christian movie review jungle cruise

Jungle Cruise

Reviewed by: Eric Tiansay CONTRIBUTOR —first time reviewer for Christian Spotlight

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M ore than 65 years after debuting as a popular Disneyland theme park ride, Jungle Cruise is cruising into theaters and streaming on-line with a live-action adaptation.

So is the long wait worth it? Perhaps.

“Jungle Cruise” is touted as a rollicking river boat thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff ( Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ) and intrepid botanist Dr. Lily Houghton ( Emily Blunt ).

The movie calls to mind the spirit of movies such as the Indiana Jones films, “Romancing the Stone” and “ The African Queen .” However, it’s not an instant classic like those films, but the Disney flick is family-friendly for the most part and lightly entertaining with plenty of humor in the form of dad jokes.

“Jungle Cruise” has a strong moral theme, espousing self-sacrifice, seeking the good for many and touting being trustworthy. However, Christians need to be concerned about violence in this film, as this is the main reason for its PG-13 rating. Discerning parents will also want to be aware of the movie’s supernatural element , which is a major plot point.

Set in 1916 when the world is at war, “Jungle Cruise” begins with Lily traveling from London, England to the Amazon jungle where she enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila (which supposedly translates to goddess of the moon )—his ramshackle-but-charming boat.

Lily, who is portrayed by Blunt as a female Indiana Jones, bucks the male-dominated system at the time by wearing trousers for the journey, which prompts Frank to call her “Pants.”

Lily is determined to find the ancient Tree of Life and the “Tears of the Moon ,” a legendary flower known for its miraculous healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine.

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Thrust on this epic quest together with Lily’s brother, MacGregor ( Jack Whitehall ), the unlikely trio encounters innumerable dangers from wild animals and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest.

Speaking of supernatural forces, the film features a curse spoken by a dying tribal chief and undead 400-year-old conquistadors who command creepy snakes that could scare small children. Snakes emerge from inside a man’s wound.

Another concerning aspect of “Jungle Cruise” is the amount of alcohol consumption in several scenes, including one where a jaguar gets drunk and vomits after drinking some spilled wine .

Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence, “Jungle Cruise” has multiple intense sequences, including a German U-boat firing torpedoes at people, threat of cannibals, lunging and biting snakes, killer bees, blow darts, machine guns, pistols and rifles, spears, knives, a character being stabbed with a sword through his body and a bad guys being killed instantly by a huge slab of plaster.

Perhaps the most concerning and controversial part of “Jungle Cruise” is the script calls for McGregor to be Gay. He comes out to Frank. Although McGregor doesn’t use the word “Gay,” he says he broke off three engagements with women because his “interests happily lay elsewhere.” And carrying a spear, he asks a man, “Would you like to bite down on my stick?” (an innuendo)

McGregor goes on to say that he would do anything for his sister Lily because she was the only one who “stood by” him while he was shunned by family and friends because of who he “loved.”

During my screening of film, the scene didn’t seem to garner much attention from the audience, and it appeared to go over the heads of my sons, who are 9 and 11.

On the plus side, there are several elements from the park attraction featured in the movie. The most notable is the “back side of water” gag that most of the cast members use during the theme park attraction.

“Jungle Cruise” also offers plenty of laughs—depending if moviegoers are fans of puns. With a dorky-deadpan delivery, Frank delights in saying things like “toucan play that game,” and he points out that certain rocks are “taken for granite.”

Additionally, the movie has a strong moral theme as lying , being dishonest and not trustful are looked down upon. Christian parents can also point out the healing powers of the “Tears of the Moon” is fictional, but Jesus is mankind’s true healer.

Among Disney movies based on Disney theme park rides, “Jungle Cruise” is fairly good—way better than “Haunted Mansion,” but not as memorable as the original “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

On the whole, the Rock and Blunt have chemistry together, which really keeps the movie afloat.

Not recommended for kids under 12.

• Violence: Heavy
• Profane language: Moderate— • Oh G*d (1) • Oh my G*d (3) • G*d (1) •  h *ll (1)
• Vulgar/Crude language: Mild— • s-word (1 incomplete and 1 in German) • “bugger” • references to urination • “Take your invitation and shove it up your association.” • “Crusty old farts”
• Nudity: None
• Sex: Minor— • kiss • a little cleavage • shirtless men
• Drugs/Alcohol: Heavy
• Occult: Moderately Heavy— • supernatural curses • spirit animals • supernatural undead people

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The Backside of Water is the 8th Wonder of the World, But Is That Enough to Keep the Jungle Cruise Floating?

Are you ready to sail down the Amazon on the Jungle Cruise? Disney’s latest movie is set in the Amazon jungle and is based on the classic Magic Kingdom Adventureland attraction. My Disney Jungle Cruise Christian Movie Review will give you the information you need to make an informed decision about viewing this film with your children. Furthermore, if you would like to know how I conduct my reviews, visit My Movie Review Guidelines for this information.

If you have ever been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, you have most likely ridden the tame and quirky Jungle Cruise. While this movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt is based on that ride, and there are certainly some elements and Easter eggs throughout the movie from the attraction, this film departs from the tame ride and morphs into a cross between an Indiana Jones movie complete with snakes, Pirates of the Caribbean movie with skulls and skeletons, and a hint of The African Queen, the 1951 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn that was the basis for much of the original attraction and was set in the World War I era.

Jungle Cruise Christian Movie Review Based on Magic Kingdom Ride

Synopsis of the movie:.

Imagine taking a ride on a boat with goofy skippers who tell bad puns and jokes and navigate through the river around fake dangers. Jungle Cruise attraction is the inspiration for this movie. However, the story takes you much deeper into intrigue, danger, and murder in the year 1916. Moreover, you can still expect to hear the bad jokes from the iconic ride, such as the Eighth Wonder of the World – The Backside of Water!

From Disney: “Join fan favorites Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” a rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. 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. She 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.”

Researcher Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) enlists Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), a boat captain, and his boat to guide her and her brother, MacGregor, down the Amazon to find a tree with healing abilities. The petals from this tree – Tears of the Moon – have the power to transform medicine.

Since Lily is a botanist, explorer, and artifact enthusiast, finding this tree has a special interest to her. Furthermore, she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps. Lily steals an Amazonian arrowhead from a British explorers club that bars women from their ranks. This arrowhead will help her find a mythical tree, but not without a boatload of peril and creepy cursed villains. Are Lily and MacGregor ready for danger, adventure, and intrigue that follows when they charter Frank’s boat to guide them into unexplored regions of the Amazon River?

Rating: PG-13 (some disturbing images and action sequences of adventure violence)

Run Time: 2 hours, 7 minutes

Dwayne Johnson says that the “Jungle Cruise” is about adventure and life and living a full life.” Johnson is also a producer on the film. He believes the “Jungle Cruise’ is an adventure: it’s fun, it’s magical, it’s mystical, it’s dangerous, it’s exciting.”

What Parents May Want to Know – Disney Jungle Cruise Christian Movie Review

The good elements of disney jungle cruise:.

My family saw this Disney film in a movie theater and not on Disney Plus. This is an interesting movie. It is generally fast-paced and has as many twists and turns as the Amazon River that Frank and Lily are navigating. There are many surprises along the way that you don’t see coming. Things literally jump out at you, which makes for a suspenseful movie. However, along with suspense are some things parents may want to know before taking your children to see this movie.

Jungle Cruise Christian Movie Review: Content That May Be Objectionable:

First, this movie is rated PG-13, which means that it is a little more intense than a movie made for kids. Furthermore, this movie has so many fight scenes and violent interactions that it is impossible to list them all. People are killed and injured. Additionally, there are skulls, skeletons, explosions, and intense action. Knives, swords, torpedoes, blow darts, and guns are thrown in for good measure!  Additionally, a German prince is navigating a submarine in the race to find the tree first, and he is bent on getting to the tree and claiming it for Germany!

Men are kicked or hit in the crotch several times. 

There is a scene where a man’s hands are placed on a gas burner. (I looked away)

In addition, people are hit with blow darts, and there is the threat of cannibals eating people.

A man is crushed with a falling boulder.

Language that May Be Objectionable:

There is one instance of the word sh-t, but it is said in German. H-ll is also spoken. God’s name is misused.

Additionally, there are numerous occasions that words are used to imply bodily functions such as “liquid fear,” and a man covers his crotch to signify that he peed himself. Another man says, “I warmed it for you,” to say that he peed in the river.

“If you believe in legends, you should believe in curses too.” Be aware that a significant storyline involves people being held in a curse and trying to escape from that curse.

“Take your invitation and shove it up your association.” The implication of this phrase is obvious.

“…they eat you and wear your eyes for beads.”

Sexual Content:  

A man talks about being gay. He never uses the word. However, he says, “my interests happily lie elsewhere,” when talking about women, and he goes on to explain in greater detail how he came out and that only his sister supported him.

The phrase, “Would you like to bit down on my stick” is said. The man who says this is holding a stick, but it is taken out of context by the person hearing it.

A woman strips to her 1916 long underwear. Since it is 1916, the underwear does not reveal much by today’s standards. In another scene, she is sitting with her leg exposed.

Other Content that Moms and Dads may want to Know About:

Remember that not every parent will object to the same things. What one parent is concerned about may not bother other moms and dads. Additionally, each child is unique and reacts to content differently. I try to list as much as I can so you can make an informed decision when viewing movies.

Frank’s boat, La Quila, translates to “goddess of the moon.” 

A man lies and deceives those around him throughout the entire movie. 

Several people vomit after navigating rapids. And even an animal is shown vomiting.

Alcohol is consumed throughout the movie. An animal drinks alcohol and later walks unsteadily. 

The theme of people being cursed and being trapped in the curse brings yucky characters to the screen. One man has half his head missing and is covered in bees and honey. Another man has snakes throughout his body. These are walking dead.

“Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?” from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). There are so many snakes in the movie that it reminded me of the snake pit from Indiana Jones. In one scene, a snake pops out of a man’s face! And there is also a tarantula and scorpion just to complete the dangerous animal trifecta. 

My Viewing Recommendations: Disney Jungle Cruise Christian Movie Review

This is a very intense movie. It is filled with action and suspense, adult themes, and creepy content. While overall I liked the movie, there were too many scenes that will scare small children or would be difficult to explain to children. I compare it to Indiana Jones films for a reason. It is very intense. For this reason, I would recommend this movie for ages 12 and up.

This movie has a PG-13 rating. Disney is trying to appease all audiences. The LGBTQ+ audience is demanding more inclusion. The conservative base is wanting more family-friendly Disney movies. I believe Disney is testing the waters. Will fans overlook a scene here or there? How much will the Christian audience accept? How much are you willing to accept? Can this be used to teach and educate? Only you can answer these questions for your family!

Teachable Moments:

While this film has many moments that can be used for teaching children or homeschooling content, it is not suitable for all ages. However, I like to include a few suggestions for parents to take advantage of teaching their children even if they are not homeschooling.

History and the Time Period:

First, and the most obvious, is the time period it is set in. The film opens in the year 1916. Notice the clothing and the luggage used. Additionally, society lacks modern-day conveniences. 

Another item to talk about is the fact that Lily chooses to wear pants, and that is odd for many people. Find out when women started to wear pants?

Research 1916. What was going on in the world? When did WWI start and end? Look at a map and see who had control of which countries. England, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and other countries raced to gain control of more and more land. How did that affect the areas they were settling?

LOCATION of the Movie:

Look up the Amazon River on a map. How long is the Amazon River? What does Amazon mean? Research the animals of the Amazon River. What is the Amazon River dolphin?

While the movie begins in England, the majority of the movie takes place in South America. Research tribes of South America.

Consequences of Lying:

When you tell lies repeatedly, what happens? People tend not to believe you and then question everything you say. What does the Bible teach about telling the truth and lying? Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

Do you know the Aesop Fable about the Boy Who Cried Wolf? Read it to your child and explain the meaning behind it.

Talk about puns and make up some of your own. Watch a YouTube Video of the Disney Jungle Cruise attraction.

Watch The African Queen (1951) or read the original novel by C.S. Forester. This movie/book is set in WWI Africa. While watching the movie compare similarities and differences with the original movie versus the attraction and the Jungle Cruise movie.

Jungle Cruise Christian Movie Review: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

While in California and Florida, you will experience the Jungle Cruise in a counter-clockwise trip around the river. However, in Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong, Disneyland Jungle Cruise guests travel in a clockwise direction.

There is no Jungle Cruise in Disneyland Paris.

Oscar®-winning makeup designer Joel Harlow had to give insect bites, sunburn, body paint, tattoos, and piercings for over 400 characters. 

A 100 piece orchestra performs the music for this film. Furthermore, the Metallica song, “Nothing Else Matters was reimagined and played in two different scenes. The musical score was created to set a mood throughout the film. Pay special attention to the music when Frank and Lily appear onscreen together.

To watch more about the attraction, Jungle Cruise, tune into Disney+ Behind the Attraction. This series is produced by Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions. It explores attractions, and the first episode in the series shows how Walt Disney Imagineering created the magic behind the Jungle Cruise. While learning more about this 1955 opening day attraction in Disneyland you will watch actual footage of the transformation of California dry land into a jungle with a river, trees, and animals. Listen to Walt Disney Imagineers recall how they created and built this magical attraction. Additionally, you can find the Jungle Cruise in Walt Disney World, Florida since opening day 1971, Tokyo Disneyland since 1983, and a modified version called the Jungle River Cruise in Hong Kong Disney since 2005.

Dwayne Johnson has a private gym called the Iron Paradise. Emily Blunt received an invitation to train there, and it is very rare to receive an invitation to Johnson’s private sanctuary.

Another fun fact, the 1951 classic film “The African Queen,” starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, was the inspiration for The Jungle Cruise ride. Humphrey Bogart played Charlie Allnut, and you can definitely see a nod to Charlie in the clothing and even some of the scenes with Dwayne Johnson.

Using two engines, the La Quila was able to obtain speeds of up to seven knots. That’s a little over eight miles per hour.

The following languages are heard in the Jungle Cruise movie: Old Spanish from the 16th century, Omagua, the language of the Tupi-Guarani family of southwestern Brazil, Italian, Portuguese, German, and English.

EASTER EGGS:

The name Dr. Albert Falls is on several crates. Furthermore, his name is said throughout the movie.

Schweitzer Falls is the waterfall in the Jungle Cruise in the Disney Parks. In fact, it is this very waterfall that is discovered by Dr. Albert Falls, the founder of the Jungle Navigation Company. This is the famous backside of water, and is mentioned in the movie.

Additionally, the skipper tells numerous puns during the movie that are heard on the Jungle Cruise attraction.

Furthermore, there are Easter Eggs from the movie that have been added to the Jungle Cruise attraction in Disneyland.

Is Trader Sam in the Movie?

Yes. However, in the movie Trader Sam is played by a woman.

Does the Movie have an end credits scene?

Unfortunately, there is no post-credit clip at the end of this movie.

Where was the Jungle Cruise Filmed?

In the theme parks, the Jungle Cruise attraction sails down the rivers of Asia, Africa, and South America. However, this Disney adventure movie was filmed in less exotic locations of Hawaii and Atlanta.

When will Jungle Cruise be free in the Disney+ Library?

Beginning on November 12, the Jungle Cruise will be available to all Disney+ subscribers without any additional fees. Up to that time, you can access it with a subscription to Disney+ and Premier Access for $29.99.

Will there be a Jungle Cruise 2?

While Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson exhibit onscreen chemistry, is that enough to warrant a sequel? There are reports that there have been discussions of a Jungle Cruise 2. However, I believe box office sales from the first movie will determine this. It does appear that this movie will underperform, and for this reason, I believe that if a sequel happens it will be released directly to Disney+.

CAST from Disney Jungle Cruise:

Captian Frank Wolff: Dwayne Johnson 

Dr. Lily Houghton: Emily Blunt 

Aguirre: Edgar Ramírez 

MacGregor Houghton (Lily’s Brother): Jack Whitehall 

Prince Joachim: Jesse Plemons 

Nilo: Paul Giamatti

Trader Sam: Veronica Falcon

Proxima: The jaguar – a CGI creation

Jaume Collet-Serra

John Fox 

Dwayne Johnson 

Hiram Garcia 

Dany Garcia 

Executive Producers:

Scott Sheldon 

Doug Merrifield

John Norville 

Josh Goldstein 

Glenn Ficarra 

Screenplay By:

Michael Green 

Quote from Director Jaume Collet-Serra: “The Jungle Cruise ride is a very famous and well-known ride. It’s one of the original rides at Disneyland, designed actually by Walt Disney. So it’s beloved by many people, not only because it’s been there for a long time, but because it’s one of the only rides that the whole family can enjoy together. You can bring a baby, and you can bring your grandma — so in a way, we wanted to make a film that reflected that. A film that the whole family could enjoy together — that was the starting point for us.”

Ride THE THEME PARK ATTRACTION: Disney’s Jungle Cruise set in Adventureland

This Disney Ride is set in Walt Disney World. The following YouTube video shows the entire ride and some of the queue. Additionally, it is a family-friendly channel. We invite you to follow our family’s Disney theme park adventures.

Twitter: @JungleCruise Facebook: @JungleCruise Instagram: @DisneysJungleCruise Hashtag: #JungleCruise

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Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Movie Review: ‘Jungle Cruise’

NEW YORK (CNS) — For most of its running time, the lighthearted adventure “Jungle Cruise” (Disney), adapted by director Jaume Collet-Serra from a Magic Kingdom theme park ride, registers as a diverting, if insubstantial, fantasy.

But the gratuitous addition of a scene in which a principal character outs himself as gay and briefly parrots the LGBTQ party line precludes endorsement of the film for youthful viewers.

Old movie buffs will detect echoes here of helmer John Huston’s 1951 classic “The African Queen.” Though the World War I period setting remains roughly the same, the action has been moved across the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil.

There, intrepid British researcher Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) forms an unlikely alliance with fast-talking Amazon River steamboat captain Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson). Lily is out to find a mystical tree the healing flowers of which she believes will revolutionize medicine and, after some gentle sparring, Frank agrees to take her on the perilous journey that will be required to reach it.

The duo is joined on their quest by Lily’s brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall), a luxury-loving but good-hearted fop. In hot pursuit comes eccentric German royal Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons). Billed in the dialogue as a younger son of Kaiser Wilhelm II (who did, in fact, have a son by that name), Joachim thinks the same magic petals Lily is after will give his homeland victory in the current conflict.

A great deal of mythical hokum ensues that would be inappropriate for those impressionable enough not to dismiss it out of hand. And the often-gruesome imagery of the undead conquistadors who, in fulfillment of the picture’s lore and under the leadership of mercenary warrior Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez), eventually do combat with our hero and heroine is much too scary for little kids.

That would normally leave the field to teens and grown-ups. But, in a wildly anachronistic exchange, McGregor confides in Frank that his fierce loyalty to Lily primarily springs from the fact that she alone has stuck by him after his repeated refusal to marry made his sexual orientation apparent to friends and family — all of whom, besides Lily, then turned on him.

Leaving aside the fact that such conversations were far from commonplace in the days of Woodrow Wilson, the scene comes across as ham-handed propaganda. The obvious intent of screenwriters Michael Green, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa is to send a message to young moviegoers that, while it poses as an anti-discrimination plea, entirely lacks the moral discrimination for which the subject calls.   

Parents will want to exercise caution, accordingly, in allowing adolescents to screen “Jungle Cruise.” If permission is given, this rough patch in what is otherwise a largely innocuous expedition might be made the starting point for a catechetical discussion highlighting the divergence of current social mores from the unchanging truths of Scripture.

The film contains much raucous but stylized violence, a benign view of homosexual acts, some scatological humor, about a half-dozen mild oaths and a suppressed crude expression. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Parents' guide to, jungle cruise.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 36 Reviews
• Kids Say 66 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Ride-based adventure is fun, if predictable; peril, scares.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jungle Cruise is an action-fantasy adventure inspired by the classic Disneyland ride. Set in 1916, it follows intrepid Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt), who hires skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) to guide her and her brother down the Amazon River in search of a mythical…

Why Age 11+?

Frequent peril/tension, action violence, physical comedy, creepy imagery -- incl

This movie is based on/promotes a Disney ride. Lots of merchandise tie-ins off c

Adults drink in taverns, where some background characters seem to be drinking he

Lily and Frank banter and flirt, eventually sharing longing looks. Characters sh

"Oh my God," "ruddy," "fresh hell," "crusty old farts," "shove it up your associ

Any Positive Content?

Promotes courage, perseverance, teamwork. Characters work together and think cre

Lily is a pioneering botanist and adventurer -- a Ph.D. who's never afraid of be

Parents need to know that Jungle Cruise is an action-fantasy adventure inspired by the classic Disneyland ride. Set in 1916, it follows intrepid Dr. Lily Houghton ( Emily Blunt ), who hires skipper Frank Wolff ( Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ) to guide her and her brother down the Amazon River in search of a mythical healing tree. Violence and peril are the biggest issues: Expect frequent danger, creepy cursed villains (as well as a cartoonishly evil German baddie), weapons (guns, torpedoes, swords, knives), an implied significant death (and some actual less significant ones), threatening snakes, and a jaguar that looks more vicious than she actually is. Adult characters drink from flasks and bottles, and an animal gets tipsy. One conversation about removing a knife from someone's body could be perceived as suggestive (though the double meaning will likely go over kids' heads), and there's some flirty banter and a couple of kisses. Without saying it outright, one character comes out to another, who's supportive. While main characters demonstrate impressive courage, perseverance, and teamwork, the movie's initial depiction of Native Amazonians as a tribe of angry cannibals is concerning, even though ( spoiler alert ) it turns out it's largely for show.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Violence & Scariness

Frequent peril/tension, action violence, physical comedy, creepy imagery -- including conquistadores being turned to stone or coming back to "life" while made of bees, snakes, etc. Native Amazonians are killed, a villain is squashed. At one point, it's suggested that a key character has died. People get abducted, slapped, stabbed, bitten by snakes and piranhas, threatened/attacked by a jaguar. Falls, chases, explosions. Torpedo and guns fired, swords and knives brandished. A villain callously smashes bees. Amazonians are described as cannibals, but ( spoiler alert ) it's just for show. Arguments/yelling.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

This movie is based on/promotes a Disney ride. Lots of merchandise tie-ins off camera.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink in taverns, where some background characters seem to be drinking heavily. Characters drink whiskey from a flask, liquor from bottles. A jaguar drinks spilled wine, gets tipsy. MacGregor brings an entire suitcase of liquor on board.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lily and Frank banter and flirt, eventually sharing longing looks. Characters share a kiss. A conversation about extracting a knife borders on suggestive.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Oh my God," "ruddy," "fresh hell," "crusty old farts," "shove it up your association," "booga booga," "wimpy," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Promotes courage, perseverance, teamwork. Characters work together and think creatively to defeat a curse, vengeful enemies, a sociopathic villain. Characters' stories/journeys promote idea of personal growth and value of acceptance and living a nontraditional life. You don't have to be what everyone expects you to be.

Positive Role Models

Lily is a pioneering botanist and adventurer -- a Ph.D. who's never afraid of being the only woman in a room. She's brave, smart, resourceful, goes after what she wants (often bending rules to do so). Frank is knowledgeable, protective. Both are willing to put themselves in danger for their missions -- and each other. MacGregor is a dedicated brother who accompanies and supports Lily; he implies but never says outright that she was the only person who stuck by him when he realized he was gay. Native Amazonians are initially portrayed as cannibal warriors out to capture (and eat) foreigners, but ( spoiler alert ) it turns out to be for show. Still, the story exploits those stereotypes and certain others (MacGregor is fussy and high maintenance, Joachim is cartoonishly German, etc.), and Joachim's accent is played for humor.

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (36)
• Kids say (66)

Based on 36 parent reviews

Turn it off about an hour in...

Action and adventure, what's the story.

Set in 1916, JUNGLE CRUISE opens with bold botanist Dr. Lily Houghton ( Emily Blunt ) stealing an Amazonian arrowhead from an elite -- and anti-woman -- British explorers' club. The artifact is supposed to lead Houghton to a mysterious location on the Amazon River where legendary healing flowers bloom on an ancient tree. Lily and her brother, MacGregor ( Jack Whitehall ), head to the Amazon and hire brash skipper Frank Wolff ( Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ) to guide them on the perilous river trip. Along the way, Lily and Frank must avoid not only the natural dangers of the Amazon but also a villainous German prince ( Jesse Plemons ) who's also searching for the tree, as well as a group of Spanish conquistadores who need the flower's petals to reverse their immortal curse.

Is It Any Good?

The irresistibly charming stars help make this adventurous, occasionally swashbuckling ride adaptation amusing, if not as memorable as The Mummy or Pirates of the Caribbean . Johnson can make nearly any character likable; here, Frank's silly, punny jokes are also a fun nod to the Disney ride's vibe. Blunt, likewise, is ideally cast as the pioneering Dr. Houghton. Lily bucks social mores of the time by having a job and a Ph.D., knowing how to defend herself, and even wearing trousers (Frank calls her "Pants"). She also has a refreshingly close relationship with her brother, who's posh and fussy but is still willing to follow her into murky, life-threatening situations. Other members of the cast are underused -- like Paul Giamatti as a local riverboat mogul and Edgar Ramirez as head conquistador Aguirre -- or they overact, like Plemons' caricature of a sociopathic German villain, Prince Joachim.

The movie's landscaping and production art are vibrant and immersive, and director Jaume Collet-Serra should be applauded for making sure to organically include themes of gender, class, and discrimination against the Amazonian natives -- without being preachy. Still, the movie's portrayal of those natives is a bit cringey, even if the movie course-corrects to subvert the same stereotypes it initially seems to be perpetuating. Luckily, Blunt and Johnson cheerfully elevate the story enough to make audiences gloss over some of the screenplay's missteps and enjoy the ride.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the level of violence in Jungle Cruise . Does stylized or fantasy violence impact viewers differently than more realistic violence?

How do Lily's actions convey that she is both brave and smart? Do you consider her a role model ? What character strengths does she demonstrate?

How is drinking depicted in the movie? Are there consequences for any character's drinking? Why does that matter?

Did you notice any stereotypes in the film? Why is the initial depiction of the Native Amazonians problematic? Is it excused by the fact that the tribe is in on the joke/plan?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 30, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : November 12, 2021
• Cast : Emily Blunt , Dwayne Johnson , Edgar Ramirez , Jack Whitehall
• Director : Jaume Collet-Serra
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 127 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sequences of adventure violence
• Last updated : June 23, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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What to watch next.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

The Mummy (1999)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Romancing the Stone

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Tomorrowland

The African Queen

The Goonies

Excellent adventure movies for family fun, best disney movies, related topics.

• Perseverance
• Magic and Fantasy
• Brothers and Sisters

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'Jungle Cruise': Movie Review

Movieguide Magazine

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JUNGLE CRUISE is a big, sweeping action adventure movie based on Disneyland’s popular ride, which has been crafted into a story about a young Englishwoman who hires a debt-ridden boat captain to take her down the Amazon River to find a fabled tree with leaves that supposedly can cure any disease. Laced with lots of humor but no obscene language, JUNGLE CRUISE has many exciting escapades and beautifully filmed action sequences, with some Christian, redemptive metaphors and elements, but the movie has a strong Romantic worldview with some with politically correct, feminist, pro-homosexual elements attacking traditional morality, and the story contains some scary characters and situations involving slithering snakes.

The movie opens in 1916 with MacGregor Houghton trying to convince the Royal Academy in London to finance an expedition into the Amazon to find a mystical, magical tree with fabled healing properties. The stuffy scientists in attendance mock MacGregor off the stage. Meanwhile, his sister, Lily, who put her prissy brother up to making the public request, sneaks into the archives of the Academy. There, she steals an arrowhead from the last Amazon expedition, which supposedly is a key to unlock to unlock the location of the magical tree. She steals the arrowhead right under the very nose of a German prince named Joachim, who’s rumored to be the son of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. The curator of the archives had just finished a deal with Prince Joachim to give him all the artifacts from the expedition, in exchange for a very large donation.

Cut to the Amazon, where Captain Frank Wolff is giving one of his pun-infested tours to some tourists on his ramshackle boat. Part of the tour is clearly fake. Frank even uses some local people to pretend to be savage headhunters to scare the tourists.

Unhappily for Frank, he owes a lot of money to his rival in the tour business, a portly Italian named Nilo who repossesses Frank’s boat engine when he returns to town. Lily meets with Frank to rent his boat to travel down the Amazon to the legendary location of the magical tree. Frank at first refuses, because he thinks she’s on a wild goose chase, but Lily offers him lots of money.

With Lily’s brother along for the ride, they’re soon on their way down the Amazon. After, Fran steals back his engine from Nilo, of course. However, Prince Joachim is hot on their trail in his very own German submarine.

Of course, innumerable other dangers await them down river, including some supernatural ones, in the form of a group of cursed Spanish conquistadores awakened from suspended animation.

JUNGLE CRUISE features many exciting escapades and beautifully filmed action sequences. In many ways, it’s similar to Disney’s PIRATES movies, the Indiana Jones movies and the 1984 movie ROMANCING THE STONE. The action does slow down slightly in the middle, but not by much. Dwayne Johnson, who plays Frank, and Emily Blunt, who plays Lily, have some good chemistry together. This definitely helps the movie when it comes time for their characters to develop strong romantic feelings for one another. Viewers will root for these two characters when it looks like they’re going to be separated forever. Admittedly, the chemistry isn’t as special as Indy and Marion in the original Indiana Jones movie, but that’s a high bar to set. JUNGLE CRUISE is also laced with lots of fun humor. For example, the movie borrows heavily from the puns that the tour guides on the Disneyland ride subject on Disneyland visitors.

As with many Disney adventure movies, the action sequences involve some scary moments. The heroes not only have to avoid a huge, deadly waterfall. They also encounter the scary leader of the cursed conquistadores, who was cursed centuries ago with slithering jungle snakes.

Sadly, despite some Christian, redemptive metaphors about life, death and resurrection, JUNGLE CRUISE has a strong Romantic worldview overall. The heroine is a spunky female who’s bucking the staid, corrupt male establishment of the Royal Academy. The traditional rules don’t apply to her, so she steals the arrowhead from the Academy. Also, the movie reveals in the middle that Lily defended her brother when it came out that the reason he didn’t marry any of the women their family offered to him was because he’s homosexual. Their family disowned Lily’s brother, but she stood behind him. Lily’s brother reveals all these facts to Frank in one scene. Also, at one point, the brother, holding a spear, makes a crude, unnecessary sexual innuendo when he asks a wounded Frank, “Would you like to bite down on my stick?” The filmmakers are careful not to include any obscenities in their movie, so the lewdness of this line is unexpectedly strong and rather disturbing. In fact, the homosexual brother is played with such a prissy quality that one wonders if LGBT activists are going to look as favorable on it.

All in all, MOVIEGUIDE® must advise extreme caution for this particular trip down the Amazon. It’s somewhat of a missed opportunity to provide moviegoers with a truly family-friendly experience. That’s what happens when you let silly leftwing politics creep into your art and entertainment, not to mention your commerce.

About The Author

MOVIEGUIDE® was founded in 1985 by Dr. Ted Baehr, past president of the Episcopal Radio & Television Foundation and former director of the Television Center at the City University of New York. MOVIEGUIDE® is affiliated with the Christian Film & Television Commission® ministry (CFTVC). Both MOVIEGUIDE® and CFTVC are dedicated to redeeming the values of the entertainment industry, according to biblical principles, by influencing industry executives and artists and by informing and educating the public about the influence of the entertainment media and about how to train their families to become More

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3 Things Parents Should Know about   Jungle Cruise

• Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
• Updated Aug 03, 2021

Lily Houghton is an independent, adventurous, and selfless woman living in the early 1900s who wants to change how society views medicine. She believes it's unacceptable that some ailments can't be cured. But she has a plan. Her father once told her of a mysterious plant deep in the Amazon that will "heal anything." Some people believe it's only a legend. Lily, though, is a believer. "Just imagine the lives that could be saved," she says. So Lily hires a boat skipper, a wise-cracking man named Frank, to take her down the Amazon River in search of the plant, the "Tears of the Moon."

Unfortunately for Lily, several villains are also searching for the Tears of the Moon, including a German military officer who believes it can help his country win World War I.

The new Disney movie Jungle Cruise (PG-13) tells the story of Lily and Frank as they dodge bullets and bad guys in search of a fabled medicine. It stars Dwayne Johnson as Frank and Emily Blunt as Lily.

Here are three things parents should know about Jungle Cruise :

Photo credit: © DisneyPlus/Instagram

1. It's Based on a Disney Ride

The current Disney Land version includes a ride through the rain forest past numerous (fake) animals, including elephants, rhinoceroses, monkeys, and giraffes. It still includes a few educational moments and -- like the film -- plenty of corny jokes. Director Jaume Collet-Serra told Fab TV that the Jungle Cruise ride is one that people have enjoyed "with their families -- you can bring a newborn or your grandma." 

Photo credit: ©Disney

2. It's Funny and Amusing, with a Lesson on Immortality

Jungle Cruise is an adventure romance in the same vein as other films that were marketed to families (National Treasure and the Indiana Jones series come to mind). Lily needs his river expertise. He wants her cash. At times, each wants to push the other overboard -- his selfishness troubles her; her aggressiveness bothers him -- but they also end up falling in love.

The film incorporates the "dad joke"-type humor from the Disney ride into the film, with Frank taking the role of the comedian. The best humor involves his interactions with Lily. (Asked to translate her words about the Tears of the Moon for an indigenous tribe, he tells them in their language, "She doesn't mind if you kill her.")

The plot is simple yet entertaining. It also has enough twists to keep you guessing (including one major shocker). It's a mixture of Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, and Romancing the Stone. For fans of animals and adventure -- and for young moviegoers who don't need a complicated story -- it's worth the ride. The film is aided by great on-screen chemistry between Johnson and Blunt. Despite a mostly thin plot, Jungle Cruise tackles a deep subject at the heart of Scripture: eternity. Although Lily's desire is admirable, others in the movie aren't so innocent. They want the plant for money, power, and fame.

Of course, Jungle Cruise isn't the first movie to examine our desire to live forever. We are attracted to such stories because -- in the words of Ecclesiastes 3:11 -- God "has planted eternity in the human heart." We know our days are numbered. We know this world cannot bring true joy. Tragically, though, our world chases eternity all the wrong ways. Eternity is attainable, but not on this side of death. Only Christ can save us.

Photo credit: © Getty Images/evgenyatamanenko

3. It's a Mixed Bag for Families

Although Frank does eye Lily for much of the film and calls her "pants" (a nickname derived from her choice of attire in an early 1900s culture that prefers dresses), the movie has minimal sensuality. When she needs to change clothes, he playfully acts as if he wants to watch. (We don't see anything.) 

For families of faith , the movie's most troubling moment involves a scene in which Lily's brother -- MacGregor -- strongly implies he is gay. Referencing his desire not to marry a woman, he tells Frank his "interests lie elsewhere." Frank then raises a glass and toasts: "to 'elsewhere.'" "Uncle threatened to disinherit me," MacGregor says. "Friends and family turned their back. All because of who I love. I would've been ostracized from society." Older children likely will have questions.

Families will come to different conclusions about Jungle Cruise . It deserves its PG-13 rating. In many ways, it is like any other family film. But in one significant way, it is not.

Jungle Cruise is rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure violence. Language details: OMG (4), h-ll (1), gosh (5), misuse of "God" (2), "shove it up your association," an unfinished s--t (1).

Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Family-friendly rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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JUNGLE CRUISE

"family entertainment marred by political correctness".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Stealing.

More Detail:

JUNGLE CRUISE is a big, sweeping action adventure movie based on Disneyland’s popular ride, which has been crafted into a story about a young Englishwoman who hires a debt-ridden boat captain to take her down the Amazon River to find a fabled tree with leaves that supposedly can cure any disease. Laced with lots of humor but no obscene language, JUNGLE CRUISE has many exciting escapades and beautifully filmed action sequences, with some Christian, redemptive metaphors and elements, but the movie has a strong Romantic worldview with some with politically correct, feminist, pro-homosexual elements attacking traditional morality, and the story contains some scary characters and situations involving slithering snakes.

The movie opens in 1916 with MacGregor Houghton trying to convince the Royal Academy in London to finance an expedition into the Amazon to find a mystical, magical tree with fabled healing properties. The stuffy scientists in attendance mock MacGregor off the stage. Meanwhile, his sister, Lily, who put her prissy brother up to making the public request, sneaks into the archives of the Academy. There, she steals an arrowhead from the last Amazon expedition, which supposedly is a key to unlock to unlock the location of the magical tree. She steals the arrowhead right under the very nose of a German prince named Joachim, who’s rumored to be the son of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. The curator of the archives had just finished a deal with Prince Joachim to give him all the artifacts from the expedition, in exchange for a very large donation.

Cut to the Amazon, where Captain Frank Wolff is giving one of his pun-infested tours to some tourists on his ramshackle boat. Part of the tour is clearly fake. Frank even uses some local people to pretend to be savage headhunters to scare the tourists.

Unhappily for Frank, he owes a lot of money to his rival in the tour business, a portly Italian named Nilo who repossesses Frank’s boat engine when he returns to town. Lily meets with Frank to rent his boat to travel down the Amazon to the legendary location of the magical tree. Frank at first refuses, because he thinks she’s on a wild goose chase, but Lily offers him lots of money.

With Lily’s brother along for the ride, they’re soon on their way down the Amazon. After, Fran steals back his engine from Nilo, of course. However, Prince Joachim is hot on their trail in his very own German submarine.

Of course, innumerable other dangers await them down river, including some supernatural ones, in the form of a group of cursed Spanish conquistadores awakened from suspended animation.

JUNGLE CRUISE features many exciting escapades and beautifully filmed action sequences. In many ways, it’s similar to Disney’s PIRATES movies, the Indiana Jones movies and the 1984 movie ROMANCING THE STONE. The action does slow down slightly in the middle, but not by much. Dwayne Johnson, who plays Frank, and Emily Blunt, who plays Lily, have some good chemistry together. This definitely helps the movie when it comes time for their characters to develop strong romantic feelings for one another. Viewers will root for these two characters when it looks like they’re going to be separated forever. Admittedly, the chemistry isn’t as special as Indy and Marion in the original Indiana Jones movie, but that’s a high bar to set. JUNGLE CRUISE is also laced with lots of fun humor. For example, the movie borrows heavily from the puns that the tour guides on the Disneyland ride subject on Disneyland visitors.

As with many Disney adventure movies, the action sequences involve some scary moments. The heroes not only have to avoid a huge, deadly waterfall. They also encounter the scary leader of the cursed conquistadores, who was cursed centuries ago with slithering jungle snakes.

Sadly, despite some Christian, redemptive metaphors about life, death and resurrection, JUNGLE CRUISE has a strong Romantic worldview overall. The heroine is a spunky female who’s bucking the staid, corrupt male establishment of the Royal Academy. The traditional rules don’t apply to her, so she steals the arrowhead from the Academy. Also, the movie reveals in the middle that Lily defended her brother when it came out that the reason he didn’t marry any of the women their family offered to him was because he’s homosexual. Their family disowned Lily’s brother, but she stood behind him. Lily’s brother reveals all these facts to Frank in one scene. Also, at one point, the brother, holding a spear, makes a crude, unnecessary sexual innuendo when he asks a wounded Frank, “Would you like to bite down on my stick?” The filmmakers are careful not to include any obscenities in their movie, so the lewdness of this line is unexpectedly strong and rather disturbing. In fact, the homosexual brother is played with such a prissy quality that one wonders if LGBT activists are going to look as favorable on it.

All in all, MOVIEGUIDE® must advise extreme caution for this particular trip down the Amazon. It’s somewhat of a missed opportunity to provide moviegoers with a truly family-friendly experience. That’s what happens when you let silly leftwing politics creep into your art and entertainment, not to mention your commerce.

Jungle Cruise

In the pantheon of Disney movies based on Disney theme park rides, "Jungle Cruise" is pretty good—leagues better than dreck like " Haunted Mansion ," though not quite as satisfying as the original "Pirates of the Caribbean." 

The most pleasant surprise is that director Jaume Collet-Serra (" The Shallows ") and a credited team of five, count 'em, writers have largely jettisoned the ride's mid-century American colonial snarkiness and casual racism (a tradition  only recently eliminated ). Setting the revamp squarely in the wheelhouse of blockbuster franchise-starters like " Raiders of the Lost Ark ," " Romancing the Stone " and " The Mummy ," and pushing the fantastical elements to the point where the story barely seems to be taking place in our universe, it's a knowingly goofy romp, anchored to the banter between its leads, an English feminist and adventurer played by Emily Blunt and a riverboat captain/adventurer played by  Dwayne Johnson . 

Notably, however, even though the stars' costumes (and a waterfall sequence) evoke the classic "The African Queen"—John Huston's comic romance/action film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn ; worth looking up if you've never watched it—the sexual chemistry between the two is nonexistent, save for a few fleeting moments, like when Frank picks up the heroine‘s hand-cranked silent film camera and captures affectionate images of her. At times the leads seem more like a brother and sister needling each other than a will they/won't they bantering couple. Lack of sexual heat is often (strangely) a bug, or perhaps a feature, in films starring Johnson, the four-quadrant blockbuster king (though not on Johnson's HBO drama "Ballers"). Blunt keeps putting out more than enough flinty looks of interest to sell a romance, but her leading man rarely reflects it back at her. Fortunately, the film's tight construction and prolific action scenes carry it, and Blunt and Johnson do the irresistible force/immovable object dynamic well enough, swapping energies as the story demands.

Blunt's character, Lily Houghton, is a well-pedigreed adventurer who gathers up maps belonging to her legendary father and travels to the Amazon circa 1916 to find the Tears of the Moon, petals from a "Tree of Life"-type of fauna that can heal all infirmities. She and her snooty, pampered brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) hire Frank "Skipper" Wolff (Johnson) to bring them to their destination. The only notable concession to the original theme park ride comes here: Wolff's day job is taking tourists upriver and making cheesy jokes in the spirit of "hosts" on Disney Jungle Cruise rides of yore. On the mission, Johnson immediately settles into a cranky but funny old sourpuss vibe, a la John Wayne or Harrison Ford , and inhabits it amiably enough, even though buoyant, almost childlike optimism comes more naturally to him than world-weary gruffness. 

The supporting cast is stacked with overqualified character players. Paul Giamatti plays a gold-toothed, sunburned, cartoonishly "Italian" harbor master who delights at keeping Frank in debt. Edgar Ramirez is creepy and scary as a conquistador whose curse from centuries ago has trapped him in the jungle.  Jesse Plemons plays the main baddie, Prince Joachim, who wants to filch the power of the petals for the Kaiser back in Germany (he's Belloq to the stars' Indy and Marion, trying to swipe the Ark). Unsurprisingly, given his track record, Plemons steals the film right out from under its leads.

Collet-Serra keeps the action moving along, pursuing a more classical style than is commonplace in recent live-action Disney product (by which I mean, the blocking and editing have a bit of elegance, and you always know where characters are in relation to each other). The editing errs on the side of briskness to such an extent that affecting, beautiful, or spectacular images never get to linger long enough to become iconic. The CGI is dicey, particularly on the larger jungle animals—was the production rushed, or were the artists just overworked?—and there are moments when everything seems so rubbery/plasticky that you seem to be watching the first film that was actually shot on location at Disney World.

But the staging and execution of the chases and fights compensates. Derivative of films that were themselves highly derivative, "Jungle Cruise" has the look and feel of a paycheck gig for all involved, but everyone seems to be having a great time, including the filmmakers.

In theaters and on Disney+ for a premium charge starting Friday, July 30th. 

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor-at-Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

• Dwayne Johnson as Frank Wolff
• Emily Blunt as Dr. Lily Houghton
• Edgar Ramírez as Aguirre
• Jack Whitehall as McGregor Houghton
• Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim
• Paul Giamatti as Nilo

Cinematographer

• Flavio Martínez Labiano

Writer (story)

• Glenn Ficarra
• John Norville
• Josh Goldstein
• James Newton Howard
• Jaume Collet-Serra
• Joel Negron

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