Emily Blunt | Screenlife Reviews

Give a raise to the studio exec who came up with the idea of combining Disneyland’s most relaxing, mellow (some might even say boring) ride with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The resulting film plays like a combination of all the best action adventure films – from Brendan Fraser’s Mummy films to Disney’s own Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – with breakneck pacing, non-stop action and two absolutely electric lead performances that will have you rolling in the aisles and punching the air with excitement. While it may get a little long in the tooth and doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the genre, Jungle Cruise does exactly what it sets out to do and takes you on a ride far more wild than the real thing.

When driven scientist Lily Houghton (Blunt) arrives in Brazil with timid brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) in tow, she enlists the services of local Amazon tour guide Frank Wolff (Johnson) to help her locate the Tears of the Moon – petals of an ancient tree with curative properties that could change medicine forever. As the unlikely group venture deeper and deeper into the jungle they must contend with German Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons), hot on their heels in his own search for the Tears as well as the ancient explorer Aguirre (Edgar Ramírez), who has been cursed to live out his days endlessly in the jungle. With nothing but their wits and Frank’s knowledge of the Amazon to guide them, the trio battle against the odds only to discover that the thing they were searching for might not be as important as the bonds they make along the way.

If you’ve ever been on the actual Jungle Cruise ride, you know it to be an avalanche of godawful yet great puns delivered by your “guide” as you cruise along the river eyeballing all sorts of animal-induced craziness. The film does its best to show respect to that original 1955 ride, with Frank throwing out many of the rides’ best puns in a corny introduction to his character; a charming shyster who tricks and scares his tourist clientele to bigger tips by steering them through a gauntlet of fake traps and costumed trickery. It also establishes that fun and light tone that remains a mainstay throughout even the darkest of scenes before Lily arrives in the jungle; bringing with her an army of pursuers hot on her tail that creates chaos for the coming adventure.

From here it is as classic action-adventure as you can get. Sure, the key dynamic between the gruff guide and his two untested sibling charges is pulled straight out of The Mummy – but it works. Johnson, Blunt and Whitehall are all fantastically funny and endearing leads, with great interplay and comedic chemistry between them (even if the romantic chemistry between Johnson and Blunt isn’t as believable). The best parts of the film aren’t the crazy, over-the-top action sequences but the quieter moments on the boat where the trio trade jabs and learn about each other’s pasts and problems. Johnson’s character has a fair amount of depth to him, as opposed to a lot of his other roles where he is reduced to the infallible muscle, and he has fun with the image of himself as the action hero. He still gets those heroic moments, but he stumbles along the way: a refreshing, self-deprecating turn for one of the action genre’s biggest (literally) stars.

And there is a lot of action. German submarines destroying villages, cursed conquistadors chasing our heroes through native villages and one particularly playful Jaguar destroying everything in sight in a bar brawl. Again it’s all done with a light, playful tone and Lily and Frank’s constant bickering throughout does a lot to alleviate the boredom that could have set in with endless CGI explosions. For the most part, the action is fun and exciting but there is the occasional sequence that almost seems to exist simply for the sake of having an action set-piece to shake things up.

Edgar Ramírez’ cursed conquistador is essentially a duplicate of Barbosa from Pirates of the Caribbean, right down to his relationship with Frank, but unlike Geoffrey Rush’s classic character – who still managed to be fun whilst menacing – never comes across as anything other than another CGI baddie to take down. A meaningless obstacle rather than the truly terrifying threat the film would have you believe. Thankfully Jesse Plemon’s German prince of a villain is an absolute riot with his almost intentionally bad accent and strange idiosyncrasies. It is a performance that is a mish-mash of inspirations – from Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained to the stereotypical villains of classic cinema – as Joachim breaks into song before unleashing a machine gun salvo and offers meaningless pleasantries before every evildoing. Out of place in almost any other modern film, but a perfect fit for the lighthearted, early 1900’s set shenanigans of Jungle Cruise.

Free from the complex lore of its other Disney ride contemporary Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise is able to just have fun with its characters and Amazonian setting, throwing audiences into the thick of things instead of floating past like the ride it is based on. The chemistry of Blunt, Johnson and Whitehall is without a doubt the film’s greatest strength, carrying you through all the CGI action and over-the-top craziness with genuinely endearing and layered characters. Some lacklustre villains and shaky CGI might distract at times, but it is never enough to throw things truly off course. All aboard, next stop Thunder Mountain.

Jungle Cruise stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Veronica Falcón & Edgar Ramírez – In cinemas and streaming on Disney+ with Premier Access now.

8/10

If the first A Quiet Place film was a declaration from John Krasinski that he can do much more than comedy then consider the sequel his putting everyone in Hollywood on notice. It wasn’t a fluke, in fact A Quiet Place Part II is one of the best horror sequels ever made. The film not only cements Krasinski’s status as a bonafide AAA director who can create genuine Spielberg-ian magic from behind the camera, but – in a rarity for sequels in the horror genre – it also feels like a natural progression of the Abbott family’s story, who after having gone through so much already now find their struggles truly beginning as they venture beyond the borders of their farm home. While Krasinski’s character may be gone, his presence lingers over every character in the film, including standout newcomer Cillian Murphy, leading to a fascinating dissection of grief and strength that gives the film some real emotional depth while continuing to deliver tension-filled scares courtesy of the ferocious sound-stalking monsters.

Now that their patriarch is out of the picture, the Abbott family is forced to flee the compromised farmhouse compound where they have lived for the 400 days since the apocalyptic arrival of the monsters, setting out on a journey to find aid and shelter. Each family member responds to Lee’s (Krasinski) demise in their own way and the exploration of their grief and response to it is the most fascinating aspect of the whole film. Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is thrust into survival mode, desperately seeking a safe abode for her teenage children and newborn infant. Blunt’s character was already a tough-as-nails fighter – albeit with a softer touch when it came to her children – but now, armed with the knowledge to dispatch their foes and dealing with the unknown, she adopts more of Lee’s divisive tough-love practices in order to ensure her family’s survival. She may get the least to do in the second instalment, but Blunt makes sure you never feel as if Evelyn is on top of things, with worried expressions hidden from her children hiding a real fear which permeates the entire film: that they might not make it out alive.

Once again, the Abbott children prove to be the MVP’s of the film. Regan (Millicent Simmonds), who clashed with her father over his protective ways in the first film is let loose now in the new world, desperate to impart her knowledge of killing the creatures to as many survivors as possible. Where before there was resentment lingering over Regan for her father, now there is pride and the notion of living up to his standards drives the young girl on her journey. Through a largely wordless performance, Simmonds is able to demonstrate great strength and bravery through physicality and facial expressions; you can see the pain this girl is living with having lost her father just as she truly reconnected with him. Pairing the grieving girl with Cillian Murphy’s Emmett – who was a friend of the Abbott’s in the time before the event – makes for some extremely emotionally resonant scenes, as she initially judges the man as a coward, hiding away in a bunker and refusing to help her family.

Emmett has been through the ringer in his own rights and Murphy does a lot to show you what he has been through with only his eyes, tired but terrified; wanting to help but afraid of going the way of everyone he has held dear. When Emmett is coerced into joining Regan’s quest to find an island radio tower, the two initially clash, with Krasinski wringing a new type of tension out of the constant fear that Emmett has become morally bankrupt in this new world and will betray Regan. It goes a long way towards differentiating this new film from the first and expanding the scope in ways other than just size of the world or the number of monsters. Krasinski is more confident and drawing from a bigger filmmaking toolbox now, with everything he touches turning to gold.

That’s not to say that the impact of the monsters isn’t felt just as much as the first film. Quite the opposite in fact, with an explosive opening scene detailing the first arrival of the monsters in a small town dialling the action up to eleven and previewing the carnage to come. Setting this scene in a normal bustling town allows Krasinski to throw it all on the screen as we see what these creatures are truly capable of when surrounded by a cacophony of sound; ripping everything that moves apart in a violent rampage. This scene alone is enough to rekindle a fear of sound in the audience, as the characters on-screen discover the attraction to sound just as the audience makes a commitment to not make any out of pure fear. Nowhere is that fear expressed more than in the character of Evelyn and Lee’s son Marcus (Noah Jupe). Jupe is terrific here, extremely expressive in his facial expressions and the perfect vehicle to drive the slow-burn scares that drip with tension. His side story makes for some of the most armrest-gripping moments in the franchise yet, and one particular scene involving a baby and a vault will have you unknowingly holding your breath and shaking with unbearable tension.

A Quiet Place Part II is a masterful sequel to one of the most celebrated horror films of the last decade. With careful attention to character and meticulous crafting of an underlying sense of tension through pitch-perfect editing and sound design, John Krasinski and company have crafted a virtually flawless film that improves upon its predecessor in every way possible. Newcomer Cillian Murphy is excellent and slots into this world perfectly alongside the Abbott family, with Blunt, Simmonds and Jupe all upping their game for the sequel. Krasinski has well and truly earned his place among the top directing talent in Hollywood and as far as I’m concerned can keep churning these movies out forever, I’ll keep coming back. Don’t miss the experience of seeing A Quiet Place Part II in a cinema, you won’t be able to keep quiet about it.

A Quiet Place Part II stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou, Scoot McNairy & John Krasinski – In cinemas now.