REVIEW #72 Jungle Cruise (2021)

Jungle Cruise is the latest Disney release based upon the popular ride at the Disney Land parks. Dr Lily Houghton and her brother McGregor travel to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil in search of the ‘Tears of the Moon’ an ancient tree with petals that hold the ultimate healing power. They recruit boat skipper Frank to guide them deep into the rainforest.

CAST & THE ACTING 

The casting for Jungle Cruise is brilliant, Lily Houghton is played by the brilliant Emily Blunt who brings determination, courage and intelligence to her character. During the press junket for the film I have seen many comparisons to Indiana Jones and I think that’s fair but I believe Emily makes this character much more likeable, humorous and relatable. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is Frank the skipper for the Journey and as always, he delivers a fantastic performance. The chemistry between himself and Emily Blunt is great and that is reflected on screen, I have watched quite a few interviews with them both discussing the film and they almost mirror the relationship between Lily and Frank, except maybe slightly more explicit banter outside of the film!) Jack Whitehall portrays Lily’s brother McGregor and it’s fair to say this is his biggest role to date but he didn’t disappoint, he brings clever humour into the film and the character brings a nice balance to the trio. Jesse Plemons is the antagonist in the film, Prince Joachim and he does well, bringing a good combination of villainous energy and humour. I think the chemistry between the main 3 characters is what really stands out in this film and it really helps make the comedy effective.

PLOT & THE STORYLINE 

In true Disney fashion the mystical plot is ambitious to say the least! Set during word war 2, Lily Houghton followed by her brother McGregor embark on a dangerous journey to find an ancient tree where it’s petals can cure any disease or injury. Hot on their tail is Prince Joachim who wishes to use the petals to win Germany the war. Lily hires boat skipper Frank to guide them through the Amazon and finally achieve what no previous expedition could, find the ‘Tears of the Moon’. I think they did pull off the adventurous plot, it was exciting and entertaining whilst also bringing the magical Amazon to life. If I had to compare it to anything it would almost be like Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean! Yes there are a few things which do seem a little silly like Franks pet Jaguar helping him hustle people but I think that’s just intended to add to the enjoyment factor of the film. There are also a couple of unexpected twists which was a nice surprise, it meant the plot wasn’t as predictable as I originally thought. I’m not sure if there is any plan for a sequel but I think there is certainly scope for it, I would like to see more of the characters for sure. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS 

This was a big highlight of the film for me, some of the visuals were outstanding! How they brought the Amazon to life was great, they highlighted the beauty of the rainforest but also the deadly dangers because they were always subtly showing one animal trying to kill another. For me the best cinematography come towards the end when we got to see the ancient tree in full bloom, the original dark, gloomy setting to the sudden burst of magical pink petals just looked really good. The special effects were also good, from bringing the animals such as the Jaguar to life, to the huge explosions, it made the film really entertaining. Although I would expect this category to always be outstanding when it comes to a Disney film because they would have a large budget dedicated to creating this magical world for audiences to enjoy, so I wasn’t surprised. 

OVERALL (8/10)

I really enjoyed Jungle Cruise, the casting was spot on and the chemistry between Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson and Jack Whitehall was brilliant. The comedy was always delivered effectively and they all seemed the perfect match for their characters. The plot did have a few far fetched moments in there but it’s a Disney film, thats what we expect and what we enjoy about their films. The cinematography and special effects were outstanding and they really did create such a magical world for the audience to enjoy, highlighting the beauty and the danger of the rainforest whilst maintaining huge, entertaining action sequences. I don’t think the main antagonist was as effective as the rest of the characters but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I would definitely recommend this film, as I mentioned previously it’s a bit like Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean! 

Thanks for reading!

Callan