247. Jungle Cruise; movie review

 

 

JUNGLE CRUISE

Cert 12A

127 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat

Remember those 1980 adventure movies such as Romancing The Stone and The Jewel Of The Nile?

Well, Disney has picked up the template, given it to Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and set their new film on the Amazon.

There are heroes, villains, special effects, comedy and, of course, a typical Disney ending.

So, with such a mix of exotic ingredients why isn't Jaume Collet-Serra's Jungle Cruise as memorable as it could have been?

Perhaps I have just seen too much of Johnson's affable but strong-as-an-ox persona or possibly the usually excellent Blunt doesn't fit.

Or maybe it is down to Disney trying too hard while attempting to model a movie on one of its theme park rides 

Anyway, Blunt stars as an explorer who is in search of the Tears of the Moon, a mythical tree's petals which can cure illness, heal injuries and lift curses. 

This is pretty handy on the Amazon where people get hurt and are occasionally left under spells for hundreds of years,

Her brother, an upper-class buffoon played by Jack Whitehall, tags along to offer her protection but she ends up defending him most of the time.

They then need a skipper and a boat to navigate their way through treacherous waters and past dangerous tribes.

They alight upon a chancer (Johnson) who runs cruises which take their passengers for a ride in more ways than one.

Nevertheless, he persuades the explorer that he is the right man for the job and the 'fun' begins.

The bad guys (Paul Giamatti, Jesse Plemons (a bizarrely stereotypical German villain) and Edgar Ramirez) try to get in their way to little effect.

The problem is that this is far from a bare-knuckle ride and the comedy only prompts a wan smile now and again.

Meanwhile, the CGI special effects are clumsier than we would expect nowadays.

Reasons to watch: If you haven't seen a jungle adventure

Reasons to avoid: Clunky and goes over old ground

Laughs: A couple of chuckles

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? There are some trademark jokes and storylines in the Jungle Cruise Disney park attraction and to meet fans' expectations, some of these jokes are present in the film adaptation.

The final word.  Emily Blunt: "We all have such an investment in this; Disney does as well. Hopefully, people want to see the journey continue." USA Today

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