Seeking an ancient tree with healing abilities, Dr. Lily Houghton and wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff team up for the adventure of a lifetime on Disney’s Jungle Cruise, a rollicking ride down the Amazon. Amidst danger and supernatural forces lurking in the jungle, secrets of the lost tree unfold as their fate – and mankind’s – hangs in the balance.
For in-depth thoughts on Jungle Cruise, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Jungle Cruise comes to Blu-Ray in an AVC encoded transfer in 2.39:1 courtesy of Disney featuring stunning cinematography from Flavio Labiano. This is a film with a very intentional visual aesthetic bathed in gold to conjure up a vintage charm. This presentation is quite gorgeous and offers a stable image quality throughout. The visual majesty of the film translates well on disc with most shots looking stable and breathtaking. The color spectrum does sometimes make certain locales look a bit hazier than similar productions, but these are minor moments lacking supreme sharpness.
Labiano captures some awe-inspiring imagery that really pops in high definition. Not only do the textural details render cleanly, but the earthy tones really radiate off the screen. Those expecting vivid colors such as the green of the vegetation to pop off the screen may be slightly disappointed that the intentional color timing dampens the intensity a bit. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances outside a very minor bit of noise in the darkest sections. Skin tones look natural to the color grading throughout the runtime. There is a 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc that was not made available to me for review which likely tightens up any fleeting issues. Within the technical limitations of the format, Jungle Cruise is simply beautiful.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a wonderful DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio presentation that packs one heck of punch from beginning to end. From the opening moments of crashing waves and thunder that will make you jump out of your skin, the soundscape is set to deliver an expansive experience suitable for an adventure film. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic action scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and surround channels. These channels complement the other channels rather well which adds a nice sense of space to the mix. Musical cues and the score from James Newton Howard envelope the room with a vengeance. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The machine gun bullets and crashes provide an all-encompassing soundscape that kicks in throughout all the speakers. The low end is engaged in a really solid way that will have your house shaking. The mix offers up a really fun time for viewers, but it is important to note that those with top-of-the-line setups may want to spring for the 4K UHD in order to get Dolby Atmos.
Special Features
- Jungle Cruise Expedition Mode: After you have given this movie a spin, watch it again with “Expedition Mode” to learn fun facts, discover Easter eggs and catch some pop-up trivia throughout the movie. There is nothing terribly substantial, but there are some good tidbits here.
- It’s A Jungle Out There – Making Jungle Cruise: A 13-minute featurette in which director Jaume Collet-Serra, the cast and crew discuss the Disney ride that inspired the film, the casting of the film, the makeup implemented, the use of an ancient indigenous language in creating the world, and much more that offers some good insights.
- Dwayne And Emily – Undoubtedly Funny: A five-minute featurette with the two stars and the real-life friendship that helped them create their sizzling onscreen chemistry. It does the heart good to see these two getting along so well.
- Creating The Amazon: A great 15-minute piece which explores the cinematic artistry involved in creating this world including how they made a water tank in Atlanta look like rushing rapids, how a town was built in Kauai, and how they brought to life a ferocious jaguar, among a number of other amazing effects. This is one of the more substantial pieces on the disc.
- Once A Skip, Always A Skip: A lovely 14-minute piece in which a panel of “Skippers” at the Disneyland Resort share some interesting stories from helming the world-famous “Jungle Cruise” attraction. This is not a supplement that would have immediately sprang to mind, but I am very glad it was included.
- Outtakes: Nearly three minutes of flubbed or forgotten lines, malfunctioning props, giggle fits and more. This is always one of my favorite supplements.
- Deleted Scenes: Eleven scenes of unused material totaling 16 minutes is provided here including more scenes with MacGregor, Frank earning a cold shoulder and subsequently making nice, a sequence of nightmares and more. This was obviously cut for time and pacing, but there are some nice standalone moments for those who enjoyed the film.
Final Thoughts
Jungle Cruise does not reinvent the wheel when it comes to adventure films, but it provides an extremely fun throwback charm that has not been explored thoroughly in recent years. The charm that arises from Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson is enough to get your eyeballs on this one, but the remainder of the cast have great moments, as well. We never pass up a chance to marvel at Jesse Plemons. This film offers escapism, and that is exactly what many of us need right now. Disney Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a really excellent A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. Those with the capability may want to spring for the 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but this disc is very strong in its own right. Recommended
Jungle Cruise will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on November 16, 2021. The film is currently available on digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
