Review: JUNGLE CRUISE Is a Super Fun Family Adventure Film
At long last Disney is finally going to release its feature film adaptation of the classic Disneyland attraction Jungle Cruise. I recently had the opportunity to watch the film, and I have to say, it turned out to be a lot better than what I was expecting! This is an absolute blast of a film, and it’s filled with great fun and exciting adventure!
While a lot of people are comparing the footage in the trailers to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I think it’s more in line with the classic 1999 film The Mummy. In fact, if you’re a fan of The Mummy, you’re probably gonna love Jungle Cruise! The movie is actually right on par with The Mummy in terms of all-around entertainment, It’s exactly that level of fun and adventure and the main characters have a similar dynamic. However, with Jungle Cruise you get the visually cool modern day VFX work to help bring the story to life.
As you know, Dwayne Johnson stars in the film, and once again he delivers a movie filled with pure entertainment. The guy is just consistent with captivating his audience with his bigger than life presence. It’s not easy for any actor to star alongside Johnson, because for the most part he overshadows them. But, that did not happen with Emily Blunt. She actually held her own alongside Johnson and delivered a fantastic performance! Johnson and Blunt had charming onscreen chemistry and a strong dynamic. I would totally watch a Jungle Cruise sequel or any movie starring these two talents!
The movie also actually delivered a solid story! I was expecting something more on the mediocre side, so I was pleasantly surprised that we actually got something with quality, substance, and some really cool lore. It was also filled with some funny humor. I especially enjoyed Johnson’s Jungle Cruise-style jokes throughout the movie.
Johnson plays Frank Wolff, a comedic skipper, as he teams up with intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt), who travels to the Amazon jungle to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities. She wants to use those healing abilities to help change the world and the future of medicine. As the unlikely duo embark on their quest, they are being hunted down by a villain who wants the power of the tree for his own selfish desires, and there are also some supernatural forces at work as well with a group of cursed individuals who want the power of the tree as well. Along the way, the mysteries of the ancient tree and those people involved unfold, and the story actually takes some interesting unexpected turns, which I appreciated.
Jungle Cruise was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and he did a fantastic job bringing this movie to life. The movie also stars Jesse Plemons as the villain Prince Joachim and Jack Whitehall as Lily’s gay brother MacGregor Houghton. Both of then delivered fun performances. The movie also featured Paul Giamatti and Edgar Ramirez, but they weren’t in the film that much. Ramirez especially was completely underutilized as one of the film’s villains.
Jungle Cruise is a wonderfully fun and imaginative adventure that the whole family will enjoy! It’s worth checking out, and I’m looking forward to taking my family to go see the film when it’s released in theaters!
