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"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" looks like nothing so much as one of those live-action adventures that Disney used to grind out in the 1950s — and hey, here's Captain Nemo's Nautilus to prove it. Also, a tree house to humble "Swiss Family Robinson," which contains a short-wave radio that has been assembled from old spoons, I think I heard.

The movie is very, very loosely a sequel to " Journey to the Center of the Earth ," with only two connections: It's inspired by a Jules Verne novel, and it co-stars young Josh Hutcherson as the hero Sean. The film opens with him on a motorcycle and being chased by cops, but not to worry; all he did was break into a satellite-tracking station to boost the power on a message for help sent by his grandfather from a lost island in the Pacific.

Sean, whose father in the first film ( Brendan Fraser ) has disappeared (from the cast, anyway), now has to deal with Hank ( Dwayne Johnson , aka the Rock). Hank is his new stepdad. Josh and Hank make friends by decrypting grandfather's message; Hank glances at it and intuits that the two-syllable words stand for dots and one-syllable words stand for dashes, which means Grandpa has had enough free time on his remote island to figure out a way to make Morse code several times longer than it previously was. Unanswered is why grandfather would encrypt a call for help.

This Hank, what a swell guy. He proposes that the two of them fly off to the Pacific and find Grandpa. On arrival somewhere, they hire a tourist helicopter pilot named Gabato, played by Luis Guzman as another one of those low-comedy guys who gets all worked up and is scared of stuff. (I enjoyed a reprise of this classic shot: Gabato runs toward camera, falls on stomach, looks up …and up … and up.)

Gabato has a daughter named Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ), a Polynesian beauty who wears a tank top and Daisy Dukes throughout the film. These four fly off in the helicopter, are trapped in a Force Five hurricane that rips it to pieces and are lucky enough to find themselves alive on the beach of the Mysterious Island.

This is your complete island. It has an active volcano; waterfalls with no apparent water sources streaming down cliffs; elephants the size of dogs, and giant lizards that are nowhere big enough to account for the size of their eggs. (Josh falls through the shell of one, splashes in a pool of yolk and is attacked by an unborn lizard chick.) Also on the island is the lost city of Atlantis, even though it's in the wrong ocean, and bees so big Sean and Kailani can both ride on the back of one. And Alexander Anderson, Sean's grandfather, played by Michael Caine , who will not be editing this role into his videos about how to act in movies.

I hope you understand I enjoyed most of this stuff. The director, Brad Peyton , apparently intended it as a genial parody of countless other movies in this spirit. There is, for example, a scene were Sean, Grandpa, Kailani and Gabato all sit around the old campfire and listen while Hank strums a ukulele and sings "What a Wonderful World." And I mean he sings it: every word of three verses. It's not every day you see the Rock channeling Gene Autry.

Sean deduces that Verne's novel contains everything they need to know, and this comes in handy when the volcano explodes, and the island begins to sink into the sea. Sure enough, Captain Nemo's submarine is still hidden underwater. Hank and Sean, trusting Verne, dive off a high cliff, and while holding their breath and swimming underwater, are able to (1) find the sub, (2) open the hatch by tugging and twisting it, (3) swim inside, (4) push a lever to fill it with air, and (5) get the power generator working by jump-starting it with an electric eel.

This is transcendently goofy. It isn't a "good" movie in the usual sense (or most senses), but it is jolly and good-natured, and Michael Caine and Dwayne Johnson are among the most likable of actors. Johnson is such a good sport, he even shows young Sean how to impress girls by flexing your pecs so quickly that nuts will ricochet off them. I can't think of any reason to pay extra for the 3-D.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Journey 2: Mysterious Island (2012)

Rated PG for some adventure action, and brief mild language

Dwayne Johnson as Hank

Michael Caine as Alexander

Josh Hutcherson as Sean

Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani

Luis Guzman as Gabato

Directed by

• Brad Peyton

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a 2012 American science fantasy action-adventure film [4] directed by Brad Peyton and produced by Beau Flynn , Tripp Vinson and Charlotte Huggins. A sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), the film is based on Jules Verne 's The Mysterious Island (1875). It stars Dwayne Johnson , Michael Caine , Josh Hutcherson , Vanessa Hudgens , Luis Guzmán , and Kristin Davis . The storyline was written by Richard Outten , Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, and the screenplay by Brian and Mark Gunn.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was released in cinemas on February 10, 2012, by Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema and Walden Media to mixed reviews, [5] [6] but was a box office success with a worldwide gross of $335 million, surpassing its predecessor. [3] It was released on DVD/Blu-ray on June 5, 2012.

• 3.1 Casting
• 3.2 Short film
• 4.1 Theatrical release
• 4.2 Home media
• 5.1 Box office
• 5.2 Critical response
• 5.3 Accolades
• 6 Soundtrack
• 10 See also
• 11 References
• 12 External links

Four years after his adventure in the center of the earth , 17-year-old Sean Anderson is arrested by the police for breaking into a satellite control center in hopes of enhancing a coded signal that could have been sent by his long-missing grandfather, Alexander Anderson. Wanting to bond with Sean, his new stepfather Hank Parsons helps decipher the code, which leads to three books: Treasure Island , Gulliver's Travels , and Jules Verne's Mysterious Island . Using the books' individual maps, Hank uses a backlight to make them a single island, complete with the coordinates to its location. Hoping to prove to Sean that there is no mysterious island there, Hank agrees to take him to where the coordiantes point to.

In Palau, Hank reluctantly hires helicopter tourism guide Gabato and his daughter Kailani (on whom Sean develops an immediate crush) to fly to the coordinates, as they are the only ones willing to take them. The helicopter gets caught in a cyclone and they crash into the Pacific, waking up on the island.

Moving inland, they are shocked to discover miniature elephants (which belong to a prehistoric species, the Dwarf sicilian elephant) and giant butterflies. After coming across an egg clutch, Gabato accidentally wakes up a giant frilled lizard, which chases them throughout the jungle. They nearly get eaten, but are saved by Alexander. He takes them to a hut he built from the wreckage of the ship that brought him to the island. He has a working radio, but due to the positioning of the satellite, it will be two weeks before they can call out.

The next morning, Alexander leads the group to the lost city of Atlantis, which rises every 70 years and sinks again after a couple of days. Their only means of salvation seems to be the legendary Nautilus , Captain Nemo's submarine. Kailani enters Nemo's crypt and finds his journal, which shows that Nautilus is in a cave at Poseidon's Cliffs.

To go there, they mount giant bees and fly over a high ridge. When giant bee-eater birds try to devour them, Sean saves Kailani's life, but dislocates his ankle. Hank and Alexander reset Sean's ankle, then the group has a bonding moment when Hank sings his rendition of "What a Wonderful World" to ease Sean's pain.

The next morning, the water rises greatly and Hank deduces that the island will sink in a matter of hours. Gabato is missing, having gone toward the island's volcano in search of gold. While Alexander and Kailani go after him, Sean and Hank head for Poseidon's Cliffs.

To reach Nautilus ' underwater cave, Sean and Hank create makeshift oxygen tanks and dive down fifty feet, but are nearly killed by a giant electric moray eel. The 140-year-old batteries have run down, so they engineer a way to start the submarine with the eel's electricity.

Kailani and Alexander find Gabato and convince him to escape with them instead of trying for the volcano. As they near Poseidon's Cliffs, the volcano erupts. Sean and Hank arrive in Nautilus just in time to rescue the others from the water. Gabato pilots the submarine out of harm's way while Hank and Sean fire torpedoes into the path of falling debris. As they clear the dangers, Kailani kisses Sean for his bravery.

Six months later, Kailani and Gabato are well off, as he runs the most popular tourist attraction on Palau – tours aboard the Nautilus . Kailani visits Sean on his birthday. While the family celebrates, Alexander arrives with a book for Sean's birthday present – Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon , Alexander's suggestion for the next new adventure with the family.

• Dwayne Johnson as Hank , Sean's stepfather and a former Navy code breaker.
• Michael Caine as Alexander , Sean's grandfather who is the father of Max and Trevor Anderson from the previous film .
• Josh Hutcherson as Sean , Hank's stepson who wants to find his missing grandfather on the Mysterious Island.
• Luis Guzmán as Gabato , Kailani's father, who is part of the father-daughter tour guide team.
• Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani , part of the father-daughter tour guide company and Sean’s love interest.
• Kristin Davis as Liz, Sean's mother and Hank's wife. Portrayed by Jane Wheeler in the previous film .
• Anna Colwell as Jessica
• Stephen Caudill as Cop, a police officer who is a friend of Hank's.
• Branscombe Richmond as Tour Guide
• Walter Bankson as Hockey Player

Production [ ]

After the commercial success of the first film, New Line Cinema and Walden Media purchased Richard Outten 's spec script, Mysterious Travels , in March 2009 to serve as the basis for the film. In the story, the characters embark on a journey to a mysterious uncharted island thought to have inspired the writing of three literary classics: Robert Louis Stevenson 's Treasure Island , Jonathan Swift 's Gulliver's Travels , and Jules Verne 's Mysterious Island . Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn were chosen to revise Outten's script. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema announced that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island would be released on February 10, 2012.

Casting [ ]

Josh Hutcherson was the only actor to reprise his role. Due to scheduling issues, Brendan Fraser and Anita Briem did not return. Kristin Davis replaced Jane Wheeler as Sean's mother Liz. Dwayne Johnson played Sean's stepfather, who is forced to accompany Sean on the trip to find his missing grandfather Alexander (played by Michael Caine ) on a mythical and monstrous island. [7] Vanessa Hudgens was cast as Hutcherson's love interest, Kailani.

Short film [ ]

The theatrical release of the film was preceded by a Looney Tunes short film titled Daffy's Rhapsody , featuring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the first CG or 3-D depiction of these specific Looney Tunes characters. The short film's director, Matthew O'Callaghan, noted that " Daffy Rhapsody was originally recorded in the early 1950s as part of a kids' album". Unlike the earlier CG Looney Tunes shorts that appeared before Happy Feet Two and Yogi Bear , this short did not appear on the home video release of the film it accompanied.

Release [ ]

Theatrical release [ ].

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was released in cinemas on February 10, 2012, by Warner Bros. Pictures , Walden Media and New Line Cinema . The film was accompanied by a 3D Looney Tunes short titled Daffy's Rhapsody . The short was originally going to play before Happy Feet Two , but was replaced with I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat to go along with the bird theme.

Home media [ ]

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was released on DVD/Blu-ray on June 5, 2012.

Reception [ ]

Box office [ ].

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island grossed $103.9 million in North America and $231.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $335.3 million, against a production budget of $79 million [8] surpassing its predecessor . [9] [10] In North America, the film earned a $6.54 million on its debut Friday, ranking fourth at the box office. [11] Over the weekend, it earned $27.3 million, coming in third place, much higher than the original's $21.0 million debut. [12] Outside North America, Journey 2 began its run three weeks before its North American release. [13] It topped the box office outside North America for two consecutive weekends [14] and three in total. [15] It surpassed the original's total outside North America. [16] Its highest-grossing region after North America was China ($58.4 million), [17] followed by Russia and the CIS ($17.6 million) and Mexico ($12.7 million). [18]

Critical response [ ]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 44% based on 131 reviews with an average rating of 4.92/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Aggressively unambitious, Journey 2 might thrill teen viewers, but most others will find it too intense for young audiences and too cartoonishly dull for adults". [5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 41 out of 100 based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [6] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [19]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B grade, stating that "the movie flies by pleasantly, and is then instantly forgettable. Perhaps Jules Verne can explain the science of that". [ citation needed ]

Accolades [ ]

Soundtrack [ ].

• Letterbomb - Performed by Green Day
• Sleep Forever - Performed by Crocodiles
• Aloha Oe - Performed by Dwayne Johnson
• Hello Again - Performed by Meta & The Cornerstones
• Three Little Birds - Performed by Bob Marley & The Wailers
• What a Wonderful World - Performed by Dwayne Johnson

In August 2014, Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes were announced to write the script for a third film. [21] Brad Peyton and Dwayne Johnson were expected to direct and star in the sequel, respectively. [22] It was later stated that there would be two sequels. [23] By January 2018 however, Johnson stated despite the financial success of The Mysterious Island , and although a third film titled Journey from the Earth to the Moon was intended, its development had been cancelled due to a lack of immediate interest and troubles in adequately adapting the novel. [24] Despite this, reports from Hollywood production insiders arose in August 2020, stating that a sequel was once again in development. In December 2021, Hiram Garcia confirmed that Warner Bros. Pictures wants a sequel film, though Seven Bucks Productions decided to delay development in favor of pursuing other projects. [25]

Gallery [ ]

See also [ ]

• Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 film)

References [ ]

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012): Full Production Credits" . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 4, 2013 . Retrieved March 23, 2012 . <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
• ↑ " JOURNEY 2 – (PG) ".
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 " Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ " JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND ". Warner Bros .
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 " Journey 2: The Mysterious Island ". Rotten Tomatoes .
• ↑ 6.0 6.1 " Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Reviews ". Metacritic.com.
• ↑ McNary, Dave (8 September 2010). " Michael Caine set for 'Journey 2' ". Variety .
• ↑ " Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) - Box Office Mojo ".
• ↑ " Jules Verne Showdown ".
• ↑ Subers, Ray (April 18, 2012). " Around-the-World Roundup: 'Journey 2' Wins Weak Weekend ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Subers, Ray (February 11, 2012). " Friday Report: 'The Vow,' 'Safe House' Draw Huge Crowds ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Subers, Ray (February 12, 2012). " Weekend Report: Moviegoers Say "I Do" to 'The Vow,' Check In to 'Safe House' ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Subers, Ray (January 25, 2012). " Around-the-World Roundup: 'Sherlock' Outwits Competition for Third-Straight Weekend ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Subers, Ray (February 21, 2012). " Around-the-World Roundup: 'Journey 2' Still Strong Overseas ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Subers, Ray (February 21, 2012). " Around-the-World Roundup: 'Journey 2' Wins Weak Weekend ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Subers, Ray (February 28, 2012). " Around-the-World Roundup: 'Ghost Rider 2' Catches Fire Overseas ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Xia, Yun (March 17, 2012). " China Weekly Box Office (03/05 – 03/11): War Horse repeat while A Simple Life shined; Mission Impossible 4 crossed $100m ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ " Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) - International Box Office Results ". Box Office Mojo .
• ↑ Weinstein, Joshua L. (11 February 2012). " Strong Friday Box Office Puts 'The Vow,' 'Safe House' on Track for $38M+ Weekend ". Reuters . ““Safe House” and “Journey 2” each got an “A-.””
• ↑ Roger Ebert (February 8, 2012). "Jump-starting the Nautilus with an electric eel" . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved February 6, 2021 . <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
• ↑ " ' Journey' Sequels in the Works With 'Conjuring' Writers (Exclusive)" . The Hollywood Reporter. August 14, 2014. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
• ↑ " Brad Peyton Wants A More "Mature" Journey 3 ".
• ↑ " Dwayne Johnson Journey 3 and 4: Writers Hired For Two More Sequels ".
• ↑ Stephens, David (January 3, 2018). " Dwayne Johnson Confirms That Journey 3 Isn't Happening ". Screen Rant .
• ↑ Weintraub, Steve (December 31, 2021). " Exclusive: Producer Hiram Garcia on ‘Red Notice,’ ’Black Adam,’ the Next ‘Jumanji’ Sequel, and Dwayne Johnson’s Upcoming Schedule ". Retrieved on January 5, 2022.

External links [ ]

• {{WP|Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
• Official website

• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island at the TCM Movie Database
• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island at AllMovie
• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Now Shooting; Set Photos Surface at /Film
• 1 Tooned Out
• 3 Missy Cooper

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

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Aggressively unambitious, Journey 2 might thrill tween viewers, but most others will find it too intense for young audiences and too cartoonishly dull for adults.

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Description by Wikipedia

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a 2012 American adventure film directed by Brad Peyton and produced by Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson and Charlotte Huggins. It is the sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth. Following the first film, the sequel is based on another Jules Verne novel, this time The Mysterious Island. The film stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Luis Guzmán, and Kristin Davis. The story was written by Richard Outten, Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, and the screenplay by Brian and Mark Gunn. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was released in cinemas on February 10, 2012 by Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Walden Media to mixed reviews, but became a box office success with a worldwide gross of nearly $335 million, surpassing its predecessor. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was released on DVD/Blu-ray on June 5, 2012.

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• American 3D films
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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

• View history

It has been four years since the events of the first movie. Seventeen-year-old Sean Anderson ( Josh Hutcherson ) is caught by the police after a brief chase on his dirtbike which ended with him driving into a swimming pool while trying to evade them. Minutes later, his stepfather Hank ( Dwayne Johnson ) arrives where a police officer (Stephen Caudill) who is friends with Hank tells him that Sean had broken into a remote satellite research center. The police officer also tells Hank that he has talked Mr. and Mrs. McGillicutty (the owners of the swimming pool) out of pressing charges. Hank takes Sean home where his mother Elizabeth ( Kristin Davis ) is not pleased with his actions or the fact that he and Hank don't get along well.

Hank discovers that Sean had broken into a satellite research center in order to boost the signal of a code he'd received from someone he suspects is Alexander Anderson, Sean's grandfather who had been missing for two years. Wanting to bond with his stepson the next day, Hank helps Sean decipher the code of Jules Verne characters which lead to three books: Treasure Island , Gulliver's Travels , and Verne's own Mysterious Island . Using the book's individual island maps, Hank suspects they are books of the same island and uses a back light in order to make them all one completed land mass with the coordinates to its location. Hank manages to convince Liz to let the both of them go in search of the island.

They arrive in Palau where their need of transportation to this dangerous part of the ocean attracts a Palauan helicopter tourism guide Gabato ( Luis Guzman ) and his daughter Kailani ( Vanessa Hudgens ) who Sean develops an immediate crush on. They agree to fly them out to the island for $3,000, but the helicopter gets caught in a category 5 hurricane and they crash into the Pacific, waking up on the island.

Crossing into the island, they discover one of the laws of the Mysterious Island that all animals big are small and all animals small are gigantic (inspiring Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels ). The crew find tiny elephants and giant butterflies, which are the first creatures they discover on the island. The group decided to explore further into the island.

After coming across a massive frill-necked lizard when they come across her egg clutch, they are rescued by Alexander ( Michael Caine ) who takes them to a large hut he'd built from the wreckage of the ship that brought him to the island called the Blue-Eyed Lucy. He has a radio, but due to the positioning of the communications satellite it would be two weeks before they could call for help.

The next morning, Alexander leads the group to the lost city of Atlantis which is usually submerged in the ocean and he also calculated that the island sinks once every 70 years. However, the sea water appearing from the ground is the evidence that Hank sees that leads him to prove that the calculations are wrong, and that the island will sink in a couple of days. Their only means of salvation seems to be the legendary Nautilus (Captain Nemo's submarine), hidden somewhere on the island. Kailani enters Nemo's crypt and finds his journal, which has the whereabouts of the ship in a cave at Poseidon's Cliffs. They decided to go to that cave through the heart of the island.

They mount giant bees in order to fly over a high ridge and make up time, but encounter large birds that try to devour the bees. After saving Kailani's life, Sean crashes and dislocates his ankle. Hank and Alexander later patch up Sean's ankle the best they can. Afterward, they have a good moment when Hank sings his rendition of "What a Wonderful World" to ease Sean's pain.

The next morning, the water has risen greatly and Hank deduces that the island will sink in a matter of hours, not days. Gabato is missing having gone toward the island's golden volcano (which was the inspiration for Treasure Island ) in search for the funds to give his daughter a better life. While Alexander and Kailani go after him, Sean and Hank head for Poseidon's Cliffs to look for the Nautilus. Alexander also finally calls Hank by his preferred name, as up to that point he only called him "Henry" and the family makes up.

To deal with the rising water after finding the Nautilus' cave underwater, Sean and Hank make makeshift oxygen tanks and dive down fifty feet in order to obtain the Nautilus and are nearly killed by a giant electric eel. They are unable to power the ship however because the vessel's batteries being 140 years old have run down. They find a way to power the submarine from the electric eel's electricity.

Meanwhile, Kailani and Alexander find Gabato and convince him to escape with them instead of trying for the golden volcano. They head toward the shore as the island begins to suddenly and violently rip itself apart. The golden volcano starts to erupt violently, pouring lava flows all over the area. Highly flammable lava bombs are thrown from the golden volcano into the air and suddenly land on the sinking island's debris. Sean and Hank use a harpoon to get an electrical jump start from the electric eel swarming around them and they are able to power the machine, just in time to pick up the others who had fallen into the water. Gabato pilots the submarine out of harm's way while Hank and Sean fire torpedoes into the path of falling island debris. As they clear the dangers, Kailani finally kisses Sean for his bravery.

Six months later, Kailani and Gabato are well off. Gabato is now running the most popular tourist attraction on Palau providing tours aboard the Nautilus and Kailani is attending college. Kailani goes to visit Sean on his birthday. While they are celebrating, Alexander shows up with a book for Sean's birthday present. Sean opens it to find Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon , Alexander's suggestion for the next adventure with the family to which Liz protests. Hank replies "What could possibly go wrong? It's only the moon!"

During the credits, the mini-elephants from the earlier scene are swimming underwater over Atlantis.

• Dwayne Johnson as Hank Parsons, Sean's stepfather and a former Navy code breaker.
• Michael Caine as Alexander Anderson, Sean's grandfather who is also the father of Max and Trevor Anderson.
• Josh Hutcherson as Sean Anderson, Hank's stepson who wants to find his missing grandfather on the Mysterious Island.
• Vanessa Hudgens as Kailani Laguatan, Sean's love interest who is part of the father-daughter tour guide team.
• Luis Guzman as Gabato Laguatan, Kailani's father, who is part of the father-daughter tour guide team.
• Kristin Davis as Elizabeth "Liz" Anderson-Parsons, Sean's mother.

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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...

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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.

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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.

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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…

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Film details, brief synopsis, cast & crew, brad peyton, dwayne johnson, josh hutcherson, michael caine, vanessa hudgens, anthony carlino, technical specs.

Young adventurer 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 joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter, they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shock waves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

Kristin Davis

Stewart shaw, branscombe richmond, emilie claire barlow, anna colwell, luis guzman, walker bankson, stephen caudill, gary abrahamian, jan adamczyk, shane aherne, dayne ahuna, paul alexiou, william alford, steve alterman, chris anderson, scott anderson, carlos anguiano, galder apraiz, cristina de arce, billie joe armstrong, joseph ashmore, aymeric aute, amber axelton, heath baker, jesse balodis, john bankson, christopher barrick, marcos de barros, kip bartlett, ryan bennett, tina bennett, logan berkshire, christophe bernaud, marc berrouett, juergen billstein, ashton blessing, derek blume, tony bohorquez, austin bonang, chantal boomla, markus boos, michael bostick, s kai bovaird, keith brachmann, kane brassington, stefan braun, mark breakspear, richard brener, robby brenham, matthew brookman, john brooks, michelle lee brown, randy brown, ronni brown, jennifer brusciano, clint buckner, dave buehrle, elika burns, shannon leigh butler, roy cancino, david canning, marco capparelli, tim cargioli, john c casey, adolfo castanon, tom castronova, phoenix chan, alexis chapman, pete chesney jr., peter chesney, gina chuang, brian chumney, alex church, joe churchill, yamato cibulka, karl cizakowsky, ryan clarke, regina conroy, matt conway, scott corbett, benjamin cox, karl coyner, andy crawford, thomas crawford, joe creswell, tim crosbie, clay cullen, martyn 'moose' culpitt, robert cvengros, steve cypreos, britt cyrus, colette dahanne, nick damico, henry dando, alex daniels, craig h davidson, kristy dearholt, douglas a degrazzio, ralphie del castillo, brian demetz, robert e denne, lindsay irish desarno, robert deschane, mohammad yahya meta dia, ben dickson, pete dionne, michael disco, daniel dobrott, daren r. dochterman, nicholas dodd, holly dorff, james dornoff, kenji doughty, paris downes, cameron doyle, clayton drier, moosie drier, david drzewiecki, andrew dudman, reid d duke, john michael eaves, christopher edwards, karen eisenstadt, loren elkins, adam ellison, christian emond, sean england, david r espinoza, aaron estrada, henry e ezzell, tara farney, julia ferguson, gary fettis, craig fincannon, lisa mae fincannon, patrick finley, anna fishburn, bruce fleskes, gabriel franke, sally fuscoe, stephen gagnon-cady, tanya gallardo, brian galligan, eric gambini, giancarlo ganziano, hiram garcia, robert gardiner, jonathan s gaynor, sinje gebauer, matt giampa, colleen gibbons, mitchell j glaser, peter gleaves, jim gloster, nainoa glover, dan b goldman, dustin gomes, joanna n goslicka, leighton greer, bryan grill, caroline grubb, matti grüner, matthew k hacker, whitney hagan, erik halsey, jeff halsey, barbara efthymiou harris, daniel harris, miscellaneous notes.

Wide Release in United States Winter February 10, 2012

Released in United States on Video June 5, 2012

Sequel to "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (USA/2008) directed by Eric Brevig and starring Brendan Fraser, and based on Jules Verne's novel "A Journey to the Center of the Earth."

Project's storyline will be based on an original script titled "Myterious Travels" by Richard Outten that producers will repurpose for the sequel.

Brendan Fraser was previously attached to reprise his role as Professor Trevor Anderson.

Eric Brevig was previously attached to direct.

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Sean Bean's National Treasure 3 Return Would Be The Perfect Way To Get The Ball Rolling Again

10 harsh realities about the divergent books, 11 years after the series ended, hunger games: sunrise on the reaping release date, story, updates & everything we know, 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
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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Review

03 Feb 2012

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

At one point in awful ’70s disaster movie The Swarm, reacting to the news that buzzy insects have managed to down two military helicopters, Michael Caine turns solemnly towards a co-star and utters the immortal words, “I never dreamed it would turn out to be the bees. They’ve always been our friend.” It seemed certain that this would be the weirdest bee-based scene Caine would ever have to perform. But now along comes Journey 2, boasting an aerial chase in which the knighted actor – yes – rides a giant version of his ancient foes.

Happily, unlike The Swarm, this affable adventure is in on the joke. Directed by Brad Peyton, the man behind Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore, and so clearly Hollywood’s go-to guy for very silly sequels, Journey 2 gleefully piles on the implausibilities. So we get a comedy double-act between Caine and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson — as effectively bizarre a match-up as Arnie and DeVito — which sees them antagonistically call each other “Mary Poppins” and “Sasquatch”. A campfire sing-along recapping the movie’s plot to the tune of What A Wonderful World. And at least three moments in which Johnson reveals himself to be an expert in the exact puzzle they’re facing. Including, rather brilliantly, soil liquefaction.

It’s no-one’s definition of great cinema, but when a scene that starts with Johnson offering courting advice to his stepson degenerates into everyone bouncing berries off his chest, it’s tough not to smile. Inevitably, the on-message plot stuff is less fun. The one holdover from Journey To The Center Of The Earth — Brendan Fraser’s character barely gets a mention, but it’s implied he’s bailed on his nephew — Josh Hutcherson remains a fairly unengaging screen presence, though he’s not helped by having to constantly sulk at Johnson, one of the world’s most engaging stars. And the various character arcs (will the heroic boy and hot girl hook up? Will doofus helicopter pilot Luis Guzmán find some way to pay his daughter’s college fees?) won’t keep anyone on the edge of their seat.

So don’t expect Avatar (though there are giant lizards), rather a mild adventure that makes no sense at all but is eccentric enough to win through on charm. Not every big-budget fantasy, after all, sees the hero ball his fist and threaten to unleash the “thunder-cookie”…

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

• Credits 
• Trailers  [1]
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All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders and/or producers/distributors.

• Stephen Caudill

• Walter Bankson
• See all credits
• "A fun though rarely funny family adventure whose lively special effects compensate somewhat for actors who largely sleepwalk through their roles"  Russell Edwards : Variety
• "Offers giant rocks clearly made of Styrofoam and Dwayne Johnson, who fits the same description (...) [It] may be enough to hypnotize small children for 90 minutes, but everyone else will be checking their watches"  Rafer Guzmán : Newsday
• "It isn't a 'good' movie in the usual sense (or most senses), but it is jolly and good-natured, and Michael Caine and Dwayne Johnson are among the most likable of actors (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of four)"  Roger Ebert : Chicago Sun-Times

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Beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema.

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

When he traces a distress signal about his grandfather’s whereabouts to an island that doesn’t seem to exist, fearless teen Sean Anderson springs into adventure mode and teams up with an unlikely ally: his stepfather.

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Journey 2: the mysterious island.

Directed by Brad Peyton

Believe the Impossible. Discover the Incredible.

Sean Anderson partners with his mom's boyfriend on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.

Dwayne Johnson Josh Hutcherson Vanessa Hudgens Luis Guzmán Michael Caine Kristin Davis Anna Colwell Stephen Caudill Branscombe Richmond Walter Bankson Cody Easterbrook Paul Leo Klink

Director Director

Brad Peyton

Producers Producers

Beau Flynn Charlotte Huggins Tripp Vinson

Writers Writers

Mark Gunn Brian Gunn

Story Story

Brian Gunn Mark Gunn Richard Outten

Casting Casting

Lisa Mae Fincannon Craig Fincannon

Editor Editor

David Rennie

Cinematography Cinematography

David Tattersall

Assistant Director Asst. Director

John Hockridge

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Boyd Shermis

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Michael Bostick Evan Turner Richard Brener

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Mike Repeta Gregory W. Smith

Production Design Production Design

Art direction art direction.

Bruce Robert Hill

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Kip Bartlett Chuck Potter Chad S. Frey Greg Papalia Dean Wolcott Gary Fettis Alex McCarroll Erik Parzwardek Benjamin Patterson

Visual Effects Visual Effects

James Baker Julie Orosz Nick Pill Daryl Sawchuk Randy Starr Boyd Shermis Hiroshi Mori

Stunts Stunts

Alex Daniels Jennifer Brusciano Tanoai Reed Craig H. Davidson Ralf Koch Tim Jarvis Clay Cullen

Composer Composer

Andrew Lockington

Sound Sound

Josh Gold Randy Thom Colette D. Dahanne Leff Lefferts Al Nelson

Costume Design Costume Design

Denise Wingate

Makeup Makeup

Tarra D. Day

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Walden Media New Line Cinema Contrafilm Warner Bros. Pictures

Releases by Date

19 jan 2012, 03 feb 2012, 10 feb 2012, 15 feb 2012, 16 feb 2012, 17 feb 2012, 24 feb 2012, 01 mar 2012, 02 mar 2012, 08 mar 2012, 09 mar 2012, 15 mar 2012, 16 oct 2012, 20 jun 2012, 18 dec 2012, 21 dec 2012, 23 aug 2014, releases by country.

• Theatrical PG
• Theatrical L
• Theatrical В
• Theatrical 15+
• Theatrical 11
• Theatrical U
• Theatrical 6
• Theatrical Κ
• Physical DVD
• Physical BluRay
• Theatrical T

Netherlands

• Theatrical 12
• Physical 12 DVD, Blu ray
• TV 12 SBS 6
• Theatrical M/6

South Korea

• Theatrical All

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Popular reviews

Review by shay ★★ 1

the rock has 72 movies in total but he plays the same exact role in so many of them that when it really comes down to it he really only has like 5 movies

Review by Chris Burns ★½ 8

Hungry Gamer: I hate you, stepdad The Rock. There's so much tension between us.

Next scene.

The Rock: I'm good with codes and maps and stuff. Hungry Gamer: Great! Let's be buds.

On the island.

Michael Caine: Look, I'm on a giant bee. This mysterious place has loads of mysterious creatures like this. Mysterious. The Rock: This mysterious island is mysteriously sinking. "It looks like the liquefaction has tripled overnight!" (actual dialogue) Hungry Gamer: So, all these mysterious animals will drown? The Rock: ... am... Check out my tits... they can dance. Quick, throw berries at them.

Review by chloe 💓 ★★½

this hunger games mfer spends the whole movie spitting facts about explorer novels and their authors, has all this camping gear, a bedroom decorated like he does this kind of adventure stuff often, but then points at coordinates on a map and says “ what are those things?” ????? i can’t with this movie omfg

Review by heykorra ★★★½ 3

used to watch this religiously as a child for josh hutcherson and i am still obsessed with him

Review by mia <3 ★★★ 1

three stars all dedicated to josh hutcherson

Review by nick atkinson ★★½ 4

Logically, the film makes no sense. The acting is pretty much awful. The writing is terrible. But The Rock makes his pecs dance, so here’s two and a half stars.

Review by Vidyuth Mahesh 11

love coming back from a long day out with my family and seeing the rock's titties bouncing off berries

Review by Ellie C. ★★ 4

I could see the rocks nipples the entire time

Review by 𝓢 ★★★

sometimes you need a bad movie with terrible effects to put a smile on your face

Review by ram<3 ★★½ 1

my josh hutcherson era starts… NOW

Review by tasha ★★★★★ 1

a masterpiece. holy shit. dwayne "the rock" johnson sucker punched a giant lizard in the FACE in this movie and that wasn't even the best thing that happened

Review by andre ★★★½

vanessa hudgens and josh hutcherson are the reason i'm bisexual. the true meaning of whatever.

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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.

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• 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.

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

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Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 40 minutes
• Dolby Digital
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There are three distinct endings to Dragon's Dogma 2 , but two are rather underwhelming by design. Capcom's RPG is the long-awaited sequel to 2012's Dragon's Dogma , and shares much of its identity, including the themes which come to a head in DD2 's conclusions. As the title suggests, Dragon's Dogma 2 deals directly with the dogma of the series' universe, putting the player at the center of a seemingly unending cycle to repeatedly delay the apocalypse at the hands of the Dragon.

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Fighting the dragon & becoming sovran of vermund, dragon's dogma 2 standard & bad endings.

The most straightforward conclusion to Dragon's Dogma 2 , and one that players will almost assuredly encounter naturally, sees the Arisen meeting their fate and confronting the Dragon. Lord Phaesus flees from Talos, a Gigantus that emerges from the sea, forcing the Arisen to fight Talos and stave off the destruction of the outposts and villages on Agamen Volcanic Islands. The Arisen pursues Phaesus to Moonglint Tower, where he is hoping to control the Dragon and end the cycle of the Arisen.

Phaesus' plan proves fruitless, and the Dragon offers the Arisen a choice: battle the Dragon in an attempt to stop the apocalypse, or sacrifice a dear friend and walk away unscathed . The Dragon will have an NPC in its clutches, and which NPC is determined by DD2 's affinity system, a hidden friendship value determined by quests completed for and gifts given to individual characters. Approaching the Dragon and attacking is how the player advances to the standard ending, but accepting the Dragon's terms and sacrificing the NPC by walking away will trigger the bad ending .

Opting for the bad ending has the Arisen crowned Sovran with no fanfare in a short cutscene, after which the main menu gives the option to reload the last save.

Confronting the Dragon has the Arisen climbing on its back, followed by an extended sequence in which the Dragon gives a monologue on the way to the final arena. Although the Arisen makes the flight on dragonback alone, they are rejoined by their Main Pawn and recruited Pawns in the volcanic final battleground. Unsurprisingly, the Dragon is Dragon's Dogma 2 's final boss , and defeating it leads to the intended standard ending of the game, where the Arisen is crowned Sovran of Vermund in a joyous celebration at Vernworth Castle.

While the failure of Lord Phaesus' plan and the usurpation of the false Sovran is certainly a significant achievement, the standard ending to Dragon's Dogma 2 essentially reinforces the status quo of the world. The Arisen was chosen, successfully completed their journey to slay the Dragon and save the realms from destruction, and claimed their rightful place on the throne. The implication is that the cycle will continue , with the Dragon eventually returning to designate a new Arisen. Much like the bad ending, however, players will have the option to load their last save, because there's more to do after beating the game in order to get the true ending.

Ending The Cycle Of The Arisen

Dragon's dogma 2 true ending.

Following the standard ending, while the credits roll, players are able to control the Arisen during the coronation celebration and gain access to the true ending . The Pathfinder, the mysterious, spectral character that has directed the Arisen throughout the game, can be interacted with in Vernworth Castle, where he'll muse about the Arisen being unsatisfied with fulfilling their destiny. The Pathfinder will then send the Arisen back to the sequence where they're riding on the back of the Dragon, where a new course of events must be triggered to see the true ending of Dragon's Dogma 2 .

Finishing the credits in Vernworth Castle will send players back to the main menu, where they can reload their last save in order to see the true ending. Selecting to restart the game with their current level and equipment, however, will lock the true ending until the whole game has been played again.

To begin the final section of Dragon's Dogma 2 , the Arisen climbs down toward the Dragon's heart mid-flight and uses the Empowered Godsbane Blade to pierce their own missing heart , which wrenches open the Dragon's chest. The Dragon and the Arisen plummet into the sea, the Arisen falls unconscious, and roughly a month passes. When the Arisen comes to, their Main Pawn is missing, and Dragon's Dogma 2 's game world is distinctly different from how it was before. Failing to slay the Dragon has brought about the apocolypse – the ocean has receded, and the sky is a vibrant red.

This postgame section has the Arisen traveling all over Vermund, Battahl, and the Agamen Volcanic Islands in an attempt to organize evacuations, retrieve their Pawn, and slay dangerous creatures being summoned out of the swirling, red clouds above. Once the disaster relief has been accomplished, a final beacon summons the Arisen back to the Seafloor Shrine, where the evacuated citizenry has been congregating. The Dragon reappears , the red clouds dissipate, and the Arisen's Main Pawn transforms into a black, viscous drake with glowing red eyes.

Though clearly suffering, the Pawn carries their master onto the Dragon's back while it's in flight. The final playable section of DD2 has the Arisen crawling along the Dragon's back and wings while the credits roll. The draconified Pawn eventually returns, flying into the Dragon's eye and sending it plummeting belly-up. The Arisen then dives into the Dragon's open chest wound, plunging the Empowered Godsbane Blade into the Dragon's exposed heart. The voice of the Pathfinder, seemingly a manifestation of some divine order known only as the " great will ," laments that they'll be unable to witness the birth of the Arisen's new world.

Dragon's Dogma 2 True Ending & Post-Credits Scene Explained

What it means for dragon's dogma 3.

The Arisen using the Empowered Godsbane Blade on the Dragon's heart unshackles the world from the cycle of the Arisen. It has also returned the world to its pre-calamity state – the sky is clear, and the ocean has returned. The final scenes in Dragon's Dogma 2 have a notable focus on the concept of free will; the " great will " dictated that the Arisen would repeatedly slay the Dragon, lest the world end, and the Main Pawn's final words speak of being imbued with their own lesser will to break free from their preordained fate.

This follows through to the post-credits scene, where the old fisherman in Harve Village is seen launching his sailboat, venturing out to sea and away from Vermund. This was previously not possible, as the Brine would sink any ship that ventured too far from land . Under the purview of the enigmatic " great will ," the people of Vermund and Battahl were effectively prisoners, forced to remain on the dangerous continent and endure the unending cycle of the Dragon.

It's unclear what this world being freed from the Dragon means for the future of Dragon's Dogma . The story has a certain finality to it, and the dogma which provided the core impetus is now gone. It's possible that a Dragon's Dogma 3 could adopt another parallel world, much like DD2 did, eschewing the original's Gransys, but the Pathfinder does discuss other worlds that all eventually ended in oblivion, owing to an Arisen failing to slay the Dragon or refusing their destiny.

That said, the Pawns and the Rift imply there are practically limitless parallel worlds, and even though the gameplay mechanics of hired Pawns suggests they're alternate versions of the same world, in-universe it's less clear what other places beyond the Rift look like. With the Dragon's dogma effectively ended in DD2 , it's safe to assume that any future sequel likely won't take place in the same world . The true ending of Dragon's Dogma 2 has a much more thorough conclusion than the standard ending, but it still leaves room for the series to return.

Dragon's Dogma II

The Sequel to Dragon's Dogma and its expansion, Dark Arisen, Dragon's Dogma 2 is an action-adventure RPG game from the developers at Capcom. Players will create their protagonist, the "Arisen," as they embark on a journey to slay a Dragon that threatens the world. Joined by otherworldly beings known as Pawns, the Arisen will utilize melee weapons and spells as they battle against various types of foes.

Platform(s) Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5

Released March 22, 2024

Developer(s) Capcom

Publisher(s) Capcom

Genre(s) Action, RPG, Adventure

Prequel(s) Dragon's Dogma

'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem': Release Date, Trailer, and Everything We Know So Far

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It’s crazy to believe just how iconic the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have become worldwide, but at the same time, how couldn’t they with an awesome name like that? Starting from humble beginnings as a comic book series in the mid-1980s, they were originally created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird . In the decades since the TMNT franchise has shown very little sign of its popularity slowing down anytime soon. Our pizza-loving heroes have made their influential mark on pop culture across numerous TV shows, as action figures, in many video games, and in plenty of films too! Speaking of the films, it’s been a very interesting journey for TMNT on the big screen. After first appearing in a live-action trilogy in the early 1990s, they made the jump to animation in 2007. Only a few years later in 2014, they went back to live-action again for another two films. Now in 2023, they’re returned once again for a brand-new animated adventure! It’s called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem . First announced in June 2020 , details on this new entry in the TMNT film franchise had been relatively quiet with only a few tidbits of information being teased. Until now, that is! There’s been many exciting updates recently revealed about the highly anticipated animated film, so there’s never been a better time to share them all in one dedicated space. Keep reading below to find out everything we know so far about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem ! Editor's Note: This article was updated on July 22, 2023.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

The film follows the Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants.

Related: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' Poster Arrives With Style

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is currently scheduled to debut in theaters on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 . The film was previously scheduled for August 4, but turtle fans should be happy with the earlier release date. This will likely be a theater-exclusive debut, with a digital release date announced further down the line. Tickets for the movie are now on sale , so hurry up and grab yours!

Yes, there is! This very first teaser trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was just released on March 6. It doesn’t give away too much about the story, however it does a great job of giving us our first looks at the titular heroes and some of the supporting characters. Seth Rogen , being one of the producers on this new film, wanted to place a larger focus on the "teenage" aspect of the titular turtles . Fortunately, it seems like that was the right call to make as the trailer wonderfully showcases their strong brotherly bond and upbeat energy. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo look like they’re always having a blast together, whether they’re just hanging out or trying to be heroes. Apart from the turtles, we briefly get to see Master Splinter, plus a few different villains from TMNT’s rogues’ gallery such as Bebop and Rocksteady. We also get a fun introduction to reporter April O’Neil, who will likely play a big part in helping the turtles become famous and save the city.

The trailer also highlights the stellar animation style of the film, sharing sketch-like qualities similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse . It feels very much like a comic book coming to life and suits this world well based on what we’ve seen so far.

The first full trailer (seen above) leans heavily into the "Mutant Mayhem" as we not only get more of the turtles and Splinter, but we see how the rest of the mutants in New York play a role in the film. On July 18, we also get a new video from Mutant Mayhem , showing the Turtles' origin story, with Splinter narrating how he first found them, how they were transformed by the ooze, and how they became a family. See it here:

On July 21, a new sneak peek clip from Mutant Mayhem was released, showing Splinter catching the turtles trying to sneak back into their home after they caught a movie... with humans. Here it is:

The official synopsis for this new TMNT film reads as follows:

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

The synopsis confirms that this new film will offer a fresh take on the TMNT story, essentially serving as a reboot to the series . The four brothers will be newcomers to the hero game, needing to prove their worth to the people of New York. What remains vague though is who the film’s central villain will be. A “notorious crime syndicate” could indicate franchise mainstays like the Foot Clan being the Turtles’ main opponent this time around. That said, many villains have been confirmed to be in the film thanks to casting details (more on that later!), so it will be intriguing to see how events unfold. Either way, the young heroes will certainly have their work cut out for them as they try to protect the city.

Related: ‘TMNT’ Experience Lets Fans Explore the Turtles Sewer Lair Ahead of ‘Mutant Mayhem'

Behind the scenes, Jeff Rowe is serving as the director of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This will be his solo directorial debut after previously co-writing the 2021 animated film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines . He has also previously written for animated shows such as Gravity Falls and Disenchantment . The screenplay has been written by Brendan O'Brien ( Neighbours ).

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are two of the producers of the film. The duo has worked together on numerous film and TV productions across the board as writers, directors, and producers. Most recently as producers, they have worked on TV shows such as The Boys , Invincible , and Pam and Tommy , as well as films such as Long Shot and Good Boys . Additionally, James Warner serves as a third producer on the film. He is currently the president of Point Grey Pictures, the film and television production company founded by Rogen and Goldberg.

When Describing their new take on the Heroes in a Half-Shell, Rogen said ,

The film itself is permeated with this teenage energy – where you don’t stay in the lines, and you’re pushing harder on the stuff that you like, and you’re impressionably scribbling in the background, It needed to capture that – we can never have boring scenes, because the movie itself just seems to be crackling with energy.

To usher in this new cinematic era for the franchise, an all-star cast of stars has been assembled to lend their voices to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The impressively stacked cast list of TMNT: Mutant Mayhem includes Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Brady Noon as Raphael, Jackie Chan as Master Splinter, and Ayo Edebiri as April O’Neil. Also appearing are Seth Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, Ice Cube as Superfly, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, and, last but not least, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman.

There are going to be a lot of beloved TMNT characters in this film to say the very least! However, there are two names that are surprisingly missing from the list. There’s no mention of the Turtles’ archenemy, Shredder, or their human ally, vigilante Casey Jones…maybe they can be introduced in a potential sequel? Only time will tell if Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem can win over critics and fans alike. With an awesome creative team and cast behind it though, let’s hope fortune favors our favorite team of turtles!

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)