If they can bring “Indiana Jones” back to films, they certainly can do something with “Jungle Cruise.”
Following the “Pirates of the Caribbean” playbook pretty closely, director Jaume Collet-Serra expands this theme park concept in interesting ways, even though he relied too heavily on special effects to tell the story of a hidden place called “The Tears of the Moon.” There, apparently, is where you can find the the secret to curing illnesses and saving lives.
To get there, adventurers need a secret map, an amulet and more close calls than a Yankees ball game.
Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall play siblings who are making good on their father’s work. He, too, wanted to find the mysterious spot and never did. So, armed with plenty of clothing (his) and pluck (hers), they journey to the Amazon where they meet a boat skipper (Dwayne Johnson) who regularly takes tourists on excursions.
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Here’s where the Disneyland tie comes in – Johnson’s Frank Wolff uses those dad jokes found on the theme park ride to entertain his not-so-amused guests. Characters you spot on the less-intense attraction factor in as well.
The film, however, is far more active than you thought possible. The three encounter waterfalls, angry natives, reptiles, a submarine and – for good measure – once-dead villains who are brought back to life. If you connect the dots, there are ties to “Pirates” and three or four other Disneyland attractions.
The fun comes when Blunt (not unlike Katharine Hepburn) spars with Johnson (not at all like Humphrey Bogart) as they make their way down the river. They’re a feisty pair who bring plenty of laughs – and gasps when necessarily – under the watchful eye of her priggish brother.
Where “Jungle Cruise” goes wrong is its reliance on special effects (ones that look like they’re designed for 3-D). Too many of the once-dead creatures, animals and bugs are too, um, animated. Constantly moving, they don’t have the surprise factor of, say, the snakes in Indiana Jones films. Think Barbossa in “Pirates” and you’ll get the picture.
The interesting addition is Jesse Plemons as a German prince who pilots a submarine through the waters and desperately wants what Blunt has. He’s great entertainment and a nice diversion from all the snakes on the brain.
While Whitehall lands his laughs (and gets a surprise scene for a Disney film), he can’t distract from the Kathleen Turner/Michael Douglas vibes Blunt and Johnson emit. They work well together, even though they’re walking in others’ shoes.
Collet-Serra does a nice job setting the scene (and making us care about the trip), then falls into that otherworldly trap when he gets closer to the tree of life. Hewing closer to realism, this “Jungle Cruise” could have sparked the same vibes Walt Disney offered with “Swiss Family Robinson” and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
Instead, it goes for an effects pile-driver and seals the deal with a few key Johnson moves that can’t miss.
