to do away with all the exposition when he has the audience's undivided attention. The final act is simply a scene with the Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho and her apprentice Kanao as the former prepares to reveal the secret to kill the demon that murdered her sister. Although the scene ends abruptly, it is an intriguing narrative that connects with the opening scene. Together, they bookend the Giyu's story arc. Unfortunately, two episodes in a row more or less prove that Season 4 has no plot in mind and is solely relying on a laid-back vibe .

What's Eating Giyu Tomioka?

Giyus confession is the centerpiece of season 4, episode 2, 10 demon slayer fights fans want to see in season 4.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 2 keeps things simple with a handful of characters, ironically shining much of the spotlight on the one Hashira who likes to keep away from the hubbub. The episode even openly calls out this trait in Giyu, where he puts himself in "a negative frame of mind." For a long period, this behavior has been unbecoming of his station, with his peers taking it as a sign of disrespect and Kagaya Ubuyashiki rightly believing it to be the weakest link in the Corps' unity. It turns out Giyu's aversion to joining the Hashira training does not stem from any sense of superiority, but rather the opposite: it is his deep-rooted inferiority complex. If there is someone who can break Giyu out of his introverted self, it's Tanjiro. Not because he's the protagonist or an extrovert, but because he is the only one who has seen the softer side to the Water Hashira.

Tanjiro's persistence throughout the tale deserves praise, as does his voice actor, Natsuki Hanae, for his comedic timing. Tanjiro and Giyu form the perfect double act with their contrasting personalities. Sometimes, the young demon slayer gets carried away in his efforts and remains aloof to invading his senior's personal space. While other times, he straight up invites him to an eating challenge, perplexing Giyu to no end. The fun and games continue until the flashback scene, on which the whole foundation of the episode stands. It's hard to watch Giyu go through the heartbreak of losing his best friend, as much as it is hard for him to realize his current life trajectory is the farthest thing his friend would have wished for him.

A feeling of somberness engulfs the episode as Giyu recounts his past, opening the floodgates to some walled-up emotions. As empathetic as Tanjiro is, he relates to everything that Giyu feels. After Rengoku's death, Tanjiro went through the same emotions where he felt lesser before the greatness of the Flame Hashira. Unlike Giyu, he has kept working on himself to keep Rengoku's fiery hope alight. While Giyu has progressively curled up within himself, dissociating himself from the past and present. The breakthrough only takes a moment but leaves a profound effect on all parties involved. Demon Slayer has always been big on touching storytelling, and Season 4, Episode 2 solidifies the anime's emotional core as its strongest asset.

Demon Slayers Animation Creates a Laid-Back Style

Ufotable shows it is still at the top of the game, dragon ball episode 6 retro review: keep an eye on the dragon balls loses its way with crude, creepy comedy.

Given that there's not much excitement going on, the episode lets the viewer enjoy the serenity of the countryside and the Sengoku-era rustic architecture of the Ubuyashiki mansion. From little streams of waterbodies to the greenery in the background, Ufotable proves that good animation does not require extravagant fight scenes or eye-catching special effects . Sometimes, simple attention to detail around the frames, the angle at which the light hits the characters, and the dance-off between the colorful hues and muted tones are enough to leave an everlasting impression on the viewer. The characters' comedic faces are one of the highlights for an episode that has very little to offer in the way of plot progression. Even the music from Go Shiina and Yuki Kajiura suffers because of the episode's bare-bones structure.

Demon Slayer Season 4 needs to amp up its intensity if it really wants fans to keep returning to the anime every week . Unfortunately, this season has been delving into one exposition after another without throwing any bone to the audience. It's not easy to adapt a manga into anime, but it's even harder to adapt it scene-by-scene, which seems to be the problem behind Season 4's sluggish start . Thankfully, the animation and voice actors carry Episode 2 on their backs , bringing a long-anticipated backstory to life. The calm before the storm only seems to get louder as the audience waits with bated breath for some quality training scenes.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 2

When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.

A heartfelt story with intermittent comic relief draws the audience into Giyu's backstory.
Gorgeous art and animation from Ufotable is always a pro.
The episode lacks a plot like it lacks pace.
Heavy exposition wears down the viewer.
Lacks the zest with which the Hashira Training arc started.
Narratives focus on characters but gives them neither agency nor action.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Ep 2 Review: Giyu's Backstory Saves A Boring Episode

Planned Release Date: 6 Jun, 2024

This game plans to unlock in approximately 11 days

About This Game

Hup hup and away, have your cake… and cup it too.

If it Smells, Skip it!

System Requirements

OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core m3-7Y39 CPU @ 1.00GHz, 1608 Mhz, 2 Cores, 4 Logical Processors
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Compute shader support is required (Shader Model 5.0 GPU or higher)
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 8 GB available space
OS: Windows 11
Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12650H, 2300 Mhz, 10 Cores, 16 Logical Processors
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Laptop GPU
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 64 GB available space

More from the_hardest_salute

Popular user-defined tags for this product: (?)

IMAGES

First UK Poster Released for Dwayne Jonhnson's Journey 2
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Buy Journey 2
Journey 2 blu-ray 3D the Mysterious Island unboxing review
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Movie Review and Ratings by Kids
Journey 2- The Mysterious Island Trailer in 3d

VIDEO

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Hollywood Movie
Journey PS4 vs PS3 Graphics Comparison
Trine 2 Complete Story
Is Toy Story 2 the BEST licensed game?
Robinson.The.Journey 4k vr video part2
Mid Journey to 3D Asset

COMMENTS

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
TRAILER. Journey 2. In Theaters At Home TV Shows. Now 17, Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from an island where none should exist. Knowing that he will not be able ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Undeniably an exhilarating family friendly, action adventure that'll no doubt thrill younger audiences. Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 13, 2018. Like its predecessor, Journey 2: The ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Review
Of course, with a fairly merciful running time of 94 minutes, there's a lot of plot that gets glossed over in favor of animal chase scenes and goofball shenanigans. The entire story is predicated ...
Blu-ray News and Reviews
Warner Home Video brings 'Journey 2' to Blu-ray as a three-disc combo pack with a code for an UltraViolet digital copy. The first two Blu-rays are Region Free, BD50 discs with one the 3D version while the second is the 2D release with all the supplements. Inside a regular blue keepcase with a lenticular slipcover is also DVD-9 copy.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Blu-ray Review
For this review, we'll be looking at the two-disc combo pack. Journey 2 features a 1080p/AVC encode, with a soundtrack mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Shot with Sony CineAlta F35 cameras, the ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D (Blu-ray) Official
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Video featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of XXX Mbps. So far I have been satisfied with what I have seen of the natively shot 3D offerings that have come to Blu-ray and Journey 2 is no exception.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D Review
The feel of this island is intact at home, those dramatic pauses to soak up the scale of specific talking points still felt on Blu-ray. With well controlled compression schemes, Journey 2's grandest (and some would say cheesiest) elements are conveyed with reverence for the material. When the camera swoops in close, the texture will adorn the ...
'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' Review
On the whole, Journey 2 is just a fun ride from beginning to end. In this sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, we catch up with young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson), now a bit older and getting into all kinds of mischief.Sean's mom (Kristin Davis) and step-dad Hank (Dwayne Johnson) try to pry the reason for his bad behavior out of the recalcitrant teen, and Hank finally manages to ...
JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND Blu-ray Review
I guess it's for little children. Still, painless. Warner Brothers presents the film on Blu-ray in widescreen (1.85:1) and in 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio. The transfer is excellence. The Blu-ray set ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Summary. In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit "Journey to the Center of the Earth," the new 3D family adventure "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" begins when 17-year-old Sean Anderson ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island review
Reviews Journey 2: The Mysterious Island review. ... Even the 3D was an unexpected delight, providing plenty of theme park style moments to the effects, though scenes might prove a little too ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island: THE HTF ADDICT 3D REVIEW
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island arrives as a 3-disc (Blu-ray. 3D+Blu-ray+DVD+Ultraviolet) combo pack housed in a lenticular. cardboard sleeve. Special Features on the Blu-ray include. deleted scenes, a gag reel, and Interactive Adventure guided. by star Josh Hutcherson who gives survival tips skills of.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island: Directed by Brad Peyton. With Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Luis Guzmán. Sean Anderson partners with his mom's husband on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Chris Chiarella | Sep 4, 2012 Picture 3D-Ness Sound Extras Interactivity. An old adage (OK, I just made it up) says that if you're going to make a movie in 3D, you'd better give the audience something interesting to look at. The Mysterious Island does just that, dazzling the eyes ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the 'sequel' of Journey to the Centre of Earth (starring Brendan Fraser). Actually, I really don't know why they consider it a sequel because the story is completely different - the only similarities are the author of the books in which the films were based on (Jules Verne) and the character of Sean Anderson that appears in both movies.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Movie Review
Parents need to know that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the sequel to 2008's entertaining Journey to the Center of the Earth. The Hunger Games' Josh Hutcherson is the sole returning cast member, but the tone is very similar to the original. Overall, it's a family-friendly adventure -- albeit one with frequent tense chases, monster attacks, and a somewhat scary helicopter crash (some of ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Review
Right off the bat, the 3D in this movie is fairly lackluster. While Journey 1 featured scenes with characters spitting into the camera every few minutes to take advantage of the new dimension, in Journey 2 it almost feels like an afterthought. Sure there are plenty of perfunctory action scenes, but they never really take advantage of 3D, which ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D Movie Reviews
Go to previous offer. See an exclusive free screening of Shōgun Be the first to catch the new series; Buy Pixar movie tix to unlock Buy 2, Get 2 deal And bring the whole family to Inside Out 2; Save $10 on 4-film movie collection When you buy a ticket to Ordinary Angels; Gift a ticket to The Color Purple As seen on Oprah's Favorite Things; Give and get a ticket to The Book of Clarence Through ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + UV Copy
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + UV Copy) [Region Free] Format: Blu-ray. 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11,616 ratings. IMDb5.7/10.0. ... Book reviews & recommendations : IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Product Description. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (3D Blu-ray+Blu-ray) The follow-up to the 2008 hit! The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist—a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than ...
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Three-Disc Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Product Description. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (3D Blu-ray+Blu-ray) The follow-up to the 2008 hit! The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist—a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 review: a captivating tale of ...
Platform reviewed: Xbox Series X Available on: Xbox Series X|S, PC Release date: May 21, 2024. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a narrative-driven action game almost like no other. Developer Ninja ...
Review
Review by Gene Park. May 21, 2024 at 4:00 a.m. EDT "Senua's Saga: Hellblade II" is a simple game, but features industry-leading 3D character rendering. ... Senua's last journey had her fight ...
Zo's Injury Break Down, Returning To The Chicago Bulls, and ...
This week on What An Experience Podcast the guys talk about Lonzo's injury status and what happened to him exactly. Can NFL players play in the NBA and vice ...
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Inside Out 2: Directed by Kelsey Mann. With Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale. Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering new emotions.
'Flow' Review: A Cat's Post-Cataclysmic Survival Story
'Flow' Review: An Enchanting Eco-Fable About Community That Makes Artisanal Magic Out of 3D Animation. Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis' second feature tails a cat that bands together with ...
RomeLab: Funerals, Families, Networks, the Built Environment and 3D
Join us for the last lunch seminar of the year with Chris Johanson, Associate Professor in Classics and Digital Humanities at UCLA. He will talk about the genesis of RomeLab's computational exploration of the Roman aristocratic funeral, its spatial contexts, its prosopographical networks, and the tools generated through this journey. Zoom participation available. RSVP here for lunch count and ...
Demon Slayer Season 4 Ep 2 Review: Giyu's Backstory Saves A ...
Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 2. 6 /10. When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As ...
Hup Hup The Cupcake on Steam
Hup Hup and Away! Life is sweet with Hup Hup the Cupcake! With no bills, no worries, and no end in sight, Hup Hup spends his days roaming the blissful sky, hopping across grassy lumps in a dreamlike journey above the clouds. Leap between towering platforms in search of the sacred Finish Dish. Set your own challenge as you play through batches ...