Jungle Cruise (2021)

[AngieBee1]

Thankfully a million times better than the other Disney attractions made into films like THE HAUNTED MANSION, MISSION TO MARS and THE COUNTRY BEARS, but is right up there with the first PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, is JUNGLE CRUISE. 

Directed by Jaume Collet-Sera (the upcoming BLACK ADAM, ORPHAN) with a screenplay by Michael Green (Kenneth Branagh's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and DEATH ON THE NILE) and the writing team of  Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (BAD SANTA, I LOVE YOU PHILIP MORRIS),  JUNGLE CRUISE is a film that borrows heavily from other action/adventure films like THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, INDIANA JONES and even THE AFRICAN QUEEN and it is blessedly led by Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt who are more than capable of handling the material. 

Blunt plays scientist Dr. Lily Houghton who, with the aide of her assistant/brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) is searching for the mythical Tears of the Moon tree whose leaves are thought to have healing properties.  Lily and MacGregor team up with skipper and teller of bad jokes (and if you've ever been on the actual Jungle Cruise ride you'll know how true to life they are)  Frank Wolff to navigate their journey which proves dangerous because of the territory and also because Lily and MacGregor are being chased by Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons) who wants to find the tree for his own nefarious purposes. 

Great fun, really a great throwback film.  

Edited August 4, 2021 by AngieBee1

[blackwing]

I am glad to read a good review.  I will watch Emily Blunt in anything and was going to see this regardless of reviews, but I am thankful that this movie sounds like a lot of fun.

And stupid me, I remember the mostly terrible movie "Mission to Mars" (that was the one with Tim Robbins who opened his helmet to freeze himself to prevent his wife from dying as well, right?) but for some reason I never made any connection to the Epcot ride.

What's next on the ride-to-movie list?  I would think Expedition Everest, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain are likely candidates.  Although I would love a movie based on Hong Kong Disneyland's amazing Mystic Manor.

[AngieBee1]

Despite Scarlett Johannsson suing Disney she's still set to produce a film version of TOWER OF TERROR.  Though, I don't see how they can improve on The Wonderful World of Disney movie that introduced the ride.  

[questionfear]

I thought the movie was about 30 minutes too long...and I would watch Emily Blunt read me the phone book for two hours. Could have used a touch less setup and a touch more time with Jesse Plemons talking to bees. Also, every movie needs The Rock having a slap fight with a leopard. 

[AimingforYoko]

Fridge Logic: A realization (or plot hole) that hits you long after you finish watching a movie (or reading a book) and have already moved on to other things such as raiding the fridge.

Why did a Spaniard living in Brazil for 300 years speak English with an American accent?

[kiddo82]

Lots of African Queen vibes, albeit, with this one having a much more enjoyable lead actress.  (I said what I said.)  I'd watch The Rock in almost anything.  I'd watch Emily Blunt in almost anything.  This movie was practically tailor made for me.  It was fun, and the two leads are worth the price of admission alone, but I was bored when neither of them were around.*  I don't think the story was strong enough especially in the climax.  Unlike the first Pirates where even though Johnny Depp is the main attraction but the movie itself is still quite good, I don't think the movie proper of Jungle Cruise pulls its weight in relation to that of its stars.  I'd still watch a sequel though just for the two of them.  

*As an aside UO, The Devil Wears Prada falls off a cliff in the final act when Emily is out of the picture.  Something to be said about that.

Edited August 4, 2021 by kiddo82

[Browncoat]

I saw this today, and I enjoyed it tremendously!  A little bit African Queen, a little bit The Mummy (the good one, with Brendan Frasier), a little bit Indiana Jones, and even a little bit Moana, wrapped up in the delightful package of Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson.  They clearly had a blast making the movie, too.

The CGI could have used just a little work here and there, but it was mostly quite good.  And I admit to laughing out loud at the terrible jokes.

[phalange]

It was a really fun movie. I agree it has definite "The Mummy" vibes, but since that's one of my favorite movies of all time, it's cool with me. I liked the twist of Frank being a few hundred years old and that in the end he finally got to go see the rest of the world. 

All the adults at my showing were losing it at the scene when Lily had to pull the sword out of Frank's chest. I was (pleasantly) surprised at how many innuendos they fit into a single scene, especially for what is essentially a family Disney movie (albeit a PG-13 one).

On 8/4/2021 at 4:45 PM, AimingforYoko said:

Why did a Spaniard living in Brazil for 300 years speak English with an American accent?

Just a headcanon, but I guess being several hundred years old means plenty of time to perfect accents and foreign languages. English would be an important one to pick up because all the British and American tourists. 

[Browncoat]

8 hours ago, phalange said:

All the adults at my showing were losing it at the scene when Lily had to pull the sword out of Frank's chest. I was (pleasantly) surprised at how many innuendos they fit into a single scene, especially for what is essentially a family Disney movie (albeit a PG-13 one).

That was surprising.  And hilarious.  "Want to bite my stick?"

[AngieBee1]

It was briefly a thing on social media but some media sites picked up on it - the complaint that MacGregor's coming out soon was too ambiguous.  Yes, Disney - across their holdings - have been slow in showing LGBTQ representation  but in this regard people really need to think of the context of the film. It's set in 1916 and MacGregor and Lily are from London. Homosexuality wasn't decriminalized in the UK until 1967. What did they really expect from that scene? MacGregor telling Frank as much as he did in the first place was a huge show of trust.

[Spartan Girl]

This was a fun summer movie. Watched it on Disney+ because my dad didn’t want to go to the theater, but it was worth it. I agree with all of the comparisons, and I’d like to add that it also followed the POTC story formula, albeit in a good way.

I laughed/groaned at all Frank’s corny jokes. 

Boy, Jesse Plemmons sure channeled his inner Christoph Waltz.

I have to admit I didn’t see the twist of Frank being one of the cursed conquistadores coming, so I’m glad I didn’t get spoiled ahead of time.

12 hours ago, AngieBee1 said:

It was briefly a thing on social media but some media sites picked up on it - the complaint that MacGregor's coming out soon was too ambiguous.  Yes, Disney - across their holdings - have been slow in showing LGBTQ representation  but in this regard people really need to think of the context of the film. It's set in 1916 and MacGregor and Lily are from London. Homosexuality wasn't decriminalized in the UK until 1967. What did they really expect from that scene? MacGregor telling Frank as much as he did in the first place was a huge show of trust.

This, and I’d like to add they handled MacGregor’s character better than I thought they would. Yes, he fell a bit into the “gay sidekick” trope but in the end he turned out to be a lot tougher than people took him for. I mean, he managed to punch The Rock of all people lol.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[nilyank]

47 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

This, and I’d like to add they handled MacGregor’s character better than I thought they would. Yes, he fell a bit into the “gay sidekick” trope but in the end he turned out to be a lot tougher than people took him for. I mean, he managed to punch The Rock of all people lol.

Twice.

[Sarah 103]

I enjoyed this movie. It was pure summer popcorn fun. The generation raised on the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies are now making movies of thier own and doing well. I loved the puns. Lily and Frank's bickering/bantering overall dynamic was fantastic. 

[Browncoat]

11 hours ago, nilyank said:

Twice.

With good form.

[BetterButter]

‘Jungle Cruise’ Sequel in the Works at Disney

[Browncoat]

Whyyyyyyyy???????  Some movies don't need sequels.  They are fine ending where they do.

(I mean, I know why -- $$$ -- but whyyyyyyyy?????)

[AimingforYoko]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

Whyyyyyyyy???????  Some movies don't need sequels.  They are fine ending where they do.

(I mean, I know why -- $$$ -- but whyyyyyyyy?????)

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

The African Queen (1951) was 10 times better than Jungle Cruise.

[Chyromaniac]

Regarding sequels:  well, there are other jungles, with other rivers - the original attraction covered parts of Africa and Asia in addition to South America.  To be honest, I'm a fan of the Jungle Cruise ride - and the parts of the film that worked the best for me are the moments that felt closest in tone to it.  For me at least, the appeal is that you're on this "boat" while an actual human cast member (the "skipper") guides you through various jungle scenes, all while telling terrible jokes.

And, when this film is doing that, it works really well.  I was honestly not sure if I could actually buy The Rock as a Skipper - most of them tend to be 20 something hospitality majors - but when he's doing the bits, and being the boat driver he managed to pull it off.  Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall are likeable and good as modern takes on classic British "explorers" - less colonialist, more philanthropist.  And Jesse Plemons was perfect as the antagonistic German prince.  I could absolutely see his character (and submarine) fitting seamlessly into the actual ride.  Finally, I feel the film did a reasonably good job of refurbishing some of the culturally outdated elements of the ride.

The parts that worked less well for me was the supernatural twist, which kind of felt like leftovers from the Pirates franchise.  But at least in that series (the first one at least), there's stuff in the ride that supports it.  It's not a huge leap from the scenes of pirate skeletons, to the undead buccaneers of Curse of the Black Pearl.  But afaik, there's really nothing in the Jungle Cruise ride to suggest, say, a Beehive Conquistador.  And, as charming as he was as Skipper Rock, there's just no way I can see Dwayne Johnson as a 300 year old immortal Spaniard.  What is this - Highlander?  At that point, I honestly spent the rest of the film trying to figure out which action guy could've been more believable.  I settled on Dave Bautista - but maybe Disney didn't think he could pull off the "backside of water" joke?

But yeah - I would've been happier without that whole side of the story.  I don't see what was wrong with just Rock and Emily trading quips while they dodge jungle dangers, with Herr Jesse hot on their trail.  But it seems like Disney doesn't trust audiences to pay attention without a bunch of CGI baddies around, which is what concerns me about a potential sequel.  If they can mine more material from the ride (bathing elephants? rhino vs. safari guys?), and keep that tone through the rest of the story, then I think they're in business.  But I'm afraid we're going to get more knockoff Pirates stuff instead.

[Bruinsfan]

I just tell myself that anticipating an engrossing narrative wasn't what made me buy a ticket in the first place. I came to have fun watching Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson, and Jack Whitehall interact, and that mission was accomplished. As long as those elements are present in the sequel I'll probably enjoy it too.

[paigow]

The sequel has to be a "Thames Jungle Cruise" so the Rock has to learn about London... Instead of supernatural pirates, there will be G-Rated Guy Ritchie Holmes style gangsters everywhere... maybe a reunion with Statham

[BetterButter]

 

[rmontro]

On 8/4/2021 at 1:19 PM, blackwing said:

What's next on the ride-to-movie list?  I would think Expedition Everest, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain are likely candidates. 

I guess Ric Flair should star in Space Mountain.

I agree with questionfear, I liked the movie but it was a little too long.  Honestly, it seems like most movies are these days.