Disney Fans Are Losing It Over The New Jungle Cruise Trailer
"Jungle Cruise," the upcoming action-adventure movie based on the Disney theme park ride, just got a new trailer, and Disney fans are losing it over the obvious similarities to "Pirates of the Caribbean." Disney and Disney fans alike are hoping that "Jungle Cruise" will fill the Jack Sparrow-shaped hole in their hearts and kick off a new franchise that feels like "Pirates," but is different enough to also feel fresh.
"I really hope Jungle Cruise works out because I could use another Pirates of the Caribbean style adventure film," Twitter user @DerfelMacguffin wrote. Based on the reactions to the trailer on Twitter, the attempt to capture the "Pirates" magic is working. A lot of people commented positively on the trailer's "Pirates of the Caribbean vibe."
"This preview gave me strong Pirates Of The Caribbean vibes in terms of the visual effects as well as African Queen vibes in terms of the interplay between you and Emily Blunt," Twitter user @scurvydog619 replied to Dwayne Johnson's share of the trailer. "Interested to see the rest."
If you don't know classic cinema, "The African Queen" is a 1951 riverboat adventure movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn, whose plot "Jungle Cruise" has borrowed, down to the details of a cranky-but-good-hearted captain taking two siblings on an adventure through the jungle and fighting Germans. The Jungle Cruise ride is itself heavily inspired by "The African Queen," according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Pirates + Mummy = Jungle Cruise
"Pirates" and "The African Queen" aren't the only vibes people picked up on. Fans also compared it to 1999's "The Mummy," another vintage-style adventure film with a 1930s aesthetic and modern special effects and cultural sensibilities. "I already love this movie so much. The Jungle Cruise trailers give off strong The Mummy vibes and yet I don't [expect] anything more than a 'you've earned my respect' handshake to happen between Emily Blunt & the Rock," @kindamoviesnob tweeted.
Of course, not everyone was so into all the derivative elements. There's a fine line between imitation and homage, after all. @DearDaaery imagined a conversation between herself and Disney: "Me: They don't make movies like the Mummy (1999) anymore!!! I wish they would make movies like that!!! Disney: Can we interest you in our new Jungle Cruise movie Me: This looks way too similar to the Mummy (1999) I don't want this." (We have a feeling she'll end up seeing "Jungle Cruise" anyway.)
"THE MUMMY (1999) + PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (2003) = JUNGLE CRUISE (2021)," @AdamLanceGarcia tweeted simply.
People weren't only focused on the "Pirates" and "Mummy" vibes, though. People were also excited about the great Jesse Plemons showing up for two seconds as an evil German piloting a gunboat. "The jungle cruise [trailer] follows a very important rule of filmmaking that every movie trailer should have a Jesse Plemons reveal," @JulieAbridged tweeted.
Even talk about Plemons always comes back to the vibes, though. "That Jungle Cruise trailer should play up the fact its got Jesse Plemons playing a broad evil German, though the og POTC/Mummy vibes are doing it for me too," tweeted @pressxtodavid.
"Jungle Cruise" will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ for an additional fee of $30 on July 30.