Jungle Cruise Movie Review: A Thrilling Family-Centric Adventure

The RundownJungle 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.The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti. It is a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Johnson) and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt).Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank's questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine.Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind's—hangs in the balance.The ReviewJungle Cruise heavily draws inspiration from predecessor hit classics Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrowland and The Mummy -- This ranges from the plot, visual effects and choice of characters. Nonetheless, it's a thrilling and mysterious film to watch.Based on a theme park ride, the two-hour long movie invests on Emily Blunt and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's charisma. The flashback sequences are an integral part in the first and second acts of the film. It, however, fails to have the same impact as the character development build-up gets clearer.Director Jaume Collet-Serra creates all sorts of setbacks for the adventurers including poisonous snakes, curses, wild beasts, and a group of nefarious people who want the "tree of life" for selfish reasons.The endless supply of puns in Jungle Cruise makes this odyssey full of edge-seating adventure that the whole family will enjoy.The Hits* The well-scripted banter throughout the film.* Impressive choice of characters.* The film score.The Misses* The CGI set pieces were a distraction to the movie.* Cringe worthy romantic scenes.* The film's runtime is lengthy for its genre.OMG Moment* The surprise semi-scary CGI character.Be sure to watch Jungle Cruise by getting your tickets from KenyaBuzz.Movie Courtesy of Westgate Cinema