Jungle Cruise packs in everything satisfying about an adventure movie, with some of its own twists.

A review by Petrana Radulovic for /reviews/publisher:

IGN

Jungle Cruise is a rollicking adventure full of humor and heart anchored by Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt's winning heroes.

A review by Matt Fowler for IGN on 2021-07-27

Austin Chronicle

Dwayne Johnson may not be the world’s most nuanced actor, but he’s a marvelous showman. His and co-star Emily Blunt’s combined “it” factor transcends the sillier stretches of this somewhat forgettable but still chuckling good-times ride.

A review by Kimberley Jones for Austin Chronicle on 2021-07-29

New Orleans Times-Picayune

A humor-laced, richly produced adventure benefiting greatly from the charisma and rapport of its lead actors, it's built in the mold of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which was also based on a theme park attraction.

A review by Mike Scott for New Orleans Times-Picayune on 2021-08-03

Film Threat

Jungle Cruise is just plain, good, not-to-be-taken-seriously fun.

A review by Alan Ng for Film Threat on 2021-07-30

ReelViews

Jungle Cruise runs about 15 minutes too long (what else is new these days when 2 hours has become the new 90 minutes?) but mostly offers a fun, breezy journey. It may not be another Pirates of the Caribbean but it exists as a reminder that inspiration can come from unusual places.

A review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews on 2021-07-29

Slate

In other words, while it might not return with previously unseen treasures, what it does rummage up pairs perfectly with a large bucket of popcorn and a slushy drink.

A review by Karen Han for Slate on 2021-07-29

Christian Science Monitor

The one thing that isn’t artificial – the most important element of all – is the movie’s spirit. Acting in franchise blockbusters often amounts to get-the-job-done professionalism. In “Jungle Cruise,” however, the actors approach the material as if they’re enjoying a day out at Disneyland.

A review by Stephen Humphries for Christian Science Monitor on 2021-07-29

CNN

Jungle Cruise delivers about as ably as it possibly could, creating a light-hearted adventure that owes as much to “The Mummy” as anything in Disney’s fleet.

A review by Brian Lowry for CNN on 2021-07-27

Screen Rant

Led by the delightful pairing of Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, Jungle Cruise knows how to enjoy itself, even if the journey is a bit overstuffed.

A review by Rachel LaBonte for Screen Rant on 2021-07-27

Screen Daily

This overstuffed adventure-comedy barely takes a breath while bombarding the viewer with spectacle, special effects and one-liners — but what ultimately makes the film so likeable is the flirty rapport between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as a mismatched pair in search of a magical tree somewhere deep in the Amazon.

A review by Tim Grierson for Screen Daily on 2021-07-27

Original-Cin

For the first two acts at least, Jungle Cruise is reasonably good fodder for a family outing, very much a theme park ride of the cinematic kind.

A review by Jim Slotek for Original-Cin on 2021-08-01

Being well-paced, and with the two leads kept at a solid, non-smug register while supporting players like Paul Giamatti and Jesse Plemons do the scenery-chewing with exaggerated accents, it’s easy to appreciate Jungle Cruise for simply being a little more pleasant than the average Disney product.

A review by Ethan Vestby for /reviews/publisher:

Boston Globe

With Johnson’s arrival, “Jungle Cruise” enters “Raiders of the Lost Ark” territory. It’s not just the cascading action adventure in an exotic setting. It’s also James Howard Newton’s score sounding so much like John Williams that Williams should get royalties.

A review by Mark Feeney for Boston Globe on 2021-08-01

The Associated Press

It is a fine adventure with two genuine movie stars that may very well become a rewatchable staple like the films it references. But on first watch, it mostly comes across as an earnest and safe homage.

A review by Lindsey Bahr for The Associated Press on 2021-07-27

USA Today

While those parents who grew up with Indy and Romancing the Stone might have seen a lot of this stuff before, it’s right in the wheelhouse for movie-loving youngsters not quite ready to watch Nazis’ faces melt in "Raiders." For those kiddos, Johnson’s big lug and Blunt’s eager explorer offer an enjoyable welcome to the “Jungle.”

A review by Brian Truitt for USA Today on 2021-07-27

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.

A review by Matt Zoller Seitz for /reviews/publisher:

The Observer (UK)

Director Jaume Collet-Serra creates a romp of a picture booby-trapped with adventure movie tropes (arcane curses, snakes, evil Germans) which, while they might seem familiar to Indiana Jones fans, still combine to make for a decent family flick.

A review by Wendy Ide for The Observer (UK) on 2021-08-01

Wall Street Journal

This one’s pretty entertaining, although increasingly noisy and ultimately ridiculous.

A review by John Anderson for Wall Street Journal on 2021-07-29

TheWrap

Disney may be in the process of updating Jungle Cruise, the ride, but Jungle Cruise, the movie, isn’t trying to reinvent much of anything.

A review by William Bibbiani for TheWrap on 2021-07-27

Slashfilm

Jungle Cruise is, on the whole, not quite as enjoyable as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and of course nowhere near as good as the Indiana Jones franchise or even The Mummy, partly because it is entirely unable to shake loose of those reference points. But it’s still a solid summer action film, or at least a solid enough entry for this specific summer

A review by Josh Spiegel for Slashfilm on 2021-07-27

Time Out

This ride with Johnson and Blunt is so purely entertaining you may well want to go round again.

A review for Time Out on 2021-07-27

Total Film

An action vehicle that, in trying to do it all, does a little too much; Johnson and Blunt keep it afloat.

A review by Neil Smith for Total Film on 2021-07-27

We’re all aboard, and there’s certainly some enjoyment to be had. It’s just a pity that the ride is a bit of a con, at times. It’s a template without spark, a formula which seldom takes the risk of experimenting with anything fresh. It needed some of that old Spielbergian magic.

A review by Tim Robey for /reviews/publisher:

The A.V. Club

Absent cleverness, Collet-Serra offers some comfort for weary eyes, like the flashes of silent black-and-white footage of the stars shot with Lily’s newfangled movie camera. At the risk of sounding like a critic from a way-old demographic, Jungle Cruise works best when it leans in this more old-fashioned direction.

A review by Jesse Hassenger for The A.V. Club on 2021-07-27

We Got This Covered

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt elevate Jungle Cruise, but you've seen this movie before, and you've seen it done a lot better.

A review by Scott Campbell for We Got This Covered on 2021-08-01

Rolling Stone

It’s something closer to an amusement-park attraction named Generic Blockbuster Cruise, where you slowly glide past a bunch of prefab set-ups — over there you’ll see some thrills, look out on your right for some spills and chills — and the whole thing moves inexorably forward on a track, while a skipper cracks the same corny jokes.

A review by David Fear for Rolling Stone on 2021-07-30

ABC News

The Rock and Emily Blunt knock themselves out to entertain in this dopey, derivative, theme-park ride of a movie. But, hey, the kids will love it and in the words of the Metallica thrasher that bizarrely found its way onto the soundtrack, “nothing else matters.

A review by Peter Travers for ABC News on 2021-07-30

New York Post

To bulk up the thin material, the film steals from countless other, better adventure movies to create an altogether less satisfying combo plate that costs $30 to rent on Disney+.

A review by Johnny Oleksinski for New York Post on 2021-07-29

Observer

If you don’t fall asleep, there’s plenty to look at, including action scenes crammed with special effects, as well as lush rainforests played by Hawaii, Australia, and — wait for it — Atlanta, Georgia.

A review by Rex Reed for Observer on 2021-07-29

Chicago Sun-Times

Director Jaume Collet-Serra (best known for the Liam Neeson actioners Unknown, Non-Stop and The Commuter) is far too enamored with the CGI possibilities of an epic fantasy adventure, while the team of writers sacrifice character development in favor of banter heavy on groan-inducing puns and recurring punchlines that actually don’t pack much of a punch.

A review by Richard Roeper for Chicago Sun-Times on 2021-07-29

The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Jungle Cruise taps into a type of thrill-ride nostalgia that feels algorithmically created. Everything about the film is just right, from its charismatic stars to its jungle hijinks to its heart-to-heart chemistry between Lily and Skipper – all of it only slightly updated for a 2021 crowd.

A review by Sarah Hagi for The Globe and Mail (Toronto) on 2021-07-27

Uproxx

The good news is you get about an hour of a movie that could be deemed “entertaining” or “enjoyable.” The bad news is, after that first hour (and like so many movies inexplicably do today), someone decided, “Look, hear me out, what if about halfway through we make this movie super convoluted? Like to the point it would be hard to explain the plot to anyone?” And then someone else decided, “Yes, that’s exactly what we should do.”

A review by Mike Ryan for Uproxx on 2021-07-27

Variety

It’s like watching a romantic comedy while strapped to a roller-coaster with a VR headset on. Jungle Cruise is at once a love story, a made-for-4DX action movie, a “Pirates of the Caribbean”-style fairy tale featuring a ghostly conquistador (Edgar Ramirez) and his pewter-armored henchman with digital snakes slithering through them, and God knows what else.

A review by Owen Gleiberman for Variety on 2021-07-27

Washington Post

This is an untaxing, big-budget summer popcorn movie for the whole family. Like the ride itself, it requires no more mental engagement than you would devote to any theme park visit (excluding the thrill rides, which actually raise a pulse.)

A review by Michael O'Sullivan for Washington Post on 2021-07-27

The Hollywood Reporter

The absence of a light touch here means that even the teasing banter and sexual tension between appealing leads Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt is a bit stiff.

A review by David Rooney for The Hollywood Reporter on 2021-07-27

Slant Magazine

Jaume Collet-Serra’s deft touches elevate what otherwise feels like another formulaic contemporary Disney blockbuster.

A review by Jake Cole for Slant Magazine on 2021-07-27

Disney’s latest attraction just isn’t rousing enough to sustain the fun of a 20-minute ride for more than two hours, and the rewards are few and far between for a movie that taps so many resources to reach them.

A review by David Ehrlich for /reviews/publisher:

It’s a film that wants to be a little of this, a lot of that and funny in the bargain. You want to like it so much that you can sense Disney getting a new franchise out of it, even if it doesn’t quite come off. But if they do sequels, they’d bloody well better hire somebody who knows comedy to film them.

A review by Roger Moore for /reviews/publisher:

Paste Magazine

Director Jaume Collet-Serra and his fully crewed vessel of writers never sink all the way to the bottom, but the very best they accomplish is keeping their heads above water.

A review by Jacob Oller for Paste Magazine on 2021-07-27

Jungle Cruise is a monument of zeros and ones, so reliant on CGI that it sacrifices jokes, fight sequences, and general wonder to the distracting notion of admiring how fake everything is, despite the truly incredible effort by hundreds of artists to make it appear as life-like as possible.

A review by Nick Allen for /reviews/publisher:

ScreenCrush

When the world of a movie is so palpably fake, it’s hard for the people or the stakes to feel real.

A review by Matt Singer for ScreenCrush on 2021-08-01

The Irish Times

Collet-Serra, who directed The Shallows and the Liam Neeson thrillers Unknown, Non-Stop, and The Commuter, keeps up a lively pace. That, and the capable cast, ensure that Jungle Cruise passes the time, much like the old-fashioned, uneventful ride that inspired it.

A review by Tara Brady for The Irish Times on 2021-07-30

Vanity Fair

Jungle Cruise is a two-hour movie that has far less consequence than a ride that’s a small fraction of that length. The experience the film more accurately simulates is the standing in line: all that tedious waiting in the heat for the fun to start.

A review by Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair on 2021-07-29

The New York Times

Jungle Cruise is less directed than whipped to a stiff peak before collapsing into a soggy mess.

A review by Jeannette Catsoulis for The New York Times on 2021-07-29

Arizona Republic

The trouble with a movie like Jungle Cruise is the comparison it invites. And in this case, the ride is better.

A review by Bill Goodykoontz for Arizona Republic on 2021-07-27

Los Angeles Times

Jungle Cruise, despite its more-than-capable leads and its much-vaunted attention to detail and verisimilitude, never feels transporting in the way that even mediocre blockbusters were once able to muster. It’s less an expedition than a simulation, a dispatch from a wild yet oddly pristine world where seeing is never close to believing.

A review by Justin Chang for Los Angeles Times on 2021-07-27

Credit goes only to its two stars that this is watchable, because the film is a derivative hodge-podge unworthy of their charisma. Just rewatch The Mummy and cut out the middle man.

A review by Helen O'Hara for /reviews/publisher:

The spark that was there in the opening section disappears and the film splutters out into something directionless and derivative and dull.

A review by Peter Bradshaw for /reviews/publisher:

Chicago Tribune

Blunt’s derring-do has its stray moments, and her comic wiles are most welcome. But this is blockbustering from a talented director whose talent has been pounded flat by the dictates of a script in the quality range of Disney’s “Lone Ranger.”

A review by Michael Phillips for Chicago Tribune on 2021-07-29

New York Magazine (Vulture)

The clarity of its aspirations just makes the film’s downfall that much more pathetic, like a baseball player pointing to the home run he’s about to hit and then completely whiffing and landing on his ass.

A review by Bilge Ebiri for New York Magazine (Vulture) on 2021-07-30

San Francisco Chronicle

To their credit, by the time the movie ends, Blunt and Johnson have made the sale. I believed them and liked seeing them together. They don’t make Jungle Cruise worth seeing or even worth tolerating. But for scattered minutes across this wasteland, they make it less painful.

A review by Mick LaSalle for San Francisco Chronicle on 2021-07-27