Disney’s Jungle Cruise, the movie inspired by one of Disney’s oldest and most iconic attractions, is out now on all major digital platforms and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on November 16. As a long-time fan of the river boat ride at Disney World, I was looking forward to seeing what they put in the movie that would be a nod to the ride, and they did not disappoint! The whole family enjoyed the fun, and funny, movie adventure.

Nonstop Action and Adventure

The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as skipper Frank Wolff and Emily Blunt as Dr. Lily Houghton. Skipper Frank stays true to the silly jokes the cast members would make while navigating the boat down the river, like the joke about what the “backside of water” looks like, and how you wouldn’t want to “be headed” in the direction of where the headhunters lived.

And speaking of headhunters, controversial character Trader Sam appears in the movie, played by actress Veronica Falcón. But instead of a guy selling shrunken heads, the leader of the headhunter tribe is a woman and a friend of Franks that helps him scare the tourists on his Amazon tours. The animatronic Sam featured on the Disney ride was removed this year as part of Disney’s efforts to modernize their rides and remove offensive racial stereotypes. And the movie version may not have any heads for sale, but she does at least have on the fancy black top hat.

Every time one of these characters or scenes popped up, I couldn’t help but go, “That’s from the ride!” So I was excited to see the boat riders on screen have a close encounter with an enormous hippo, as it was one part of the ride that always stood out.

A Supernatural Twist

The movie follows the story of Dr. Lily Houghton, who’s intent on making her mark in the male-dominated world of science. She grew up with stories of a special Tree of Life with flowers that have magical healing properties, and plans to travel to the Amazon to find it. She has a map to lead her to it, and with the help of her brother MacGregor, played by Jack Whitehall, she steals an ancient arrow head that’s connected with the tree.

Unfortunately there’s also an obsessed German prince that will stop at nothing to get the arrow and find the tree himself. Lily and her brother travel to the Amazon with Prince Joachim in hot pursuit, though they won’t know that until later. In Brazil, they team up with skipper Frank, who happens to have a secret of his own. In a supernatural twist that reminds me a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean, we learn about the cursed 16th century Spanish conquistadors that haunt the area in search of Tree of Life that can free them from their eternal torment.

Check out the official trailer for Disney’s Jungle Cruise here:

Disney’s Jungle Cruise is a great choice for a family night movie, as it will keep both kids and adults entertained. You can currently get early digital access for $29.99 on digital platforms like Amazon and it will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on November 16.

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About the Author:

Candy Keane is a blogger, crafty geek and children’s book author who writes about nerdy culture and “geek mom life”.  She’s well known for her cosplay and costumes, many of which are posted on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, is available now on Amazon.