Jungle Cruise Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

The Rock and Emily Blunt deliver a solid escapist thrill-ride.

By Jack Pooley /

Disney

Summer blockbuster season is in something close to full swing, with Disney's latest big-budget tentpole, Jungle Cruise, now released in both cinemas and on Disney+ Premier Access around the globe.

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Shot in the summer of 2018 and originally due for release in 2019, the Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt-starring action-adventure blockbuster was delayed twice due to both required reshoots and the ongoing pandemic.

But the film, based on Disney's theme park attraction of the same name, is now finally out, and while hardly a great work of cinema, it more-or-less delivers on the expectations set by its marketing: a fun slice of escapism that admittedly won't stay with audiences for very long.

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If you're in the market for an adventure movie inspired by the genre's classics, Jungle Cruise largely does the job, even if it lacks much distinct personality of its own, and may suffer from Disney's blatant attempts to position it as their big new family-friendly live-action IP.

On its own terms, though, it's easy to see this going down well enough with anyone craving a laid-back blockbuster flick they don't have to think too much about...

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