Point of Review: Jungle Cruise

Disney released the movie Jungle Cruise this summer based on a controversial attraction at Disneyworld also called Jungle Cruise. The movie features great actors like Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. However, the movie was not nearly as great as the people working on it.

Dr. Lily Houghton, played by Emily Blunt, is in search of a magical tree called The Tears of the Moon. From this tree, flowers that cure all diseases bloom. Dr. Houghton believes that even one flower could revolutionize medicine. However, the early 1900s is not a great time to be a female scientist. Many people reject her ideas, and she and her brother are forced to take matters into their own hands. They travel to South America, and with the help of a witty tour guide, Frank Wolff, journey down the Amazon looking for the tree.

This movie has been receiving many mixed reviews. Some say the movie is a scam that steals from other movies like Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean. Others say it was a fun, thrilling adventure. ABC News said, “Jungle Cruise may be dim, dopey, and derivative, but the kids will love it” and I wholeheartedly agree! I thought the movie was boring because I’ve seen countless others just like it. However, my younger brother absolutely loved it. I definitely wasn’t bored during the movie, but nothing about it particularly stood out to me.

Even the movie’s connection to feminism wasn’t done properly. We’ve all heard about stories of women that defy the social norms of their time, and they are all quite inspiring. However, Lily Houghton was not an inspiring character. Many, including myself, thought she was annoying, arrogant, and just plain unlikable. Emily Blunt is a very talented actress, and I love her other work, but she seems a bit too overqualified for this movie. The same goes with “The Rock.”

The movie also attempted to represent the LGBTQ+ community with McGreggor, Lily’s brother. In one scene, McGreggor tells Frank that he followed Lily into the forest because she stuck by him. His “interests happily lie elsewhere.” The word gay is never mentioned which is causing anger in many people. Disney took a kid-friendly approach to this movie which explains why only children liked this movie. I appreciate that Disney is now trying to taking a more inclusive approach, but they still have a long way to go.

In the end, Jungle Cruise was a bit too cliche and an unnecessary movie. I would recommend this movie to a younger audience because it was still very entertaining to my childish side. If you are looking for an adventurous movie that everyone in the family can enjoy, I would just watch the numerous other movies that Jungle Cruise took ideas from.

Check out our other reviews:

Cinderella: A Million to One

In the Heights

Hamilton

Sources:

Matt Zoller Seitz. “Jungle Cruise Movie Review & Film Summary (2021) | Roger Ebert.” Rogerebert.com, Roger Ebert, 2021, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jungle-cruise-movie-review-2021. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

Brook, Mitch. “Jungle Cruise: Why the Reviews Are so Mixed | Screen Rant.” ScreenRant, Screen Rant, 30 July 2021, screenrant.com/jungle-cruise-movie-reviews-mixed-divisive-reason-rotten-tomatoes/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.