When the going gets tough, the tough get soppy in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, an old-fashioned, gung-ho adventure based loosely on Jules Verne.
Father figures bond with spirited children, grown men cry and screenwriters Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn shamelessly peddle cliches as the narrative glue between impressively staged set pieces.
Directed with vim by Brad Peyton, this follow-up to the 2008 romp Journey To The Center Of The Earth continues the escapades of plucky teenager Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson), who was handed a book about Atlantis at the end of the first film, neatly sowing the seeds of this slicker sequel. The plot unfolds at a cracking pace, dispensing with characterisation to concentrate on adrenaline-pumping thrills.
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