Let’s get the obvious out the way- Jungle Cruise is another cash grab entry into the usually bland “Movies Based on Disney Rides” category. On one side of this shaky spectrum, we have the revered original Pirates of the Caribbean, which still holds up today even after a few dismal sequels, and on the other end, well, there’s Tomorrowland. These movies either take a big creative chance like the original Pirates, or they feature bland storytelling as forgettable as a mug of office coffee. Jungle Cruise is like a good boat- floating comfortably down the river, neither sinking into The Haunted Mansion’s bottom or sailing through the Pirates skies. That said, is the cruise worth the price of entry?
Your enjoyment on this ride largely depends on how much you enjoy the cast, as the lead actors are what saved the movie from hitting Rock-bottom for me (don’t roll your eyes- if you don’t enjoy bad puns, then why are you even reading about the Jungle Cruise movie?!). The Rock somehow smoothly rolls out an alarming number of puns for anyone not familiar with the ride, and unlike the ride, most of them actually land well. I always felt like the Jungle Cruise ride was assigned to annoying Disney cast members as punishment, but the Rock and Emily Blunt surprisingly have great chemistry together, and helped me forgive other areas where the storytelling took on water. Dwayne Johnson’s Frank is self-assured and charming, but also somewhat untrustworthy and untrusting, while Emily Blunt’s Lily Houghton is also self-confident and likable, but occasionally naïve despite her intelligence. Their flaws make them relatable, and their similarities prime them to one-up and butt heads with each other. The Rock and Emily clearly are comfortable handling both their comedic delivery and action sequences together, and Jack Whitehall as Lily’s brother McGregor also earns some humorous moments. The core protagonists’ banters and characterizations are far more interesting than any villains they come across, not that the antagonists are inherently boring, but they’re just more forgettable in comparison.
One of the antagonist’s biggest weaknesses is they’re essentially CGI monsters, in what is clearly a borrowed element from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, here it feels too familiar to that other series, and we don’t get too many long shots to appreciate the design like we did with Davy Jones or the cursed Black Pearl crew. As a result, there’s a good stretch in the second half that gets weighed down by distracting CGI characters. On the whole, the final third of the movie falls mostly flat, thanks to a forgettable combination of formulaic story beats. Though to be fair, I’d be hard-pressed to consider many moments memorable two weeks after watching. The big exception to this would be The Rock’s first scene, where they perfectly transition the Jungle Cruise ride onto the big screen, mirroring the wonder and fun a kid might have on their first visit. When I remember this movie, I’ll probably think of that scene and less of quick-cut fight scenes with CGI monsters.
At its best, Jungle Cruise invokes fun adventure vibes that made me nostalgically remember 1999’s The Mummy, and at its worst, it reminds you how much of tighter a ship the first Pirates of the Caribbean was. So at both its lowest and highest points, you’re still reminded of other films. I don’t foresee anyone in the future saying another movie reminded them of Jungle Cruise, because it really doesn’t bring anything new to the table, with the exception of Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, who I wouldn’t mind seeing together again as leads in another film. Just don’t expect it to be a Jungle Cruise sequel, because I don’t think this movie has enough steam to become a franchise, but don’t let that deter you from enjoying an entertaining one-way ride!
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