From director Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Run All Night), Jungle Cruise is a 2021 fantasy adventure film written by Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra, and John Requa, and is based on Disneyland's theme park ride. Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal -- a discovery that will change the future of medicine.

Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.

Jungle Cruise hit theaters on July 30th, and is also available to stream on Disney+ with Premier Access.

THE GOOD

I walked into the theater aka my happy place and sat down in my comfortable reclining chair with my popcorn and soda, expecting a fun but mostly watered-down adventure comedy. This assumption was reinforced by the packed theater with quite a few kids in attendance. I figured it was going to be a long two hours. But I am happy to report that the saying is true, you really can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Jungle Cruise is two hours of pure entertainment, which kicked into gear well before we even reached the very cool title graphic. I mean sure the young kids kept asking their parents random questions throughout the movie as kids often do, but thanks to the non-stop action and awesome soundtrack, I had no idea what they were saying. My eyes were literally glued to the screen from start to finish. I laughed out loud more times than I could count, the acting was exceptional top to bottom, and I found the story to be extremely interesting with a twist I actually did not expect.

Jungle Cruise is promoted as a fun adventure comedy for the entire family, which it absolutely is don’t get me wrong, but it really is much more than that. It’s easy for a movie like this to go through the motions with average to below average acting, a few corny jokes, and relying almost entirely on the incredible visuals that will surely keep the audience satisfied. But thankfully for me and the other adults visiting the theater kid free (shout out to my wife for taking care of our little ones), this movie exceeded my expectations. This is quite literally what going to the movie theater is all about. From the great writing, incredible visuals, infectious acting, and immersive feel, Jungle Cruise brings it.

I already touched on the acting briefly but it is a huge part of why this movie is so good. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are perfection as always, and I was actually impressed with the chemistry they shared. You could tell they enjoyed working together and had a ton of fun making this movie. I really enjoyed Jack Whitehall’s character as he was a big part of the comedic element of the film along with Johnson’s character. Édgar Ramírez is great as one of the films primary villains, and remains in my mind a very underrated actor.

Jesse Plemons, who plays the films primary villain, is easily one of my favorite characters. It still blows my mind how far he has gone in his career, from pimply faced teenager Landry Clarke in Friday Night Lights, to one of the best and most versatile actors working right now. He actually played a small role in the 1999 classic Varsity Blues, in only his second movie. If you want a taste of what he is capable of watch season 2 of Fargo which is incredible, or even the hilarious comedy Game Night (review and trailer here) to get an idea of his acting talent. Paul Giamatti remains one of the best supporting actors working today, and his character really helps to set the tone for the film.

As expected, the technical side of things for Jungle Cruise is firing on all cylinders. The CGI is fantastic with a Pirates of the Caribbean feel at times throughout the film which is definitely a compliment. Disney has no shortage of funds, and for that reason all of the animals in the film jump right off the screen and really help to pull audiences in. I also really enjoyed Johnson’s pet “cat” Proxima. I absolutely loved the camera work, taking full advantage of the incredible scenery and putting the audience right in the middle of the action. It really felt like a theme park ride from the comfort of the movie theater. The soundtrack is just awesome, and even includes an amazing track from Metallica during one of the best moments of the film. Yes, you heard that right. The same rock band that made it’s debut in 1981, and they still got it!

THE BAD

So, what annoyed me about Jungle Cruise? As I mentioned earlier, I expected to come face to face with plenty of corny moments during the film but that wasn’t really the case. I mean, we all know that Dwayne Johnson is arguably the hardest working actor in Hollywood - the guy is crazy busy and somehow finds time to still be in freakish shape as well. The film lives and dies by how his character comes across to viewers, and I think that is precisely why I am having a hard time finding much negative to say about the film. As always he exudes personality, is hilarious, and finds a way to make everyone else that much better. Plus, are you really expecting me to find something negative to say about the technical side of a Disney film? I mean seriously, these guys know what they are doing. So yeah, not much to report.

THE VERDICT

An exciting and uniquely immersive adventure with an exceptional cast lead by the undeniable chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is a theme park ride you’ll happily wait in line for. This movie was a blast, and never once felt forced or like it was trying too hard. I felt like I was out on the boat experiencing the adventure right along with the cast, and that is quite an accomplishment if you ask me.

But I mean let’s be honest, put Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in a movie together and I’ll be first in line opening day every single time. I know the summer movie season officially kicked off with Black Widow for most people, but Jungle Cruise adds the exclamation mark with a movie literally everyone can enjoy and appreciate. So go ahead and grab the family and head to the theater sooner than later. I will be adding this to my 4K Blu-ray collection, and can’t wait to watch it again.