Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock': 'Journey 2' was 'nice change of pace'

Dwayne Johnson, aka wrestling star "The Rock," is known for hardcore action films and what he calls "intense character" but is happy to switch gears for the new family adventure movie "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island."

In the film, which was released on February 10, Josh Hutcherson plays Sean Anderson, who partners with his mom's new man, portrayed by Johnson, on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island. Vanessa Hudgens appears in the film as Hutcherson's love interest, while Kristin Davis of "Sex and the City" fame portrays his mother.

"This movie came along at a really good time," Johnson told OnTheRedCarpet.com host Chris Balish at the movie's Los Angeles premiere. "I spent the past couple of years playing some intense characters who were hunting some bad men down and doing some violent things to them, so it was a nice change of pace."

"I wanted to make a movie that was in 3D and I thought, if I was going to go back into the Family genre and make an epic adventure like this, I wanted it to feel big and special," he added.

Johnson previously starred in the fifth installment of the popular cult race franchise "The Fast and the Furious." The actor and wrestler portrayed Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs who was on the heels of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) in Rio de Janeiro. The film featured an "epic fight scene" that both Johnson and Diesel were amazed with.

While Johnson is taking a step out of his element for the family film, he also enjoyed shooting in Hawaii.

"For me, it was a very special place to shoot because I was raised in Hawaii," the California-born actor said. "So to be able to go back and bring a movie like this, this size and magnitude to Hawaii was such a cool thing, for me, personally, it was great."

Hudgens said Johnson also showcased his mellower - and musical - side in front of his co-stars.

"Dwayne was busy practicing his ukulele, which was equally as enjoyable [as Hawaii]," Hudgens told OnTheRedCarpet.com. "He has mad skills and he shows it in this movie. He has a beautiful voice that he gets to showcase as well."

Johnson has also starred in films such as "The Scorpion King," "Tooth Fairy" and "Faster." He is also set to star in "Arabian Nights" as Sinbad.


(ontheredcarpet.com)