Jungle Cruise (2021) is a highly derivative story, from the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) or Romancing the Stone (1984) or any of a number of adventure serials throughout the years, to the entertainment ride of the same name that is available at several Disney theme parks.
And, you know, if you haven’t seen the sources, then derivative doesn’t really matter; it can still be a lot of fun. Jungle Cruise’s script certainly provides some snappy dialog, strong characters, and comeuppances that will make you giggle, and certainly the actors deliver what they are asked to provide. They’re solid, even if they nibble a bit on the scenery.
But there’s a hint that an opportunity was missed in this telling. At the risk of spoiling certain surprises, there’s a conflict: On one side a collection of ancient Spanish explorers, lead by Don Aguirre, searching for a fabled Amazonian tree, the leaves of which heal all disease and injury. Opposing them is a river tribe, sworn to protect and respect said tree.
The analogy with Ponce de León and the Fountain of Youth is obvious. I would have found the film to be more interesting if an exploration of what drove Aguirre and his men, and by implication Ponce de León, in contrast with the alleged connected-to-Nature local tribes. The monomania of the Spanish in their drive for gold and mystical plants – was it a cultural pathology, or what?
But, hey, Jungle Cruise is fun. The river it cruises isn’t deep, but it has its share of odd fish.
