Jack Mimoun et les secrets de Val Verde (2022)

Two years earlier, Jack Mimoun, a Frenchman, was picked up adrift in a fishing boat, carrying a satchel containing a map of the mysterious island of Val Verde. Through his book recounting his survival experience, he became the star of a TV series in which he appeared in hostile environments. In reality, most of the animals he fights or rescues are domesticated, and Jack has become conceited because of his newfound fame. In Paris, Aurélie Diaz, an archaeologist, happens upon a brochure featuring him and contacts Jonas Anatoli, her father Léopold’s former partner. Aurélie is convinced Jack could help her find her father, who disappeared while searching for the pirate La Buse’s treasure on the island. Jonas does not believe a word of what Mimoun says in his book, but Aurélie persists and sets off for the location where Jack’s show is filmed, near Val Verde. Pretending that she looks after underprivileged children through her NGO, Aurélie has no trouble asking him to come along, since Jack is more interested in flirting with her than anything else. The next day, she, Jack, and his manager, Bruno Quézac, go to see Jean-Marc Bastos, a former soldier turned mercenary, who flies them by helicopter to Val Verde. At the sight of the island, Jack panics when he realizes Aurélie lied to him, but Bastos knocks him out. When he comes to, Jack and Bruno demand to leave immediately, but Aurélie tries to convince them, certain that Jack is a real adventurer and that together they will find the treasure. Bastos joins their side when Bruno offers to pay him triple what Aurélie promised, but a monkey steals the helicopter keys, and after a chase involving tigers, the team has no choice but to cooperate if they want to make it out alive. Meanwhile, Jonas also makes his way to the island. The adventurers press on, despite their misgivings, while Aurélie tries to jog Jack’s memory so he will remember where he found the satchel that belonged to her father. In the forest, they eventually find the wreckage of Léopold’s plane, where Jack, who has no desire to stay, hides some documents from Aurélie. The next day, the group crosses the island and, exhausted, eventually reaches a waterfall that turns out to conceal quicksand. They are rescued at the last minute by Jonas, who takes charge of the group, much to Jack’s annoyance. When they reach a suspension bridge, Jack “volunteers,” but is in danger of plunging into the abyss. In a panic, he admits he has never set foot on the island. In fact, Jack had been part of a group of tourists and wandered off after accidentally finding the satchel washed up on a beach. Without realizing it, the boat had left without him, and Jack had tried to catch up with them in a fisherman’s boat before ending up out at sea. Jonas does not have time to save him, and Jack plunges down below. The others decide to carry on without him. The adventurers reach a waterfall concealing a secret passage, but are trapped inside after a cave-in. As they venture farther in, they discover La Buse’s hiding place and his sword. This is when Jonas chooses to betray them. When he was a student, he had found the location of the treasure while working with Léopold, who was already known as an explorer, but Léopold had double-crossed him by setting off alone to claim all the glory. Meanwhile, Jack has survived and finds Léopold’s skeleton and his hat. Looking at the plane documents, Jack realizes there is another entrance and manages to rejoin the others just as Jonas is about to execute them. Jonas is eventually knocked unconscious, but the treasure remains unfound. Jack realizes there are four secret switches where La Buse and his friends would place their swords to open the treasure chamber door. Each of them takes a share of the loot, but Aurélie refuses to let them become grave robbers and wants them to take only the golden sword. Jack finds an exit, but a sword fight breaks out between him and Jonas, who has managed to free himself. His friends blow up the door with a cannonball, and Jonas ends up paralyzed by spores from poisonous mushrooms. The four friends leave the island as the place collapses, and Jonas is eventually crushed by the cannonball that was fired earlier. On the boat, Bruno opens a box containing a papyrus. When Jack looks at it, he realizes it is a new treasure map and decides to set sail for this new adventure.