#REVIEW: DISNEY’S “JUNGLE CRUISE”

Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

One of the numerous highlights of my life that occurred many years, pounds and a full head of hair ago was spending hours at the Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Not only did I buy the ears and the sweatshirt, I spent a long time in lineups to experience the thrills of the Pirate of the Caribbean and, my favourite, the Jungle Cruise rides. They were action-packed and incredibly creative. Despite the critical and financial success of the cinematic version of “Pirates of the Caribbean”, it took an inordinately long time to see a movie adaptation of JUNGLE CRUISE. Thankfully, it will be playing at your local theatres and on Disney+, and if there is one movie that should be seen and savoured on a big screen, this is the one to see! Despite some reservations…

We first hear of the magical powers of the Tear of the Moon (where a single pedal from a tree deep in the Amazon Forest can cure illnesses or break curses) from MacGregor Houghton (Jack Whitehall) where he presents his sister Lily’s (Emily Blunt) thoughts of how this pedal could be asset for England in the midst of World War I. With MacGregor trying to hold court to an audience of bemused scientists, Lily secretly infiltrates the offices in the building to find an arrowhead that will lead to the exact destination where this tree can be found. Before she finds and escapes with the arrowhead, she meets the nefarious Prince Joachim of Germany (Jesse Plemons) who wants the same artifact but for more selfish reasons. 15 minutes into this Film and I’m mostly enjoying the whole “Raiders of the Lost Ark” vibe JUNGLE CRUISE is giving me.

Now in Brazil, we meet Frank (Dwayne Johnson) who runs the cheapest river cruise on his barely functioning boat through the Amazon. Frank’s schtick is bad puns (yes, I laughed), preordained “dangers” to scare his paying tourist audience and escaping the clutches of Nilo Nemolato (Paul Giamatti) to whom he is in deep financial debt with. After a number of events that include a leopard in one sequence and a submarine in another, the Houghton siblings hire Frank to take them down the treacherous Amazon for a negotiated sum of $12,000.00. There is a great chemistry between Johnson and Blunt, their banter is amusing and whereas I am enjoying “The African Queen” vibe, I am also developing some minor irritants JUNGLE CRUISE is giving me.

As they cruise and experience real and faked dangers, the plot for me becomes more difficult to navigate through. I’m not quite sure what Conquistador Aguirre’s (Édgar Ramirez) failed quest to secure the pedal has to do with this story and why is he and two others now trapped in stone with snakes coming out of their eyes. (If it confounded me, imagine what the JUNGLE CRUISE target audience will be feeling). But I also gleefully admit, I was enjoying what was presented and just put all the mythical mumbo-jumbo away in my mental file folder tagged “for later research”. Though, in all fairness, very late into the Movie, many things were clarified.

Much has been said how Disney has introduced “out” gay character MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), who is wildly entertaining even if he is subject to a clichéd trope filled with “Nervous Nelly“-like energy and the ubiquitous ability to arrive at destinations with too much designer luggage. Giamatti’s performance is a wealth of affectations (a gold tooth and a cockatoo on his shoulders) and I was thrilled in the minimal time he is seen on the screen. Plemons’ German accent approaches bad parody at times and Ramirez was not only unrecognizable, he was underutilized.

Two people are fully responsible for the success of JUNGLE CRUISE and they are its leads. Blunt is a treasure. Period. Her comedic timing is brilliant, her smile is bedazzling and her performance here is alone worthy of the price of admission. And it behooves me to publicly admit this, but this is only the third movie I’ve seen with Johnson in it; fourth if you count “Moana”. And I admit, okay, I get it! He has charisma. He has intuitive acting chops. I can validate his fans. He is very good here.

Another thing I rarely do is make Academy Award nomination predictions, but, as of now, I will be shocked if JUNGLE CRUISE is not recognized for its outstanding Visual Effects and technical achievements. Alongside its imaginative Choreography and (it bears repeating), the chemistry between its two stars, JUNGLE CRUISE is a must-see in a darkened theatre with a safe distance between the audience and a tub of hot buttered popcorn in your lap.

Walt Disney Studios Canada release Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE Friday, July 30, 2021 in theatres and on Disney+ with Premier Access.