JUNGLE CRUISE

A movie made by committee that is so derivative that even the charms of Dwayne Johnson or Emily Blunt are tossed aside.

If you've ever seen any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, there really isn't a reason to watch Jungle Cruise, because the picture follows the template of that other based-on-a-ride franchise so meticulously, you start to suspect the copy-paste buttons are slightly worn out on the screenwriters' keyboards.

Which wouldn't be that much of a problem if Jungle Cruise were actually a fun ride, but its derivativeness is just the first of many problems that prevent real enjoyment for the best part of two hours.

Jaume Collet-Sera's bland direction fails to excite and definitely isn't helped by the artificial, way too polished soundstage sheen that permeates every single frame. The editing is all over the place, the sets and costumes foolishly play into the amusement park ride vibe and the musical score is one of the worst I've heard in a blockbuster in a long time.

But my main grievance with Jungle Cruise is that it takes charismatic actors like Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and strands them in a film that has no real use for them.

release: 2021

director: Jaume Collet-Serra

starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons