Funny, treacherous, and fully implausible, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is a really fun movie. It’s got just enough thrills and surprisingly effective humour to evoke the old-fashioned spirit of adventure that makes going to the movies fun in the first place.
Emily Blunt stars as Dr. Lily Houghton, an English explorer travelling to the Amazon with her brother to find the Tree of Life, whose petals can cure any illness. After hiring skipper Frank (Dwayne Johnson) they must navigate not only the jungle but a German submarine and ghostly explorers also looking for the tree with more nefarious purposes.
While it’s (very loosely) inspired by the classic 1955 Disneyland ride, there’s a lot more in common with Speilberg-size summer blockbusters than a leisurely, all-ages theme park boat ride. Some classic jokes and fleeting nods to the ride are there, yes, but this is not an all-ages film.
Like Disney’s 2003 energized reinvention of Pirates of the Caribbean, the peril and action scenes are realistic and intense while the rest of the scenes are fast paced and whimsical. Having an action-packed plot makes entertaining cinema, though this high-stakes adventure should have a height requirement.
(Quick side note, if indeed Jungle Cruise also turns into a franchise, I predict that, like Pirates, the first film in the series will by far and away be the best.)
At its best moments, it has the zany energy of Indiana Jones in a family-friendly lens - the overall tone is brighter and Disneyfied but the action is as adult and sometimes spooky as the Indiana Jones franchise. Though stylized and short, we do see several characters killed on screen by boulders, arrows, knives and jungle creatures.
The longer I watched, the more comparisons I found with Raiders of the Lost Ark: a market chase scene, German enemies in a world war, a last-minute escape by swinging on a vine and even a bird’s eye view of a red line on a parchment map showing where to go next.
These comparisons make sense - at Disneyland, source of the movie itself, the Indiana Jones and Jungle Cruise rides are each other’s neighbours in Adventureland. This film has the same spunk as both of them too.
Lots of set pieces and props play integral parts to the action itself. That’s a mark of great cinema, embracing that stories in this medium should be visual and not relying solely on clever dialogue and quips (though many of the comedic quips are very funny.)
Besides a wild overuse of CGI on some animals and special effects, the only other detracting part of the movie is how implausible some of the stunts are. Many defy physics and common sense, and you’ll have a lot more fun abandoning the hope of rationalizing any realism in this adventure.
On the casting, Blunt and Johnson are lots of fun on screen, but it’s Jack Whitehall as brother McGregor Houghton who steals the show - he’s fantastically funny with his physique and line delivery in every scene. I also really liked the film’s take on Trader Sam, with Veronica Falcón mastering her scenes as the river’s native businesswoman.
The level of action and peril get more intense as it goes on, but the comedic and fast-paced tone never lets up. Ages 11 and up will take this in stride, but parents be warned the younger kids will love 90% of Jungle Cruise and get scared in the other 10%.
Yes, this jungle is fraught with danger. It’s also fraught with fun for most and more exciting than the back side of water.
Jungle Cruise
7 out of 10
PG, 2hrs 7mins. Comedy Action Adventure.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
Starring Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Édgar Ramírez, Veronica Falcón and Paul Giamatti.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, the 5 Drive-In, Cineplex Winston Churchill and Cineplex Oakville & VIP. Also playing in IMAX and streaming on Disney+ for subscribers with a paid, premium upgrade.
