Disney is hoping that their Jungle Cruise movie can be the next franchise hit like Pirates of the Caribbean, and not just on the surface level. While the Pirates of the Caribbean movies are kind of a punchline in need of a reboot at this point, the original film from 2003 was not just a big financial success but a movie that audiences loved as well.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was considered a big risk when Disney made it. Making a theme park ride into a movie? Making it one about pirates, a movie genre that was long since dead? With its solid screenplay, sense of humor, and fun action scenes, it won audiences over, making it the fourth highest-grossing movie of the year. Even Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow was a big draw, years before the character’s shtick had worn off and the actor became more of a liability - part of which led to Jack Sparrow being dropped from the reboot.
Jungle Cruise looks to be trying to recapture the magic that made Pirates of the Caribbean work so well. It’s obvious on the surface, being another beloved theme park ride turned into a movie, but the similarities go further than just that. The next obvious comparison is between Depp’s Jack Sparrow and Dwayne Johnson’s Frank. Beyond being captains of a sort, they both have similar goofy energy and humor. While later Pirates of the Caribbean movies made Jack the protagonist, he wasn’t in the first few movies. Jungle Cruise seems to have taken that lesson to heart, making it look more like Frank is the guide to Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) on her journey through the Amazon.
Jungle Cruise’s action set pieces also feel familiar, and not just because of all the boats (though these are quite a bit smaller). There’s also the fight with a monster that is definitely not Davy Jones because he’s made of vines, not tentacles. They even appear similar, like they were shot with as many practical effects as possible despite the heavy amount of CGI needed to create these scenes. While going into the supernatural, Jungle Cruise is kepping it lighter and less about the magic itself. Similar to the first Pirates movie (and not like the sequels), the details of the mythology don’t seem to be that important. Instead, much more focus is put on the story and the characters.
Blunt and Johnson have good chemistry judging by the trailers so far, and that was a central (if not as celebrated) part of what made the Pirates of the Caribbean movies so successful. Disney really wants Jungle Cruise to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean, and who can blame them? Every studio wants a movie to be a big hit and spawn sequels. This comparison goes beyond just a surface, with many decisions being made to try and recapture the magic that made those previous films work so well, before they started to falter. If Disney doesn't yet want to move forward with another Pirates of the Caribbean film, then turning Jungle Cruise into their next high seas adventure franchise could work wonders.
