Jungle Cruise is the summer blockbuster that everybody was expecting. Continuing with the Cruise, Disney was determined to have the best of the best with this movie. Moreover, with all that is going on in the world, after all, we can forget that we are in the middle of a pandemic period. Definitely, these two year will have a special spot in history! We are going to discuss several details here, so keep reading to find out the main reasons.
What is Jungle Cruise about?
This movie repeats a successful formula that has worked pretty well for Disney. Taking one of the popular attractions of the thematic parks and making it into a film. Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House are examples of this formula. Of course, Pirates is more successful than the Haunted House. Still, we get the main objective, bringing together two aspects of the same company.
Jungle Cruise is based on the old attraction that has gained detractors over the years. Many of these controversies come from racist characters and settings, which have been eliminated from the attraction. But this Cruise is set in 1917 during World War I, which is the explanation for one of the villains. Here we can find Frank Wolff, portrayed by Dwayne «The Rock» Johnson, who becomes the guide through an Amazon river for the English scientist Lily Houghton searching for the Tree of Life whose leaves can heal any condition. This character sparkles with the amazing personality of Emily Blunt.
Houghton is accompanied by her brother MacGregor played by Jack Whitehall, who takes the spotlight in one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, answering the petition of having more LGTBQI representations in Disney. The film also presented a very German villain, Prince Joachim, under Jesse Plemons’ performance, who wants to find the same tree and unite forces with the cursed conquistador Aguirre and his group of soldiers. He is portrayed by Venezuelan Edgar Ramírez that is gaining more attention with each movie.
The Cruise also doesn’t forget some old characters from the attraction like Trader Sam, that was removed because the racist complains at the parks, and was presented in the film with a female version of the character, leader of a peaceful tribe and that gives the movie an indigenous representation, taking into consideration that is a setting in the Amazon region. This, and other small details, provide the film everything necessary to be a summer blockbuster, which is exactly what Disney was looking for.
The success of Jungle Cruise
The success of the movie is coming from several aspects. The first one, of course, is their actors. Both Johnson and Blunt are highly known for their versatility, talent, and now their immense chemistry. The actors have several family movies under their portfolio, and both have already worked with Disney in previous films. It’s refreshing to see how well they get along and their influence’s power in the movie.
The other amazing point here is that even though the inspiration comes from the well-known attraction, this movie has some inspiration from the Indiana Jones films, which sparked some good memories for the adults watching the movie. For the younger ones, the plot can be original and fun to watch. The success is coming not only for Johnson’s magnetism but also thanks to being a Disney movie. Everybody was missing a live-action film from them.
Plus, let’s talk about the representation in this movie: an open but subtle LGTBQ character, an indigenous female character, and a Latin character, all well portrayed by the actors chosen by the production. Blunt and Johnson were highly involved in this. They give their faces and personalities to their own character and give ideas and opinions as producers, showing a professional side to the film and crew.
Finally, the production is top-notch. The CGI is the best, thanks, of course, to the team at Disney. As a fun fact, this was shot in Hawaii. Still, it must look like the Amazonia region. This is the perfect blockbuster summer, with comedy, action scenes, music, and incredible sets for every age. Talking about the performance by the actor is not necessary given that this is a movie intended for families and as part of the summer, not an academy-winning movie.
Jungle Cruise is an excellent movie to watch with your family. Enjoying another film by Johnson and Blunt and expecting another collaboration soon. Let’s see what Disney is brewing for all their different production companies. Keep in touch with the Magazine to find out more about them!
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