Jungle Cruise

2021 • 127 minutes
4.1
276 reviews
63%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney's Jungle Cruise, a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank's questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila-his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities-possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate-and mankind's-hangs in the balance.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

4.1
276 reviews
Kyle Vansteelandt
January 15, 2022
The Legend of the Amazon is the Tears of the Moon. This central object is a major asset; cure diseases, break curses, and allow people to live longer. Everyone wants a piece of it. A scientist named Lily Houghton is determined to find it to see if the legend is true and add one of the pedals to her collection. She teams up with her brother McGregor and an experienced skipper named Frank Wolff so they can help her. I was expecting this to be a lackluster, because It is another movie based on a Disney park attraction (I was not a fan of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl"), and it is another one of those simple Dwayne Johnson star vehicles. I had to turn my brain off anyway. At first, I was watching it with a small amount of optimism. But instead, what I have gotten overall is a pleasant surprise, and I had a blast! Incredibly, Jaume Collet-Serra (director), Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (writers) excels the craftsmanship; The quick camera cuts, the slick editing, the slow timing that grabs my attention, and the intelligent writing is what intensifies the action and the comedy. For a simple story like this, these gifted filmmakers are throwing quite a lot of surprises at me with twists, turns, and as far as I'm concerned, unlike "Curse of the Black Pearl" (which I am not a fan of), This film adaptation of the park attraction has considerable depth with nothing trite whatsoever. It also has some interesting information about some of the features in the fantastical jungle that fuels up the imagination of the fantasy aspect of it's genre. The lively score by James Newton Howard has taken one big step into the right direction; enhancing the action and the emotion, and setting up the moments that are about to happen. Visually, it is a beautiful movie with vibrant colors, gripping cinematography, and some persuasive effects from the CGI special effects and practical effects. Not everything is fantastic here; the jokes in the former fall flat (except for one joke in the latter). Also, Piranhas are not man-eaters, they are scavengers, and they are mostly timid. Anyways, there is something to like about the intriguing characters here, they have some compelling character development, they have their own background without any cliches. This movie does have Dwayne Johnson, but actually, Dr. Lily (Emily Blunt) is the main protagonist (she appeared most often), and is the real star of this star vehicle. She is a likable heroine who is up for adventure, she is an intelligent scientist who can solve problems. She can also find her way around any area. I love when it when Lily criticizes her Skipper named Frank. Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) is an unfunny yet experienced skipper who is a supporting character with some surprising features and has depth. The chemistry between Lily and Frank are so enthralling; not so hasty, not so simplistic, and nothing stereotypical. They support each other, even if they have their own flaws that they dislike about each other. Some of the most entertaining elements of the movie involves Proxima the Jaguar. I loved Proxima every time she appears on the screen. McGregor (Jack Whitehall) is the quirky and spiffy brother of Lily who is also a supporting character who truly loves her sister deep down as a sibling. Jesse Plemons gives out a campy and snarky performance as the main antagonist: the conniving Prince Joachim. He is a German royal who will stop at nothing until he gets his clutches on the pedal with the help of his slaves that he summons: Aguirre and his partners from the dead, and some nature's most feared venomous killers that he can talk to. In conclusion: I thought I was done with these basic star vehicles for The Rock, but "Jungle Cruise" won me over, it is a smartly-crafted, swashbuckling ride that offers exciting action, hilarious comedy, and quick wits. I really like this movie a lot, albeit not a masterpiece. Recommended.
45 people found this review helpful
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Stephen Jacewicz
September 18, 2021
4 to 4 and a half. Jungle Cruise is lots of fun but could use more fun scenes where like they are trying to avoid a waterfall just general water dangers. However it still holds up as a good time at the movies especially in 3D, it has a lot going for it with the different environments and enemies and it keeps you holding tight. It is even scary at times..... And also beautiful other times. It is a fun movie but due to scares and other stuff it is not for kids.
45 people found this review helpful
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Kenneth Yaw Agyeman-Badu
September 1, 2021
Maybe I'm getting old for these fantasy movies. Watched from start to finish and none of their so-called funny moments made me laugh. The plot was too boring, graphics were too animated and colorful, mediocre performances, unimpressive dialogues and forced accents when they speak. The movie even depressed me. Nothing feels natural here, this should have been a cartoon. This is a movie that fails to deliver and really disappointing, this will probably be for the kids.
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