Admittedly, I didn’t have a lot of hope going into Jungle Cruise. Part of this lack-of-anticipation directly coincided with the fact that, honestly, I have never been on Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Full transparency: we were more of a Carousel of Progress family; however, I am an avid fan of all of the film rollouts that Dwayne Johnson has been doing these past years, and I’ve always enjoyed Emily Blunt as a well-rounded actress. I purposefully didn’t read too much into this film in order to keep my expectations fairly neutral, and I am very glad I did.
Jungle Cruise is set mainly during the 1910s, and right away the movie does an excellent job curating some problematic elements in this era: women’s rights, economic inequality, nepotism in education, and LGBTQ+ inequality/exclusion. Within the first hour I was truly blown away by how many modern political/mental health nuances were integrated into the stories of the three of the main characters: Skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt), and Macgregor Houghton (Jack Whitehall).
There are many heartfelt moments that well-surpassed my own projected nihilist properties - moments that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Like most neo-era Disney movies, there is a sense of humor tucked away within the scriptwriting that is reserved for the “aged-out” adults of Disney, which I thought was very smart considering that my “older” generation of millennials are now the new ticket holders for the younger generation of Jungle Cruise viewers and visitors. These moments of more mature entertainment are tucked between many for-all-ages scenes of sword swinging adventures, friendship and community building, various exotic animals, and intricate landscapes.
As an addendum to the topic of problematic ventures of the era, there are parts of this film where I found myself a little uncomfortable. In all fairness, it is important to keep in mind that this movie is based on an amusement park ride that opened in 1955. The 1950s were a problematic time in and of themselves, and that is something I had to keep in mind multiple times during this viewing because, based on the reference material, some things are just static and cannot be altered. For example, I started shifting in my seat seeing a tribal culture being portrayed as these wild, cannibalistic, pierced and painted people seemingly limited to only intimidating and antiquated interactions.
I will say, without any true spoilers, that this is not the case and I hope that provides a level of comfort to some future viewers. In fact, I found there to be parts of this film that were very smart in how they referenced the time periods and the distinct levels of knowledge for those time periods. As an avid viewer of Breaking Bad, an actor that I recognized immediately was Jesse Plemons in his supporting role as Prince Joachim. There are a lot of Easter eggs in Jungle Cruise for history buffs and Prince Joachim is one of them - although his character as reflected in Jungle Cruise is not completely aligned with his true biography, it was interesting to see that specific addition (while knowing Prince Joachim’s story has an important narrative within mental health itself).
Between the numerous historical elements and fantasy-adventure thrills, this story feels like a perfect mix of 1997’s George of the Jungle and the entirety of The Pirates of the Carribean franchise. While I don’t plan to see it again in theaters, I wouldn’t turn down another opportunity to see this film. I would recommend it to others under the warranty of it simply being an entertaining family film. Jungle Cruise shouldn’t be taken too seriously as any form of essential cinema, but it is a fun, heartfelt and thoughtful addition to the new Disney franchise.
Rorshach Rating: 3/5
Mental Health Moment: Jungle Cruise thoughtfully integrated the idea of living in a time when homosexuality was a personal burden that almost guaranteed exclusion and excommunication. While over 100 years have passed since the time this storyline takes place, many people still face numerous personal challenges and professional disenfranchisement based on their sexuality and/or identity. There is an underlying acceptance of the spectrum of humanity that this film ultimately shakes hands with, but there is a softness that is required of Disney storytelling despite its subject matter. For the sake of transparency, the past 100 years have not resulted in any equitable solution to the exclusions and inequalities that the LGBTQ+ community experiences. If you are experiencing a gender or sexual-identity mental health crisis, or if you need LGBTQ+ support, text START to 741-741 for access to anonymous support from a trained mental health counselor.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Jungle Cruise is property of Disney. We do not own nor claim any rights.
You can now support us on Patreon. Help us get mental health resources into schools and get exclusive content at the same time. Click here to join today!