The movie begins with a gripping scene where Hank Parsons (Dwayne Johnson), a NASA pilot, rescues his step-son, Alex (Brendan Urie), and his mother, Catherine (Angela Kinsey), from a volcanic eruption on the island of Hawaii. As they escape, they are joined by Alex's biological father, Josh (Josh Keller), and the eccentric inventor, Dr. Thaddeus M. Sweeney (Anthony Anderson). The group soon finds themselves on a mysterious island, which they later discover is a place known as "The Island of the Skull."