Although “Jungle Cruise” is popcorn family fun, the poor visual effects, questionable stylistic choices, and a dragging story with a poor script distract you from the good aspects the film has.
This is not the first time a Disneyland ride has been adapted into the big screen. An early example being the Eddie Murphy-led “Haunted Mansion” (2003) and the most notable one being the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” which is one of the most successful franchises of all time. Because they started as Disney rides or rollercoasters, they could go in many ways with its story since the rollercoaster didn’t have a definite story behind it. In “Pirates” they went and created the character of Jack Sparrow, and everything since then changed. Now, Disney wants to bank on yet another famous ride, “Jungle Cruise,” the attraction that revolves around mounting a boat with a witty guide, who delivers funny dad jokes and takes you through the dangerous jungle.
Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) travels from London, England to the Amazon Jungle in search of an ancient tree that supposedly has unique healing abilities and could change the future of medicine for good. To get there, Lily hires Frank Wolff’s (Dwayne Johnson) help to guide her and McGregor (Jack Whitehall), Lily’s brother, downriver on La Quila, his ruinous boat. While on their journey together, the duo encounter dangers and supernatural forces that dwell deep inside the rainforest, each taking the stakes higher and higher for them. The fate of mankind hangs in balance as the mad Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons) hunts them down.
The film takes inspiration from big and adventurous franchises like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Indiana Jones,” even a hint of the romantic essence of “The African Queen” (1951). From the set designs to the outfits—or even the James Newton Howard score—you feel those innovations roaming through the screen. In the first sequence of the movie, which is a jewel robbery of sorts, you feel Emily Blunt is auditioning to be a female version of ‘Indy,’ and she indeed kills it.
It starts smoothly, running its course as an action-packed joyride where the dangers of the jungle start crawling in; each step they get closer to their goal raises the stakes higher, with pantomime villain Prince Joachim hunting them down. However, the movie starts to lose itself in the second act, where fantasy elements and curses enter their narrative. Indeed, it can work if you put a creative touch onto the story…albeit that is the problem. “Jungle Cruise” doesn’t feel creative or imaginative; it looks like they took poor notes on the movies it’s inspired from.
There is still some fun to be had with the film, mostly thanks to Blunt and Johnson’s dynamic. Both elevate their character and scenes with witty banter and muscle. They are incredibly likable screen presences. Both do the best they can with their narrow characters and weak script to keep the energy high and fizzy. Johnson’s Frank Wolff delivers some quite funny dad jokes and Blunt, as always, is a badass. You could see it as a brain and brawn situation; yet both have both skill sets, making their characters interesting and slightly different.
Nevertheless, they alone can’t save the film, as the movie includes questionable camera techniques, tawdry visual effects, and lackluster cinematography. “Jungle Cruise” isn’t boring nor un-engaging; it just goes overboard with its action set-pieces that it lack oomph. Then adding the fantasy element onto an already overstuffed and overlong film, distracts you from the good aspects it has. It drags through that last act as everything is everywhere on-screen and it turns into shambles.
Putting those negative aspects aside, “Jungle Cruise” still does what it says on the pamphlet. The film is a boring ride that holds some ground, by a small margin, and delivers popcorn promises—even though it goes on for more than it needs to. It garners the fun from its inspired ride with witty remarks and set pieces, elevated by the cast’s chemistry. Unfortunately, it focuses on a bombardment of spectacle rather than relying on simplicity and substance. It will work for younger audiences, but I couldn’t get into it as much as I would’ve wanted to.
