‘The Rock’ rides classic Walt Disney Parks attraction, following Haunted Mansion & Pirates in BIG screen Amazon River adventure…
80% Hot
Synopsis: “Jungle Cruise is a 2021 American fantasy adventure film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from screenplay written by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and Michael Green, based on Walt Disney’s theme park attraction of the same name. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti, and follows the captain of a small riverboat who takes a group of travelers through a jungle in search of the Tree of Life.”
Studio: Walt Disney Picturesm, Davis Entertainment, Seven Bucks Productions, Flynn Picture Company
Streamer: IMAX, Theaters & Disney+ Premier Access
Release Date: July 24, 2021
Format: Film
Genre: Live Action
Sub-Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Runtime: 127 minutes
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti
Full Review: Have you watched Jungle Cruise yet on IMAX, in Theaters or Disney+ Premier Access? What did you think about the film, its direction, cast, the story, cinematography, visual effects, soundtrack and overall themes?
Even though I created AppFlicks because I love all-things streaming… I cheated, catching the Jungle Cruise at the cinema at Shaw Theatres in Singapore, as I did with The Black Widow. While I could have viewed on my 85 inch UHD TV with 720 watt Surround Sound, I’ve written about my feelings on Premier Access before, it’s just not something I will support, especially when it’s less expensive and more enjoyable to physically screen a film at an actual movie theater, the way the director intended. When given the theater option, I will choose it over Disney+ Premier Access‘ extra money grab any day vs. depriving Movie Theater Operators from the Box Office cut, they deserve.
All that said…let’s get to the JouleView > Review! Wow, the cinematography (mostly effects) were freakishly amazing, truly blurring the lines between on-location vistas vs. set pieces vs. green screen…or was it all done within ILM’s StageCraft in Georgia, USA? While I read that some audiences were critical of the CGI, honestly, I found it difficult to identify what was the actual Amazonian stand-in via Hawaii or straight-up visual effects… They were that good, in my opinion and I feel that they enhanced the storytelling!
The VFX brought a photo-realism to the film, permitting the director to create seamless action sequences and stunning locations, only found in your imagination, ones that Walt Disney, himself, dreamed he could bring to his Film & Park goers-alike. Much like how the Millennium Falcon navigates an Asteroid Field, lead character, Skipper Frank Wolff / Captain Francisco Lopez de Heredia’s (Dwayne Johnson) riverboat, the La Quila is another character in the story, transporting our heroes on daring stunts across the Amazon River.
While I felt the story relied on many classic film tropes, it was an original tale, that at times made me reminisce over my love of the Action-Adventure genre, much like films Indiana Jones: Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) and The Mummy (1999), though a fun journey, it was not as compelling as either.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a Hollywood rockstar, yet he wasn’t the sole action star in this film. While he is certainly entertaining, I don’t feel he’s worthy of the Box Office attention he continues to garner, at times. That said, he is a bonafide action star in the vein of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who most certainly didn’t detract from the casting whatsoever. However, director elected to have Emily Blunt be the true star of this attraction-based film, with her portrayal, more-so the Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) character from The Mummy Series than that of The Rock’s Skipper Frank.
In fact, there are many similarities between the 1999 film and this adventure. Rachel Weisz’s, Evelyn is in many ways like Blunt’s Dr. Lily Houghton. I also found Édgar Ramírez’s limited screen time compelling as a sympathetic antagonist with Jesse Plemons as 1940’s over-the-top villain, hilarious. Jack Whitehall portrayal of Blunt’s brother was exceptional, though we’ve seen this character before, in the 1999 version of The Mummy in John Hannah’s portrayal of the bumbling Jonathan Carnahan. Veteran Paul Giamatti, was as delightful as ever and much like The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise I foresee future Jungle Cruise sailings with this entire cast.
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I look forward to your JoulePepper rating of Jungle Cruise (2021) and I would love to read your comments in the JouleView section, below. Based on the above, I give this well cast, original, yet derivative Action-Adventure film 3.5 JoulePeppers – it’s as Warm–Hot as the Anaheim-based version of the River Attraction, on a tropical, Spring day…
Welcome, from AppFlicks Chief AuteurX! I created AppFlicks out of my love for all-things entertainment, stints as a music manager, producer and as an advisor to film & game studios, telcos, lux brands, retail, hospitality & theme parks. Thank you for taking part in our streaming community! NOTE: Activity from my account, may also be initiated by AppFlicks Admin.