It just wouldn’t be a normal week if an unexpected movie didn’t shoot to the top of Netflix‘s movie chart.
This week, the film in question is Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, the sequel to the 2008 remake of Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Both movies are currently streaming on Netflix, but we suspect that the second film is trending because it stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
If you’re considering adding this film to your next movie night, Watch With Us is sharing three reasons to watch Journey 2: The Mysterious Island on Netflix.
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Dwayne Johnson Gives a Charismatic Performance
Considering that Journey 2 went forward in 2012 without the star of the first film, the casting worked out well. The Mummy‘s Brendan Fraser starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth as Trevor Anderson, but he didn’t return for the sequel. In Fraser’s place, Johnson was cast as Hank Parsons, the stepfather of Trevor’s nephew, Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson).
Johnson doesn’t always play characters who exist outside of his typical action hero roles, and Hank is no exception. The key difference between Hank and some of the actor’s other parts is that he really tries to be a good father to Sean. The entire story is about Sean trying to find his long-missing grandfather, Alexander Anderson (Michael Caine), and Hank is supportive every step of the way.
It also helps that Hank isn’t an arrogant character, and he even shows different sides of his personality, including his love for singing. Ultimately, Hank just seems like a stand-up guy and an appealing action hero at the same time.
The Cast Is Very Entertaining
If Michael Caine has ever given a bad performance, we haven’t seen it. Caine shows up relatively early in this film, and his turn as Alexander gives Johnson a run for his money in terms of charisma. Think of Alexander as a more emotionally available version of Indiana Jones. He’s an explorer at heart, but he always appreciates his family.
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Luis Guzmán provides most of the film’s comedy relief as Gabato Laguatan, the helicopter pilot Hank hires to help them find Alexander on Mysterious Island. Guzmán gets the laughs, while Vanessa Hudgens is also enjoyable as his daughter, Kailani Laguatan. Although Hutcherson is overshadowed by Johnson and Caine, he is the connection between the two Journey movies and the only cast member to appear in both. He’s good as a young adventurer in training, and his romantic sparks with Kailani are also fun. There’s no weak link in this cast.
‘Journey 2’ Recaptures the Family Adventure Vibe
More than anything else, Journey 2 feels like a modern version of the Disney or Amblin family adventures from the ’80s and ’90s. The story may be nonsensical at times, but the film does an excellent job of maintaining a fast pace with exciting action sequences. There aren’t a lot of live-action PG films that cover the same ground anymore, and this is truly a movie that can be appreciated by the whole family.
Although a lot of time has passed, we’d still love the chance to see these characters again. It feels like there was a missed opportunity for Fraser and Johnson to team up for an adventure together in a potential third film. But at least we can revisit Journey 2 on Netflix whenever we like.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is streaming on Netflix.
