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In the pantheon of Disney movies based on Disney theme park rides, "Jungle Cruise" is pretty good—leagues better than dreck like "Haunted Mansion," though not quite as satisfying as the original "Pirates of the Caribbean." 

The most pleasant surprise is that director Jaume Collet-Serra (" The Shallows ") and a credited team of five, count 'em, writers have largely jettisoned the ride's mid-century American colonial snarkiness and casual racism (a tradition  only recently eliminated ). Setting the revamp squarely in the wheelhouse of blockbuster franchise-starters like " Raiders of the Lost Ark ," " Romancing the Stone " and "The Mummy," and pushing the fantastical elements to the point where the story barely seems to be taking place in our universe, it's a knowingly goofy romp, anchored to the banter between its leads, an English feminist and adventurer played by Emily Blunt and a riverboat captain/adventurer played by  Dwayne Johnson . 

Notably, however, even though the stars' costumes (and a waterfall sequence) evoke the classic "The African Queen"—John Huston's comic romance/action film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn ; worth looking up if you've never watched it—the sexual chemistry between the two is nonexistent, save for a few fleeting moments, like when Frank picks up the heroine‘s hand-cranked silent film camera and captures affectionate images of her. At times the leads seem more like a brother and sister needling each other than a will they/won’t they bantering couple. Lack of sexual heat is often (strangely) a bug, or perhaps a feature, in films starring Johnson, the four-quadrant blockbuster king (though not on Johnson’s HBO drama "Ballers"). Blunt keeps putting out more than enough flinty looks of interest to sell a romance, but her leading man rarely reflects it back at her. Fortunately, the film's tight construction and prolific action scenes carry it, and Blunt and Johnson do the irresistible force/immovable object dynamic well enough, swapping energies as the story demands.

Blunt's character, Lily Houghton, is a well-pedigreed adventurer who gathers up maps belonging to her legendary father and travels to the Amazon circa 1916 to find the Tears of the Moon, petals from a "Tree of Life"-type of fauna that can heal all infirmities. She and her snooty, pampered brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) hire Frank "Skipper" Wolff (Johnson) to bring them to their destination. The only notable concession to the original theme park ride comes here: Wolff's day job is taking tourists upriver and making cheesy jokes in the spirit of "hosts" on Disney Jungle Cruise rides of yore. On the mission, Johnson immediately settles into a cranky but funny old sourpuss vibe, a la John Wayne or Harrison Ford , and inhabits it amiably enough, even though buoyant, almost childlike optimism comes more naturally to him than world-weary gruffness. 

The supporting cast is stacked with overqualified character players. Paul Giamatti plays a gold-toothed, sunburned, cartoonishly “Italian” harbor master who delights at keeping Frank in debt. Edgar Ramirez is creepy and scary as a conquistador whose curse from centuries ago has trapped him in the jungle.  Jesse Plemons plays the main baddie, Prince Joachim, who wants to filch the power of the petals for the Kaiser back in Germany (he's Belloq to the stars' Indy and Marion, trying to swipe the Ark). Unsurprisingly, given his track record, Plemons steals the film right out from under its leads.

Collet-Serra keeps the action moving along, pursuing a more classical style than is commonplace in recent live-action Disney product (by which I mean, the blocking and editing have a bit of elegance, and you always know where characters are in relation to each other). The editing errs on the side of briskness to such an extent that affecting, beautiful, or spectacular images never get to linger long enough to become iconic. The CGI is dicey, particularly on the larger jungle animals—was the production rushed, or were the artists just overworked?—and there are moments when everything seems so rubbery/plasticky that you seem to be watching the first film that was actually shot on location at Disney World.

But the staging and execution of the chases and fights compensates. Derivative of films that were themselves highly derivative, "Jungle Cruise" has the look and feel of a paycheck gig for all involved, but everyone seems to be having a great time, including the filmmakers.

In theaters and on Disney+ for a premium charge starting Friday, July 30th. 

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Jungle Cruise (2021)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence.

127 minutes

Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff

Emily Blunt as Dr. Lily Houghton

Jack Whitehall as McGregor Houghton

Edgar Ramírez as Aguirre

Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim

Paul Giamatti as Nilo

• Jaume Collet-Serra

Writer (story)

• Glenn Ficarra
• Josh Goldstein
• John Norville

Cinematographer

• Flavio Martínez Labiano
• Joel Negron
• James Newton Howard

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Jungle Cruise Parent Guide

This is a thrill ride of a film, packed with fantastical action scenes, charming characters, and suitably detestable villains..

Disney+ and Theaters: Intrepid British explorer Lily Houghton travels to the Amazon in search of a fabled tree with healing powers. Working with ship's captain Frank Wolff, she braves the dangers of the jungle and a determined German submariner.

Release date July 30, 2021

Run Time: 127 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

It’s the middle of World War I and young botanist Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) is convinced that she can find a way to prevent much of the suffering and death that is ravaging the world. Her late father taught her the legend of the Tears of the Moon, a tree whose flowers have healing powers. If Lily can find the tree, its petals could save countless lives and possibly turn the tide of human history.

Obviously, a prize this great is not easily won. To guide her quest, Lily first steals an ancient artifact covered in mysterious markings that hold the key to finding the tree. With her brother (Macgregor played by Jack Whitehall) in tow, she then sails to Brazil and negotiates with ship’s captain, Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to take them upriver in his deceptively decrepit vessel. But the trip is perilous because cursed conquistadores haunt the Amazon’s shores, Frank has his own secrets, and an obsessed German prince (Jesse Plemons) is tracking them in his submarine…

Given the genre, it’s no surprise that the movie’s biggest issue is violence. Non-stop, bone-crunching violence. There are countless fistfights and scenes where people are shot at with firearms and are stabbed with swords or knives. Since this is the Amazon, poison darts also make an appearance. But the worst for me are the snakes. Having giant serpents slithering through the jungle is bad enough, but it’s much, much worse when snakes erupt through the skin of one of the conquistadores. This film is filled with jump scares, moments of fantastical violence, and frequent scenes of extreme peril. Not frightening but still disturbing to some viewers, will be the movie’s stereotypical portrayal of the indigenous people in the film. The depictions are often favorable, but they hew to the “noble savage” trope, which is an improvement over more negative stereotypes, but still pigeonholes indigenous characters.

Negatives aside, Jungle Cruise provides teens and adults with an entertaining ride which manages to deliver some positive messages about loyalty and courage and having a meaningful life. Sexual content is minor, despite one scene where the dialogue operates on two levels, one of which has sexual overtones. In addition, MacGregor explains his loyalty to his sister as a reciprocal response to her own steadfast support of him as he faced the challenges of being gay in that era. Homosexuality is never mentioned but the point is clear. Whether or not you consider this scene a plus depends on your own sexual ethics.

For Disney, Jungle Cruise is a thrill-ride of a film that will fill its coffers and keep viewers thinking of the titular theme park ride, which is now being refurbished to remove the egregious racism. Given the mutually beneficial relationship between the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and the films it spawned, I predict the same kind of relationship here. Be prepared for plenty of sequels. They’re even harder to kill than cursed conquistadores.

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Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for jungle cruise.

Jungle Cruise Rating & Content Info

Why is Jungle Cruise rated PG-13? Jungle Cruise is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of adventure violence

Violence:   Fistfights occur throughout the movie. There are also scenes where weapons are used – firearms, swords, knives, and poison darts. A torpedo is even fired in one scene, causing significant destruction. Main characters are shown dead and injured. A man is crushed when part of a stone building falls on him. A woman chloroforms a man without his consent. An angry man kills people who have disappointed him. A jaguar attacks a man in a restaurant. A man’s hands are pressed down on a hot surface. A man kills a small animal to use as bait. A man makes a makeshift blow torch and uses it in self defense. There are frequent jump scares and scenes of fantastical violence. Undead characters spread fear and terrorize people while committing acts of violence. Sexual Content: A man and woman kiss. A couple discuss removing a sword from his chest in a manner that conveys extended sexual innuendo. There is a coded conversation about a main character’s homosexuality. Profanity:   There are three terms of deity in the movie. A scatological curse is heard in German. Alcohol / Drug Use: Main characters drink alcohol in a bar. Men frequently drink an unnamed beverage out of flasks: it’s likely alcohol. An animal gets drunk and vomits.

Page last updated October 2, 2021

Jungle Cruise Parents' Guide

If a plant could heal all wounds and cure all diseases, what effect would that have on the world? How would it affect countries’ economies? How would it change human culture? How would it affect the way people perceive their lives? Would there be any downsides to such a discovery? How could such a boon be fairly distributed to people around the world?

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If this is your kind of story, you’re going to want to have a movie marathon with Raiders of the Lost Ark , Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull . For more action in the desert sands, The Mummy dishes up curses and danger in equal measure.

If insane plots are your thing, National Treasure and National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets both provide plenty of action along with plots that are frankly unbelievable but still manage to be lots of fun.

Dwayne Johnson has a flair for popcorn flicks and brings plenty of charisma to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level .

Madcap adventure is given a comic twist in the cult classic The Princess Bride . This tongue-in-cheek film is filled with hilarious scenes and will have your kids quoting lines of dialogue for years to come.

Family audiences looking for a lighthearted quest movie can’t go wrong with Onward . This animated Pixar classic follows the exploits of two brothers who are trying to complete a magic spell that will allow them to spend 24 hours with their late father.

If you’re looking for adventure movies for kids, you can introduce them to Finding ‘Ohana , a story about siblings who set off on a treasure hunt in Hawaii and find more than they expect. Adventures of Tintin is a CGI animated film focusing on the adventures of the intrepid young reporter who stars in the European graphic novels. And, of course, the most outrageously funny adventure movie of all is Muppet Treasure Island , which provides manic fun (and some great music) for viewers of all ages.

Related news about Jungle Cruise

Coming to Disney+: July 2021

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‘Jungle Cruise’ Review: Amazon Subprime

Not even Emily Blunt, doing her best Katharine Hepburn impression, can keep this leaky boat ride afloat.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

Like Vogon poetry , the plot of Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is mostly unintelligible and wants to beat you into submission. Manically directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, this latest derivation of a theme-park ride shoots for the fizzy fun of bygone romantic adventures like “ Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) . That it misses has less to do with the heroic efforts of its female lead than with the glinting artifice of the entire enterprise.

Emily Blunt plays Lily, a sassy British botanist weary of being disrespected by London’s chauvinistic scientific community. The Great War is in full swing, but Lily is obsessed with reaching the Amazon jungle to search for a flower that’s rumored to cure all ills. A roguish riverboat captain named Frank (Dwayne Johnson) is hired, and soon Lily and her fussy brother (Jack Whitehall) — whose discomfort with all things Amazonian is a running gag — are heading upriver into a host of digital dangers.

As snakes, cannibals and maggoty supernatural beings rattle around the frame, “Jungle Cruise” exhibits a blatantly faux exoticism that feels as flat as the forced frisson between its two leads. The pace is hectic, the dialogue boilerplate (“The natives speak of this place with dread”), the general busyness a desperate dance for our attention. Jesse Plemons is briefly diverting as a nefarious German prince, and Edgar Ramírez pops up as a rotting Spanish conquistador named Aguirre. Werner Herzog must be thrilled.

Buffeted by a relentless score and supported by a small town’s worth of digital artists, “Jungle Cruise” is less directed than whipped to a stiff peak before collapsing into a soggy mess.

“Everything you see wants to kill you,” Frank tells his passengers. Actually, I think it just wants to take your money.

Jungle Cruise Rated PG-13 for chaste kissing and bloodless fighting. Running time 2 hours 7 minutes. In theaters and on Disney+ .

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Jungle Cruise Reviews

I think we would all agree to hop in a boat with these two as they take us on an adventure.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2023

The SUMMER ADVENTURE you all need to go on! With vibes from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Pirates of the Caribbean! this movie will bring a smile to your face the entire cruise.

Full Review | Jul 26, 2023

Sometimes movies should exist to be entertainment, purely and simply. Jungle Cruise should have been that, and it’s a shame there was not enough charisma to keep it afloat.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Jungle Cruise is exactly what it makes itself out to be: a big-name summer blockbuster...

Full Review | Feb 23, 2023

A family adventure through familiar, albeit shallow, waters.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Feb 13, 2023

Any minor quibbles are outshone by the star power wattage generated by Johnson and Blunt. If Johnson is still the Most Electrifying Man In Entertainment, then Emily Blunt is a superconductor.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 12, 2022

Book your trip on Jungle Cruise now. It’s a first-class ticket.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 9, 2022

JUNGLE CRUISE (the movie) was based on "Jungle Cruise", a Disneyland ride, so I wasn't expecting much, and was definitely pleasantly surprised. All in all, this is a fun movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Sep 18, 2022

The script (from the trio of Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa) is silly and light-hearted, reminiscent of the late-1960’s pulp you would find at a Saturday afternoon matinee.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Inspired, too inspired, on its titular Disney attraction ride. Dwayne Johnson is practically the attraction's tour guide. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 18, 2022

Jungle Cruise manages to coast on the charm of its two leads, making it a fun, if somewhat forgettable, adventure.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 18, 2022

JUNGLE CRUISE is a really enjoyable retro action-adventure film for the entire family, that shines with its great stars, wonderful chemistry and a surprisingly good and always entertaining story.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 7, 2022

Despite the flaws, theres something about Jungle Cruise that just works. Its a traditional summer blockbuster that combines charming leads with enough adventure to keep everyone happy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 3, 2022

Unlike the vast majority of other recent Disney Live-Action features, Jungle Cruise is a film easy to have a good time with.

Full Review | Feb 22, 2022

If theres a ride that the Jungle Cruise feels more like than the Jungle Cruise, its Pirates of the Caribbean. And sadly, I have to say that this is this movies biggest downfall.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Feb 16, 2022

No amount of money, not even the reported 200 million budget, can help Jungle Cruise avoid tasting like a hunk of processed meat from the Disney conveyor belt.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Feb 12, 2022

Jungle Cruise is passable light-hearted family entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 12, 2022

As far as these things go, this one isn't half-bad, and that's almost entirely due to the presence of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 21, 2021

Successfully brings a beloved Disneyland ride to life.

Full Review | Nov 12, 2021

The scenery is beautiful and it is a fun ride along with Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson but it is no African Queen.

Full Review | Original Score: 5 | Oct 30, 2021

‘Jungle Cruise’: The Rock and Emily Blunt Go Up the Disney River, Without a Paddle

By David Fear

Blame Johnny Depp.

I mean, listen, feel free to blame the actor for any number of things , if you want. But specifically, in terms of riot-act reading, let’s go back to 2003, when Mr. Depp slapped on a head scarf, trotted out his best Keef Richards wobble and slur, and turned what felt like a Disney Hail-Mary I.P. cash-in into a cash cow. No one expected a movie based on an amusement park ride based on creaky, age-old seafaring stories to give birth to a popular franchise; no one expected a movie about 18th century pirates to show up in the early part of the 21st century, period. (What is this, the Watchmen universe ?)

Depp is responsible for turning the Pirates of the Caribbean films into hits, even when the series slipped into diminishing-returns territory. More importantly, he helped to prove a Mouse House theorem: When it comes to licensing, exploiting and rebooting, why stop at your best-known characters? Find the right actor, and you can sell your park properties’ greatest hits as intellectual properties too. If you can hire a better-than-decent director and keep the pace frantic, all the better. The movies then direct customers back to the park, and the circle of l̶i̶f̶e̶ commerce continues. The question was not whether this was the beginning of a trend but what the next “title” would be and how soon we’d be E-ticketing to a theater near us.

The reprieve lasted longer than we thought, enough to lull us into a false sense of security. Maybe it’s unfair to blame the ghost of Jack Sparrow and the Pirates boom-bust of yore for Jungle Cruise . But dear Walt in the heavens, the shadow of that series looms large over this attempt to sell the Magic Kingdom’s vintage, colonialism-a-go-go boat ride as the next big endless-summer-movie thing. To be fair, so too does the specter of the Indiana Jones films, The African Queen, steampunk, old-school Werner Herzog, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rudyard Kipling, Jules Verne, the entire previous filmography of the Rock, that book on Ponce de Leon you forgot to return to your library in fourth grade and every boys’ adventure ever written. Still: the wisecracking, trickster rascal? The hyper-capable and social-sexism-thwarting heroine? The mystical, supernatural villains, and their imperialistic, human bad-guy counterpart? The set pieces that update bits of ye olde derring-do, often digitally and occasionally successfully? You’ve seen this film. Only the hats, the source material’s location in the park and the size of the biceps have changed.

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Stream Jungle Cruise on Disney+

First, your lovable scamp of a skipper: His name is Frank Wolff, but feel free to call him Dwayne Johnson. This is a great example of what a movie star, a real one, does when you hire them: gives you their screen persona and molds it to fit the container without changing the essential recipe. It’s the one big difference between this and other Disney’s other big cinéma du amusement park entry, in that Depp injected everything an odd sense of unpredictability and Johnson gives us the reassuring feeling we’re watching a Dwayne Johnson movie. Except this time, it happens to be 1916, we’re deep in the Brazilian rain forests, and the star is smiling instead of seriously scowling. Wolff is a tour guide who runs his trusty boat up and down the Amazon for gullible tourists, which — yup — is distinguished by the captain’s facepalm-inspiring banter. Maybe you forgot for a nanosecond that the movie is based on the ride distinguished by a running commentary of puns ranging from bad to very bad to “make it stop, make it stop!!” Anyone who’s been to Disneyland in the past 50 years will recognize the jokes Johnson tells to his hostages (sorry, “customers”). The meta-gag is that even folks in 1916 thought these groaners were god-awful.

Meanwhile, in Merry Olde England, a young man named MacGregor Houghton (Jack Whitehall) is making a plea to ye olde stuffy historical organization to let him access an arrowhead recently found in the Amazon. This artifact, about to be tucked away in their archives, is allegedly the key to unlocking “the Tears of the Moon” — bright flowers found blossoming only on the mystical Tree of Life, and the obsession/downfall of Spanish conquistador Don Lope de Aguirre (Edgar Ramírez). He’s not the Houghton to keep an eye on, however: That would be MacGregor’s sister, Lily ( Emily Blunt ), the headstrong adventurer of the family. She’s keen to prove that the rumors surrounding the magical healing properties of this foliage are true, and thus cure all ills. Yet another party, Germany’s Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons), would also like the arrowhead. There’s a world war going, you see. Having access to the tree’s bounty might give his nation the winning edge.

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We get one rousing set piece involving Blunt and Plemons competing to liberate the arrowhead from its crate — a jumble of feints and moving parts that director Jaume Collet-Serra smooths out nicely; even if you didn’t know he’s logged time putting Liam Neeson through his Action Gramps paces , you see why he got the job — before everyone meets up in South America, and everything settles into a well-worn, familiar Jungle Adventure 101 groove. It turns out that Blunt’s tart apple crisp of a comic performance pairs nicely with Johnson’s beefcake served with a side of ham. The actress, especially, seems to thrive in playing the Hepburn to Johnson’s buffed-up Bogart. (When you watch her spring into action, and see how well the movie plays to her vulnerability and her fearlessness, you remember that this is the filmmaker who also gave us Blake Lively’s alpha-female-in-peril in The Shallows. ) Blunt’s already proven to be a great physical screen performer as well as an expressive one, versatile enough to go deep or stay breezy, and even when she leans heavily on righteous indignation, there’s a verve she brings to all of this. It rubs off on her screen partner, too. She calls him “Skippy.” He calls her “Pants.” (Because she wears pants, and is also a lady.) They can almost jointly convince you this is a cruise worth taking. Almost.

Other than that, well…Plemons’ evil Saxon may worship the Kaiser instead of the Fürher, but he’s a screen Nazi by any other name, and the mustache-twirling giddiness he brings to this stock villain soon dissipates quicker than a cow leg in a piranha pool. Paul Giamatti drops by with a that’s-ah-spicy-meatball accent, a gold tooth and a vibe that scream “my summer house needs renovating, too.” One character’s interest in then-verboten alternative lifestyles doubles as both sympathetic representation and gay-panic-driven punchline, leaving you with a chicken v. egg dilemma over what came first in script rewrites. And the ride’s legacy of blithe exoticism butting up against Tarzan-grade stereotypes — to quote a bit player here, “that booga-booga nonsense” — gets dealt with in a way that suggests a box has been summarily ticked off a previous-grievances list. It wants to have your cannibal-natives cake and critique it too, at least in theory.

There are a few elements in Jungle Cruise that would constitute being labeled as spoilers, but the fact that the movie ends ready and revved up for a sequel is not one of them. Disney would very much like lightning to strike twice, and you can feel moments here — notably when Aguirre and some conquistador comrades return in a, shall we say, more “natural” postmortem state — where they’re purposefully nudging you: “Hey, remember how much you loved those early Pirates movies? So why not give this a try as well?” The ride they’re really asking you to go on, however, isn’t a reprise of their hokey upriver excursion. It’s something closer to an amusement-park attraction named Generic Blockbuster Cruise, where you slowly glide past a bunch of prefab set-ups — over there you’ll see some thrills, look out on your right for some spills and chills — and the whole thing moves inexorably forward on a track, while a skipper cracks the same corny jokes. It’s a decent enough way to kill time once if the lines are short. You won’t be particularly be rushing to jump back on the ride again.

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• DVD & Streaming

Jungle Cruise

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• July 30, 2021
• Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff; Emily Blunt as Lily Houghton; Jack Whitehall as MacGregor Houghton; Edgar Ramírez as Aguirre; Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim; Paul Giamatti as Nilo; Veronica Falcón as Trader Sam

Home Release Date

• Jaume Collet-Serra

Distributor

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Movie Review

Conquistadors were suckers for a good legend.

They scoured the New World looking for El Dorado. They discovered Florida seeking the Fountain of Youth. And one intrepid Spaniard—a fellow named Aguirre—even dared brave the mighty Amazon in search of the Tears of the Moon, petals from a hidden tree that would supposedly cure any disease.

Those petals would’ve been nice, given all the diseases that Conquistadors introduced to the New World, but no matter. Aguirre and his cohorts disappeared in those Brazilian jungles long ago, and the Tears of the Moon faded into barely remembered myth—a bedtime story for a few, perhaps, but nothing more.

But Lily Houghton and her brother, MacGregor, heard those bedtime stories and believed . And Lily believes something else, too: That she can succeed where Aguirre and everyone else has failed.

And given that the year’s 1916—the middle of the Great War, when millions of people are dying from battle and disease—the Tears have never been more needed.

Lily has maps of important twisty, turny Amazon tributaries—maps allegedly made by Aguirre’s own cartographer. Soon she has an important arrowhead, too, which she thinks may be the key to unlocking the Tears’ centuries-old secret. Now all she and her brother need is a boat captain to take them upriver, through the mysterious and perilous jungle. Someone brave. Strong. Honest.

Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

Frank Wolff isn’t honest. In fact, he makes his living lying. He takes gullible tourists upriver and shows them the (ahem) wonders and terrors of the Amazon, be they fearsome headhunters (actors in Frank’s employ) or horrifying hippopotami (not native to Brazil) or the skeletonized remains of dead conquistadors (well, the skeletons look real enough). He glories in terrible puns and proudly shows his guests the “eighth wonder of the world”—a pitiful little manmade waterfall that Frank sails behind. “The backside of water!” he proudly exclaims to his less-than-impressed clientele.

Why, when he first meets Lily, Frank is even lying about being Frank . She finds him in the office of another (much more successful) riverboat captain, apparently picking a lock. She mistakes him for the (much more successful) riverboat captain, and who is Frank to say otherwise?

Still, Frank is roughly the size of a boat himself, which suggests he’s strong. He must be brave, too, living as he does in this little-explored jungle. And he works cheap.

But the dangers Frank, Lily and MacGregor face are no lie. To get to where the Tears of the Moon supposedly can be found, they’ll have to brave wild animals, fearsome rapids and maybe even a German U-Boat or two.

And the deep, dark jungle hides a secret, as well. Those old, lost conquistadors might not be quite dead yet. Yes, the Tears of the Moon make a tantilizing bedtime story—one that Lily banks on being much more. But before this jungle cruise is over, she might be shedding a few tears of her own.

Positive Elements

Lily wants to find the Tears of the Moon for a whole bunch of reasons: To redeem her family name; to mark herself as a scientist of note; and because it’d be fun. But above all, she believes the Tears can save lives—lives that, at this juncture in history, are being lost at a staggering pace. “I don’t have to know someone to care,” she tells Frank.

The riverboat captain respects that. But for him, he needs to be closer to someone to truly care for them—and he’s been looking for that connection for a while now. “One person to care about in this world—that’s enough for me.” Which is also a nice sentiment.

All that caring leads all of them (MacGregor, too) to take risks for each other—even to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice.

In flashback, we also see an indigenous group show great kindness to a handful of conquistadors. And we learn that at least one of those conquistadors sought out the Tears for a pretty good reason of his own.

Spiritual Elements

The Tears themselves were a gift from the gods, it’s suggested, and Frank named his boat after the goddess of the moon (Quilla, an actual Incan deity). The history of the tears is filled with magical happenings and elements, too, including a very effective curse. Part of that curse involves an element of undead immortality. Apart from that, though, there is little apparent hope of an afterlife, but rather eternal rest.

Lily spies some Brazilian dolphins. Frank cautions her to not look them in the eyes: Those dolphins, he says—repeating a real Brazilian legend—are said to be shapeshifters who might just steal you away. “If you believe in legends,” he cautions, “you should believe in curses, too.” Indigenous tribespeople don masks made out of skulls, and the leader has painted an eye on her hand—suggesting an adherence to some sort of mysterious religion.

There’s a reference to the Garden of Eden. It’s said that Lily wants to be the “Darwin of flowers,” a reference to the naturalist who popularized the notion of evolution.

Sexual Content

Before diving into water, Lily strips down to her modest 1916-era skivvies. (“Are you wearing pants under your pants?” Frank asks.) We also see some indiginous folks go shirtless or (in the case of women) shoulder-baring garb. Life-saving, underwater swaps of oxygen resemble a pair of lip-to-lip kisses. Some banter over treating a wound—with Frank asking Lily if it’s her “first time”—is filled with possible light double entendres.

MacGregor, Lily’s brother, is apparently gay. He tells Frank that he had to break the truth to a would-be female match that his “interests lie elsewhere,” and that he would’ve been disinherited and completely ostracized from society for “who I loved,” had it not been for Lily. This is the only reference to MacGregor’s sexual leanings, and it could sail over some younger viewers’ heads. Yet, the context of the conversation might make it more likely that those younger viewers will ask questions later.

Violent Content

The movie opens in earnest in London, where a villain quickly and cartoonishly dispatches a number of bearded scientists. We see no blood, but given the blades involved, there’s no doubt as to the fates of these unfortunates. Someone nearly tumbles to her death during the melee, as well, but instead lands safely on a double-decker bus.

But if London’s a dangerous place, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Amazon. We see creatures nab other creatures, only to get snatched up in turn—the suggestion being that pretty much everything’s subject to being gobbled up and eaten. People are stabbed and shot and nearly drowned, and a couple of unfortunates fall from terrific heights, bouncing off branches and rocks on the way down. Someone is skewered by a pretty nasty blade (we see the end jut out from the other side) but survives—and someone else is forced to pull the blade out. Someone is crushed by a falling rock.

A leopard attacks Frank and bites his wrist. He and the animal wrestle in a bar for a bit (threatened by a nearby tarantula and scorpion, who just minutes before had been locked in an apparent fight-to-the-death). Someone’s foot is seriously injured. A man is thwacked by a golf club. A couple of guys get whacked in their privates (momentarily disabling them). Men burn their hands. People comically run into various hard surfaces, knocking them down or, in one case, plunging from a zip line. People are bitten by snakes, and at least a couple seem to die from the bites. Sunburns look pretty painful. Animals are shot and caught for food. We hear some joking references to beheadings. Piranhas attack Frank.

[ Spoiler Warning ] We should mention those undead conquistadors. They commit plenty of acts of violence, to be sure, but more than that, these guys are just plain scary. Each seems to be cursed as a different jungle avatar: The body of one is alive with slithering snakes, some of which slide out of his skin (which sometimes splits rather grotesquely). Another seems built partly out of honeycombs, with portions of his body missing. If you remember the undead pirates from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, you can get a sense of the level of ookiness we’re talking about here, but something to be aware of.

Crude or Profane Language

Someone uses the German equivalent of the s-word. We hear one “h—” and about three misuses of God’s name. The movie purposefully calls to mind a harsher profanity, though, when a character rejects an invitation to a prestigious educational body—telling its members that they can “shove it up your association.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Frank imbibes quite a bit (most likely a nod to Humphry Bogart’s hard-drinking character in The African Queen). He quaffs liquid from a glass flask he always has with him, and he partakes elsewhere, too (ordering, for instance, “two beers and two steaks”). When MacGregor tries to bring seemingly dozens of trunks along, Frank throws most overboard but pointedly keeps the trunk full of liquor.

Frank’s pet leopard laps up some of the alcohol from one of those bottles (wine or port, most likely) and gets drunk. During a visit with an indigenous tribe, MacGregor seems quite impressed with the alcohol they give him, until he learns …

Other Negative Elements

… that the alcohol in question is, in Frank’s words, “fermented spit.”

Three characters (including the leopard) vomit, either on the boat deck or over the rail. Frank tells Lily that she can take a bath in the Amazon itself—slyly mentioning that he warmed it up for her earlier (that is, urinated in its waters). When Lily gets splashed, Frank looks at her trousers and says, “Looks like you wet your pants, Pants (his nickname for her).”

Lots of characters—including the good guys—lie and steal here. Indeed, the arrowhead that Lily needs to complete its quest is snatched from its apparently rightful owners (an act she would frame as one of “liberation”).

The inspiration for Jungle Cruise isn’t found in ancient legend or turn-of-the-century storybook, but rather a ride—the beloved Jungle Cruise ride found at most Disney parks.

The ride itself is considered a classic. It opened along with the original Disneyland way back in 1955, and countless guests line up to experience its charm—the animatronic animals, the wisecracking captains, the “backside of water”—every year. And while it has undergone its share of revisions (redesigning the boats and stripping the scenery of some uncomfortably racist elements), the ride that 7-year-olds experience today isn’t that much different from the ride their parents might’ve loved decades before. You could argue that the Jungle Cruise, the ride, is timeless.

The movie? Not so much.

Paradoxically, it embraces a few truly timeless films: It definitely exhibits a strong Indiana Jones vibe, and the characters Lily and Frank strongly echo (in word and garb) the characters from one of the ride’s big sources of inspiration: The African Queen .

But this Jungle Cruise —despite being set more than a century ago and paying homage to a ride nearly 70 years old—is a product of our secularly moralistic age. It’s concerned with issues that our society is concerned about, from feminism to the environment to LGBTQ issues.

That’s not all bad, of course. But it does stamp Jungle Cruise with a “best buy” date, because what society values shifts as society itself does. The morals culture embraces today may feel retro and even embarrassing 40 years from now. And even in this age, Jungle Cruise can feel a bit proselytizing.

In addition, the movie has more content issues than you might expect. While its pretty innocuous when it comes to skin and sensuality, Jungle Cruise is surprisingly violent and pretty scary. And I’ve not seen so much drinking in a film designed for families since Bogey and Hepburn sailed up the Congo on the African Queen .

The film boasts some delightfully hideous puns and stars a couple of charismatic Disney vets in Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It can be fun. But in many ways, Jungle Cruise sails off course. And for some families, some unexpected rapids loom downstream.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Jungle Cruise Review

24 Jul 2020

Jungle Cruise

Sometimes, it’s not the reboots and remakes that make you despair of Hollywood’s lack of originality. Sometimes it’s a theoretically original film like this, another attempt to turn a Disneyland ride into a big-screen franchise. As you watch Jaume Collet-Serra ’s adventure, you’re haunted by the unpleasant feeling that this is a supposedly fun thing that’s already been done before. It’s only thanks to Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt that the result holds the attention, and it’s a credit to them that it’s entertaining at all.

The ride that inspired this is a slightly insipid glide past animatronic animals. For the big screen we’re in the Amazon in 1916, where Captain Frank (Johnson) is engaged to take scientist Lily (Blunt) on a hunt for “ el flor de la luna ”, a mythical flower that can cure all ills. Her brother MacGregor ( Jack Whitehall , about whom the less said the better) is along for the ride as they follow in the footsteps of conquistador Aguirre ( Edgar Ramirez ).

It’s not badly done by any means, yet it's deathly derivative.

If you enjoyed Rachel Weisz’s plucky librarian in The Mummy , you’ll love Blunt’s plucky scientist, also tottering about on a library ladder and railing against the sexist scholars who won’t grant her the academic recognition she deserves. Johnson’s scoundrel captain, meanwhile, may recall a certain Corellian smuggler, or a Caribbean pirate. He shares a loose moral sense with both, drives a beaten-up craft that he claims is the fastest in the sector, and is in hock to a rich local boss ( Paul Giamatti , wasted). And it’s a shame that Ramirez’s Aguirre doesn’t draw from Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski to add some demented intensity, because those flashbacks play more like a limp Pirates Of The Caribbean .

It’s not badly done by any means, with lovely animal effects, big, well-staged chases and lots of antics for Blunt and Johnson. Yet it’s deathly derivative. Action beats are lifted from Raiders Of The Lost Ark , music comes (mystifyingly) courtesy of Metallica (in collaboration with composer James Newton Howard), and there are endless references to The Mummy . Orphan filmmaker Collet-Serra manages to inject some nuance into the portrayal of an Amazonian populace, led by Veronica Falcón’s Trader Sam, and gives Jesse Plemons an entertainingly outrageous accent as a German princeling. The script even pulls off a surprise or two — though one of those, involving Whitehall’s character, is horribly misconceived.

But with a budget this big and a crew this talented, the film shouldn’t be this reliant on Blunt and Johnson’s bickering to hold the attention. In his fourth jungle outing (after Welcome To The… , Journey 2 and Jumanji ), His Rockness gives good world-weary, and Blunt’s bossiness sparks off him nicely, in a dynamic straight out of The African Queen . They don’t have much romantic chemistry but they do make for a fun odd couple, and at times they’re the only thing stopping you from throwing yourself to the piranhas. When did on-screen adventure start to feel so planned?

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Review: 'Jungle Cruise' is made from spare parts of better movies but kids will love it

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily “millennial Mary Poppins” Blunt knock themselves out in “Jungle Cruise” to keep kids wowed with excitement as everything from headhunters to snapping piranhas go on the attack.

Jungle Cruise

Join Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney's "Jungle Cruise," a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon.

The movie, now playing in theaters and streaming on Disney+ Premier Access , is based on a Disney theme-park ride that’s been at it since -- wait for it --1955. That was just a few years after Walt Disney himself watched Humphrey Bogart skipper Katharine Hepburn down river in “The African Queen” and felt inspired to build the still-thriving attraction.

“Jungle Cruise” is nowhere near the league of that film classic. It’s a goofball throwaway that just wants to give family audiences a thrill ride down the Amazon, and it begs to be compared with another Disney excursion, “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

And that’s the problem.

“Jungle Cruise” borrows so heavily from “Pirates,” not to mention “The Mummy” and the incomparable “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” that it’s basically a knockoff. Johnson is a musclebound charmer, but small potatoes next to Johnny Depp, who swanned so deliciously through the role of pirate Jack Sparrow that he won an Oscar nomination.

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Acting awards are not in the cards for “Jungle Cruise ,” though that’ll be no big whoop to preteens who manage to circumvent the film’s inexplicable PG-13 rating. Set in 1916, two years into World War I, the movie is built to distract young’uns with all-stops-out special effects.

Johnson plays Frank Wolff, the captain of a ramshackle riverboat who offers the cheapest jungle cruises in Brazil -- plus a nonstop flow of groan-worthy puns.

“I used to work in an orange juice factory, but I got canned,” Wolff says at one point.

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Blunt has it worse. As British scientist Lily Houghton, a female Indiana Jones who shocks society by wearing pants, she is stuck in an exposition dump of an opening scene about why Houghton and her fussy brother, MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), need to chug down the Amazon.

Houghton is in search of flower petals from an ancient tree, called Tears of the Moon, which can only be found after Houghton steals a sacred arrowhead containing a map that will lead her to there. Even a single, falling petal is said to cure any illness or break any curse.

Download the all new "Popcorn With Peter Travers " podcasts on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Tunein , Google Play Music and Stitcher .

It’s all just an excuse for director Jaume Collet-Serra, who pitted Blake Lively against an angry shark in “The Shallows,” to lead Wolff and Houghton through a series of rousing perils. Houghton's brother doesn’t do much, though his coming-out to Frank would have raised eyebrows a century ago.

Wolff and Houghton interrupt their budding romance to fight off Joachim (hammed to the hilt by Jesse Plemons), a mad German prince in a submarine, and Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez), a Spanish conquistador who’s been undead for 400 years and looks like it.

Young audiences may go “ewww” at Wolff and Houghton's awkward smooching, but they’ll perk up at their near-death experiences in treacherous rapids and with poison snakes. The real scene-stealer is a photorealistic jaguar named Proxima, who becomes everyone’s favorite pet.

“Jungle Cruise” is made up of spare parts from better movies and at over two-hours in length, it’ll be tough on short attention spans. On the plus side, it is way better than “Haunted Mansion” and “Tomorrowland,” other Disney rides that morphed into movies.

Amazingly, Johnson and Blunt still sell it. He calls her “Pants” and she dubs him “Skippy,” nicknames they both hate. But their natural warmth as performers humanize characters built from flimsy cardboard.

“Jungle Cruise" may be dim, dopey and derivative, but the kids will love it, and like the Metallica song in the film, “nothing else matters.”

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Review: Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are fun, but not enough to make ‘Jungle Cruise’ see-worthy

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The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials .

Starting this Friday, if you’re willing to spend the time (a little more than two hours) and money (either the price of a theater ticket or a $29.99 Disney+ Premier Access fee), you can watch the new “Jungle Cruise” movie, a technologically newfangled, dramatically old-fashioned action-adventure inspired by the long-running Disney theme-park ride. Alternately, in much less time (eight minutes) and for no money at all, you could watch a video recording of said theme-park ride on YouTube.

I don’t mean to suggest that these are equivalent experiences exactly. Personally I prefer the YouTube version, which may have been filmed in a giant Anaheim water tank festooned with imported plants and mechanical elephants, yet still somehow manages to offer up the less artificial, more persuasively inhabited jungle scenery of the two. Enthusiasts of Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and the color orange, however, will probably want to spring for the longer, shinier, digitally enhanced version, perhaps hoping that, like Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies — the first one , anyway — it will succeed in turning a slow-moving boat ride into an energetic, nostalgia-tickling cinematic diversion.

And to be sure, this “Jungle Cruise,” serviceably directed by Jaume Collet-Serra ( “The Shallows” ), does reproduce some of the ride’s signature pleasures in elaborate computer-generated form: the leafy overgrowth, the exotic wildlife, the gently flowing stream. By that I also mean the stream of puns rattled off by the skipper, who is played by Johnson. That he represents an upgrade over the average Disney park employee — no offense, average Disney park employee — is hard to deny. And whether you’re wordplay-averse or (like me) think the whole enterprise should have been retitled “Pungle Cruise,” the mischievous wit that has always undergirded Johnson’s brawny physicality serves him well in this department. What a dorky, deadpan delight to hear him say things like “toucan play that game” or point out that certain rocks are “taken for granite.” (Certain Rocks too, surely.)

Being a full-length feature, of course, “Jungle Cruise” does have to traffic in niceties like plot, character and mythology, even if the result, scripted by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is derivative to the point of desultory. Johnson is Frank, the wily captain of a rickety Amazon River tourist trap, trying to eke out a semi-honest living amid stiff competition from a local bigwig (Paul Giamatti). Blunt plays Frank’s latest passenger, Lily Houghton, an apt name for a high-minded English botanist who’s trying to find the “Tears of the Moon,” a legendary flower known for its astonishing healing powers. Fate brings these two singularly stubborn individuals together for a long and bickersome journey downriver, pitting Frank’s cynical self-interest against Lily’s naive idealism and pairing Blunt’s reliably withering eye rolls with Johnson’s famously expressive eyebrows.

The chemistry generated by all this ocular sparring is not negligible, and it powers this waterlogged star vehicle through its busy, semicoherent action sequences and squalls of narrative incident. It’s 1916 and World War I is raging, which at least partly explains Jesse Plemons’ over-the-top turn as Prince Joachim, a mustachioed German villain who will butcher any person or vowel that stands in his way. He’s determined to harvest the Tears of the Moon before Lily does, even if it means steering a U-boat down the Amazon in hot pursuit. And hot is the operative word, given the sweltering Brazilian temperatures, hinted at by the oppressive ochre tones of Flavio Labiano’s digital cinematography and the sweat beads you can practically see clinging to Paco Delgado’s costumes.

Speaking of which: Also along for the ride is Lily’s brother, MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), who has dapper tastes, packs way too many suitcases and, as the movie seldom tires of reminding us, is comically ill equipped for any kind of rugged living or heterosexual entanglement. But worry not: Once it’s done poking fun at an effeminate male stereotype, the script swoops in with a cautious coming-out monologue perfectly tailored to generate a fresh round of headlines celebrating and/or criticizing Disney’s latest LGBTQ milestone. This being Disney, of course, we’re quite a long way from, say, the family-unfriendly subversions of “I Love You Phillip Morris,” Ficarra and Requa’s joyous 2010 comedy of queer awakening. Even within these ostensibly punny parameters, the only jungle cruising that goes on here is all too literal.

Still, MacGregor’s blip of a backstory isn’t the only instance in which this early 20th century epic nods to a decidedly 21st century audience. As my Times colleague Todd Martens recently examined in a thoughtful, deeply reported piece , the Jungle Cruise ride, a Disneyland fixture since the park opened in 1955, recently underwent a significant overhaul that jettisoned its racist depictions of Indigenous people. The movie, through some clever tinkering, accomplishes something similar, turning its gallery of spear-brandishing headhunters into a sly joke at the expense of Western colonialist assumptions. The real villains here are Plemons’ power-hungry prince and his army of undead Spanish conquistadors, one of whom (played by Édgar Ramirez) is none other than Aguirre himself. That historical nod conjures some wishful Herzogian overtones in a movie otherwise conceived under the spell of “The African Queen” (itself a design influence on the original ride), Indiana Jones, “Romancing the Stone” and other films from an earlier era of cinematic adventure seeking.

To watch those films again may be to plunge back into a world of cheap jokes and retrograde attitudes. But it’s also to be reminded of what mainstream American movies looked like before the era of wall-to-wall visual effects, the kind that’ve turned the modern blockbuster into a shiny, increasingly soulless and sometimes flat-out ugly proposition. “Romancing the Stone” had live snakes and snapping alligators and an appreciably real sense of peril; this movie has a digitally fabricated jaguar, among other computer-generated creepy-crawlies, and not a real thrill or scare among them. “Jungle Cruise,” despite its more-than-capable leads and its much-vaunted attention to detail and verisimilitude, never feels transporting in the way that even mediocre blockbusters were once able to muster. It’s less an expedition than a simulation, a dispatch from a wild yet oddly pristine world where seeing is never close to believing.

‘Jungle Cruise’

Rating: PG-13, for sequences of adventure violence Running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes Playing: Starts July 30 in general release; also available as PVOD on Disney+

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Justin Chang was a film critic for the Los Angeles Times from 2016 to 2024. He won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in criticism for work published in 2023. Chang is the author of the book “FilmCraft: Editing” and serves as chair of the National Society of Film Critics and secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.

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‘Jungle Cruise’ invites you to turn off your mind, relax and float downstream

Jungle Cruise — the theme park ride, not the new Disney movie it has inspired — is notable for the groan-worthy humor of its “skippers,” the tour guides who provide Borscht-Belt-style entertainment for passengers on the minutes-long trip down a lazy (fake) river lined with animatronic animals. The shtick is bad, and leans on wordplay and dad jokes that often have nothing to do with the tropical rainforest setting, along the lines of: “I used to work in an orange juice factory, but I got canned . My boss said I couldn’t concentrate .” (Pause for laughter.)

That esprit of the unapologetically cheese ball, the ersatz and the at-times downright inexplicable — however lovable some fans of Disney’s theme parks might call those qualities — permeates and weighs down the new movie. That movie stars Dwayne Johnson as an effervescent Amazon riverboat skipper named Frank, who utters some version of that same, field-tested orange-juice bit during the film’s early moments. He is no more convincing in the role than a guy in a Mickey Mouse costume waving to you from behind the touch-point entrance stanchions of Typhoon Lagoon.

The plot of “Jungle Cruise”is generally more straightforward than the river itself: Frank gets hired by a British plant scientist named Lily (Emily Blunt), who, along with her reluctant brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), is searching the Brazilian jungle for a legendary tree. Its petals, known as Tears of the Moon, are said to possess miraculous healing powers — and, for no extra charge, the ability to break curses.

Did someone say curses? Hold that thought.

Yes, along with the lush (CGI-enhanced) natural scenery, and the historical backdrop of World War I — which somehow allows for a German villain (Jesse Plemons, with an overripe accent and a U-boat armed with torpedoes) to wander around the world unimpeded in search of the same tree — there is also an element of the supernatural. Edgar Ramírez plays an undead, moth-eaten conquistador, and there are mechanical stone apparatuses reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie. For all its disparate influences and cinematic borrowings, a better title for this movie might have been “Jungle Pirates of the Lost Ark.”

Still, over a running time of more than two hours, packed more tightly than the Rock’s bulging shirt with slapstick violence and implausible peril, Johnson manages to carry the film to a (more or less) satisfying conclusion — assuming you’re a small child in need of constant distraction. For older teens, adults or anyone with higher storytelling standards, there’s a romantic subplot involving Lily and Frank, and a sprinkling of naughty double-entendres. At one point, MacGregor asks Frank, after the skipper has been injured, whether he’d like to bite down on MacGregor’s stick. Much has already been reported about MacGregor’s sexuality , which has nothing to do with anything, really, but is refreshing to see in a Disney film.

Other amazing sights you’ll see on this “Cruise”: Frank wrassling with a jaguar; river dolphins; a bad guy who can converse with snakes and bees; dangerous rapids; people eating piranhas, and not the other way around; and a scene in which Frank emerges from the river, soaking wet, only to put on a dry shirt for some reason — over his already waterlogged one.

You’ll also meet the character of Trader Sam (Veronica Falcón), the Indigenous shrunken-head dealer who, although removed by Disney from its Jungle Cruise rides earlier this year because of racial insensitivity, is back, albeit in a more woke version. She refers, sarcastically, to dropping the “ooga-booga” stuff. Again, good for Disney.

This is an untaxing, big-budget summer popcorn movie for the whole family. Like the ride itself, it requires no more mental engagement than you would devote to any theme park visit (excluding the thrill rides, which actually raise a pulse.) At many points, you might find yourself asking, like MacGregor, “Are we there yet?”

PG-13. At area theaters; also available on Disney Plus with Premier Access. Contains sequences of adventure violence and some racy humor. 127 minutes.

Jungle Cruise's Charm & Sense of Adventure Keeps the Film Afloat

While Jungle Cruise's plot points aren't always easy to follow, there's plenty of inherent charm and a thrilling sense of adventure at its heart.

Directed by The Shallows ' Jaume Collet-Serra, Jungle Cruise is the latest adaptation of a Disney Parks ride into a feature film. Thanks to the film's palpable sense of fun and its effortlessly charming cast, Jungle Cruise is an engaging tale that's a lot closer to the hit  Pirates of the Caribbean  film than say the critical and commercial failure of  The Country Bears .

During the early stretch of World War I, the adventurous botanist Lily Houghton ( Emily Blunt ) quests to find a mythical tree whose petals are rumored to heal any wound. Alongside her sheltered younger brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), and hoping to find the petals to change the face of medicine, Lily journeys to a South American jungle. They then recruit the shrewd boat captain and tour guide Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to lead them. But, they aren't the only ones after the petals. The dangerous German Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons) is chasing them too and his attempts to reach the tree first unleashes Aguirre (Édgar Ramírez), a deadly supernatural figure with a surprising connection to their expedition.

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Jungle Cruise reteams Collet-Serra with his frequent cinematographer Flavio Martínez Labiano. The pair excel when the film is more grounded, but struggle to find a balance in the film's later, CGI-heavier sequences. This is a shame because earlier sections of the movie find a deft blend of action and comedy that works well. Blunt is especially impressive in these stretches of the film, giving Lily an edge like  Indiana Jones while still making her a somewhat scrambling adventurer. In fact, a lot of the movie relies on Blunt and Johnson's chemistry and charm, which certainly helps elevate the movie. The pair bounce off each other with ease, developing a quick rapport that jumps from comedic to romantic to dramatic when needed.

Although the film can sometimes lose sight of the narrative thanks to extended running gags , the pair are able to keep the audience's attention thanks to their natural skills as comedic actors and action stars. The rest of the cast is likewise talented, if comparatively underutilized. Plemmons is a blast as the cartoonish German villain. Veronica Falcón is fantastic in her brief appearance as Trader Sam. Whitehall gets a small showcase for a surprisingly straightforward moment of LGBT recognition that, sadly, is somewhat countered by the more foppish elements of the character. However, Whitehall does give his character enough agency and emotional heft to make him work overall. Less successful is Paul Gimanti as Frank's rival Nilo, a potentially great wild card who ends up only appearing in brief sections of the film.

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It's difficult to talk about Aguirre's role in the narrative without spoiling the film's bigger twists, but, he adjusts himself well to the role despite the heavy CGI elements of the character. While the film's direction can become muddled in the CGI-heavier action scenes, it's worth noting that the designs of Aguirre and his allies are a visual highlight of the film -- giving the movie a memorable host of visually interesting enemies for Johnson and Blunt to face.

While the script of  Jungle Cruise  can feel unbalanced, it's an undeniably  fun film with the entire cast --  especially Johnson -- throwing themselves into its punnier elements. The call-outs to the original ride are fun, and the movie features enough clever subversions of the genre to more than make up for its cliche elements. While it may not be a perfect film, it's a thoroughly enjoyable summer blockbuster. Even if it has flaws, the infectious charm of the film should be enough to get audiences on board with  Jungle Cruise.

Jungle Cruise is based on Disney Parks' classic attraction of the same name. The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and along with Blunt, stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Whitehall and more. It will arrive in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access July 30.

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‘the mummy’ at 25: director on the enduring hit, brendan fraser’s mishap and the tom cruise reboot.

Stephen Sommers tells The Hollywood Reporter about casting rumors (Stallone as Rick?), Fraser's hanging accident and feeling "insulted" about how 2017's Cruise-led revival was handled.

By Ryan Gajewski

Ryan Gajewski

Senior Entertainment Reporter

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The Mummy director is unwrapping his memories of the popular action film that starred Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz as it hits its 25th anniversary.

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In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter , director Stephen Sommers recalls Fraser’s health scare during a stunt mishap, the effort to cast James Earl Jones, the Super Bowl spot that changed the movie’s fate, why he skipped the third movie and his feelings about the Tom Cruise -led reboot, released in 2017.

How does it feel to hit 25 years of The Mummy ?

It’s so funny how it just never went away. It’s always on TV somewhere. And I know, especially because the residual checks are great. I hate to say it, but somehow it’s endeared itself to a lot of people.

How did you get involved with the film?

When I was 8 years old, I first saw the Boris Karloff Mummy movie [from 1932], and I loved it. Universal had been trying to remake the Karloff movie for nine years when I got on, and it was going to be a low-budget horror movie set in modern-day. I had my agents call the producers Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel, and they were so sick of The Mummy that they didn’t even hear my pitch and just brought me straight into Universal. When we left, Sean — who’s the good cop of the pair — turned to me and said, “Steve, I thought you did a very good job.” He patted me on the shoulder, and I think they thought they’d never see me again. But I got home about an hour later, and an agent called me up and said, “The studio wants to go for it.”

Did you have any actors in mind while you were writing it?

On the Amazon rental version of the movie, there is a trivia pop-up claiming that Sylvester Stallone was initially offered the role.

You’ve got to be kidding. ( Laughs .) In the ’90s, Stallone was a huge star. Before I got on it, the studio was trying to do it for $15 million. I guarantee you, no one went out to Stallone. He was never mentioned to me.

Does anything else stand out from the casting process?

When I wrote the character of Ardeth Bay, I was trying to get James Earl Jones or Roscoe Lee Browne. He was written as a 70-year-old Black man, but I’m always up for changing things. After James and Roscoe were busy with other projects, they brought in this 23-year-old Israeli guy, Oded Fehr, and he was fantastic.

How did your team deal with the heat?

It was pretty harsh, but it’s a dry heat. We would always get hit by sandstorms, but they’re not hurricanes or anything like that. The ADs would run around and give everybody earplugs and goggles. You couldn’t see six inches in front of your face, but it would only last maybe 10 minutes.

I believe Brendan has talked about taking B12 shots in the butt during the shoot.

Love the B12 shots. Brendan really put his body out there. On the second one, when he is running from all the pygmy mummies, I could see Brendan limping.

Brendan has talked about doing some of his own stunts, during which he endured some bumps and scrapes.

Did you have a sense while you were making the film that it would be such a hit?

We had no idea. I remember around Christmastime in the editing room, going, “For 40 years, people have been making fun of The Mummy .” I suddenly had a panic attack. I’m thinking, “I love mummies and ancient Egypt, but maybe no one else will.” And then the 30-second Super Bowl spot came out. It went from nobody having any interest in seeing a Mummy movie to everybody like, “Holy shit. That was really cool.”

What do you remember about the opening weekend?

I didn’t want to get too excited and was thinking, “If it could maybe open to $20 million, that would be huge.” A producer friend of mine said, “If it does $15 million, you should be over the moon.” At 6:30 on Saturday morning, my phone rings in the kitchen, and no one calls you at 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday to tell you bad news. It was [then Universal president] Ron Meyer: “Steve, are you sitting down? The movie’s going to open to $45 million.” That was a big high. That night, a whole bunch of the actors, some of the crew and myself, we all met for steaks at Dan Tana’s.

You went on to direct 2001’s The Mummy Returns . Did you consider directing the third movie that came out in 2008?

Were you consulted for the Tom Cruise film?

No. Actually, I was kind of insulted because the writers and director [Alex Kurtzman] of that Tom Cruise one, no one ever contacted me. I contact people if I was going to take over somebody’s thing. The third one, which Rob [Cohen] directed, it’s kind of my baby. I didn’t want to step on his toes, so I helped produce it. But I had nothing to do with the Tom Cruise one. They never contacted me or called me. I was doing other things, and it’s not like I sat crying. I just think it’s common courtesy.

Brendan has mentioned that he would be game to reprise his role. Has there been any talk of that?

Not that I know. All the people at Universal are new after I left. I don’t really know them, and they haven’t got a hold of me, so I don’t know what’s in their heads. At the same time, it would have to be something really special. Of course, I would work with all of those actors again.

With The Mummy Returns , you helped make The Rock a star.

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Jumanji: welcome to the jungle, common sense media reviewers.

Star-studded reboot is charming; some iffy stuff.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Messages about teamwork, communication, and genero

The young characters all have to learn to grow, be

Many scenes of peril and death (though most of it

Bethany (in Professor Overton's body), Spencer

A few uses of "s--t" and variations on &

The Sony brand is displayed several times (unsurpr

In one scene the teens (as their adult avatars) al

Parents need to know that Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a new take on 1995's Jumanji. This time, instead of entering a board game, the players enter a video game. The popular stars, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, are likely to appeal…

Positive Messages

Messages about teamwork, communication, and generosity. The characters can't think only of themselves, because they need one another's strengths to complete tasks, go up levels, and ultimately finish the game. Teamwork requires trust and honesty. Other messages include the idea that friendship shouldn't be based on a person's social status and that everyone has ways in which they shine or stand out.

Positive Role Models

The young characters all have to learn to grow, be brave, and work together in their adventure. On the other hand, young women are depicted as being good for distracting men by playing dumb, "nasty," or "totally into" them.

Violence & Scariness

Many scenes of peril and death (though most of it isn't permanent). The four teens all start out with three lives in the video game, and each one gets down to one life. Their in-game deaths range from comical (one person explodes after encountering their weakness and later is trampled by rhinos) to matter-of-fact (one character is bitten by a snake and disappears) to frightening (a character is mauled by a jaguar). But after dying in the game, they return. In one tense moment, a character with only one life left is dying, but he's saved by another character. The villain can control animals on the island, and he kills a henchman with a scorpion bite. Several martial-arts, video game-like battles. A couple of jump-worthy moments involving a jaguar jumping into the frame and a snake hissing, pouncing. Spoiler alert: All of the main characters survive.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Bethany (in Professor Overton's body), Spencer, and Fridge have an extended conversation about what it's like for her to have a penis, how to pee standing up, and how "crazy" it is, etc. There's even a reference to an erection, but the word is never said, nor is the topic of discussion shown (everyone else tells her she has "a situation down there"). Bethany teaches Martha how to flirt and use her sexuality to "distract men." Martha (as Ruby Roundhouse) is uncomfortable dressed in a crop top and tiny shorts. A couple of kisses, both in avatar form and in their regular bodies. Spencer's body (as Bravestone) and smoldering good looks are a frequent topic of conversation. Sexualized comments about "hitting that" etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few uses of "s--t" and variations on "ass": "shut your ass up," "badass," "dumbass," and "jackass," as well as "hell," "damn," "sucks," "boob," "oh my God," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The Sony brand is displayed several times (unsurprising, since it's a Sony film); other brands briefly shown include Instagram, Purell hand sanitizer, Nike, Mercedes-Benz, Metallica, Chrysler Pacifica.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In one scene the teens (as their adult avatars) all drink blended margaritas, but two of them spit it out. One gets drunk (because he's half the size of his regular self).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a new take on 1995's Jumanji . This time, instead of entering a board game, the players enter a video game. The popular stars, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson , Kevin Hart , Jack Black , and Karen Gillan , are likely to appeal to audiences of all ages. Expect some swearing (mostly "s--t" and "ass"), as well as action violence -- the main characters each die multiple times within the game (but they're regenerated quickly) -- and a couple of jump scares. Characters kiss and flirt awkwardly, and there are several references to dating, experience, and the humor of having a penis (one of the female teens is in a male avatar for most of the movie). There are also references to how girls/women can "distract men" with their attention and body, which doesn't send a great message to girls. That said, The Rock's character's body is also objectified. Still, there are positive themes here related to teamwork, empathy, selflessness, and communication, making this an easy pick for families who enjoy action adventures -- especially if they saw the original movie or read the Chris Van Allsburg book on which both films are based. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (149)
• Kids say (223)

Based on 149 parent reviews

J:WJ - 2 Thumbs Up!!! :)

It could of been excellent, what's the story.

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is an updated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's picture book , this time turning the life-changing board game into a video game. The movie opens in 1996, when a teenager's father gives him the Jumanji board game. When he bemoans aloud that nobody plays with board games anymore, it magically transforms into a video game, which he gets sucked into. Fast-forward to the present, and four high schoolers are sent to detention on the same day: self-absorbed "hot popular girl" Bethany ( Madison Iseman ), bookish Martha (Morgan Turner), nerdy Spencer ( Alex Wolff ), and his childhood friend turned football star Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain). While serving detention, Fridge and Spencer find the Jumanji game in an old donation box and convince the girls to play. After they each choose an avatar, they're immediately pulled into the game, where Spencer is transformed into superhero-sized archeologist Smolder Bravestone ( Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ), Fridge is Bravestone's diminutive sidekick zoologist Moose Finbar ( Kevin Hart ), Martha is "killer of men" vixen Ruby Roundhouse ( Karen Gillan ), and Bethany is cartographer Professor Shelly Overton ( Jack Black ). To get out of the game, the foursome must work together to save Jumanji from the control of the evil Van Pelt ( Bobby Cannavale ) -- before any of them lose all of their three assigned lives.

Is It Any Good?

This crowd-pleasing reboot may not be earth-shatteringly good, but it benefits from its stars' irresistible comedic and action charm. At this point, there's not a movie that The Rock doesn't make better by his presence. Because of his size, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has a lot of wink-wink nods to his smoldering looks and seemingly invincible body -- which are even funnier because he has to play being amazed by his own strength, considering he's actually the lanky, nerdy Spencer inside. All of the adult actors do a fine job portraying the insecure, horrified, or awed teens controlling their avatar bodies. And the young actors who bookend the movie are believable as two nerds and two popular kids thrown together for an intense, unexpected adventure.

Hart's and Black's characters will naturally get the biggest laughs -- mostly joking at their own expense. Considering that the 5-foot-4 Hart is literally a foot shorter than Blain, prepare for an onslaught of height jokes. Women may cringe at Bethany's (as played by Black) "flirting class" to teach the Hermione-esque Martha how to manipulate men by sparkling like an anime character, but watching Black give this lesson in a falsetto is admittedly quite funny. At least Martha voices her indignation at her crop top and short-shorts, which she astutely points out make no sense as an explorer's outfit. Director Jake Kasdan definitely isn't creating anything new here, and the male leads are all playing to their established strengths, but the character-within-a-character setup is entertaining enough to make audiences cheer, jump out of their seats, and even laugh aloud in this mashup of Jumanji , The Breakfast Club , and Avatar .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how each of the characters becomes a role model in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , and which character strengths they exhibit throughout the movie.

What did you think of the talk regarding how girls/women can use their bodies and attention to "distract" men? What message does that send? Is it OK because a male body is also objectified? Why or why not?

Talk about the violence in the movie. Did it change the impact knowing the characters were inside a game?

Talk about social media and how difficult it is for Bethany, in particular, to be without her phone. Do you think teens rely too heavily on their phones and devices ?

What's the value of knowing how to play video games? What do multiplayer role-playing games teach you? What are your favorite games?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 20, 2017
• On DVD or streaming : March 20, 2018
• Cast : Dwayne The Rock Johnson , Karen Gillan , Kevin Hart , Jack Black
• Director : Jake Kasdan
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors
• Studio : Columbia Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Adventures
• Character Strengths : Communication , Teamwork
• Run time : 119 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : adventure action, suggestive content and some language
• Last updated : April 16, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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