Jungle Cruise [2021] ★★½
Part “The Mummy” and part “Indiana Jones” (with a dose of “African Queen”), Disney’s Jungle Cruise emerges as an old-fashioned summer adventure that will most likely satisfy audiences of all ages. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are both likable as a pair of explorers looking for a hidden treasure deep in the amazon jungle. Cue the dangerous animals and the German enemies who would stop at nothing to kill them. It’s a fun ride, for sure, but not without its flaws. I guess you could say that it’s bumpy at times, and it goes on for way too long. Still, there’s a lot to enjoy here, mainly the chemistry between the two leads, who really seem to be having the time of their life . So If you’re looking for a true summer blockbuster to keep you entertained, Jungle Cruise more than fits the bill. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it gets the job done.
I didn’t think I’d care for a recent Netflix release, but “I Care a Lot” knows its target audience and delivers exactly what you would expect from it. Rosamund Pike is good as always, playing a brilliant con artist who poses as a legal guardian for the elderly in order to drain their savings. Her latest victim? A wealthy retiree (Dianne Wiest) with no living heirs or family. Or so we thought. This sets the tone for an entirely watchable comedy/thriller that doesn’t pretend to be more than it is, but still manages to offer a few twists and turns as we go along. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then you’ll probably have a good time here. It’s not the best thing you’ll stream this month, but it’s entertaining enough for me to recommend it.
“Malcom & Marie” is all about good performances, and both Zendaya and John David Washington deliver. But I wish I could say the same about the movie itself. It’s certainly well-shot and features a pair of powerhouse performances. But halfway through, I found myself drifting away from it, and the movie never managed to pull me in again. I was completely captivated at first, as we meet a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) who return home following his long-awaited movie premiere. What seems like a celebratory night at first quickly turns into a tense affair. Over the next few hours, old wounds are reopened and secrets are revealed, as we learn more and more about their personal issues. Writer-director Sam Levinson grabs us from the word go, thanks to a tightly written dialogue. But I can tell you that after a while, I grew tired of it. To whatever degree the movie succeeds, it is largely because of these two. I just wish they trimmed it a bit. Or better yet: “Malcom & Marie” would have worked more as a short movie.
Sometimes, a movie is easy to watch because of its star power. Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan are both a treat to watch in Netflix’s latest period piece “The Dig”, and they’re reason enough to stream it. Of the story, I can only say that it was quite intriguing to witness, despite an uneven narrative. Fiennes plays an experienced archaeologist who is hired by Mulligan to dig up an old burial ground on her estate. The year is 1939 and what they’re about to discover is something completely unexpected. If you like movies based on true events, “The Dig” more than fits the bill. It has beautiful sceneries and just the right amount of drama to go along with it. The final result is a film that is captivating at times, even if it doesn’t always hit the right notes. But perhaps the best thing I can say about it is that it’s sincere. That, and a pair of delightful performances, make it worth streaming.
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