The trailer to Disney’s upcoming fantasy adventure movie Jungle Cruise is set to the cool rock vibes of a classic 1970s Creedence Clearwater Revival song. Starring recurring Disney figures Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jungle Cruise will be released on July 30th, 2021 both in movie theaters and for premiere access streaming on Disney+. The new movie brings back the nostalgic feel of Disney’s classic adventure movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Treasure Island with a dash of The Mummy and The Rock’s recent Jumanji movies.
Jungle Cruise will take place in the early 20th century with a basis on the same-named Disney theme park attraction ride. A riverboat captain, “Skipper” Frank Wolff (Johnson), takes British scientist Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt) and her brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall) on an expedition through the jungle where they search for the mysterious “Tree of Life.” The tree is said to contain healing powers that can help advance modern medicine, though they have to fight to get there before the Germans (not unlike Indiana Jones’ mission in Raiders of the Lost Ark). The crew will face wild animals, a dangerous environment, and unruly foes along the way.
The Creedence Clearwater Revival song featured in the trailer, “Run Through the Jungle,” evokes an adventurous rock tone that is easily played while coursing down the river, the song is also a cautionary tale that seems apt for the plot of Disney’s new adventure film Jungle Cruise. Since Jungle Cruise isn’t an easy-going float down the Amazon, the dangerous warnings in the lyrics of “Run Through the Jungle,” such as, “Better run through the jungle... Don’t look back to see,” are the best fit for the movie’s plot. “They told me don’t go walking slow... The devil’s on the loose” will apply to Skipper and Lily always needing to be overly aware and cautious as they are chased by the Germans, wild animals, and more in hot, deadly environments.
Not only does the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit underscore a warning for Jungle Cruise’s adventurers, but the song also includes a section about the mystical powers beyond their control. The cautions of “Run Through the Jungle” may not just be about the Germans, flora, and fauna, it may tell that the Tree of Life the Jungle Cruise characters seek may be more dangerous than they imagined: “Over on the mountain, thunder magic spoke… Let the people know my wisdom… Fill the land with smoke.”
The reason for the song’s eerie message actually dates back to its controversy as a protest to American gun proliferation in 1970, though is most notable for its usage in war movies and video games, especially those related to the Vietnam War. While Jungle Cruise likely won’t be detailing a jungle-based battlefront, the Creedence song has found a home featured in Vietnam-depicted chaotic battles in the jungle environments. The song has been on the soundtrack of movies like Tropic Thunder, The Big Lebowski, Air America, and Kong: Skull Island, while also heard on war-based video games like Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War and Rising Storm 2.
The meaning of “Run Through the Jungle” in Vietnam War movies parallels the atrocities of the war where soldiers simultaneously feared ambushing enemies hiding among the elements and the unforgivingly treacherous natural elements, which on a smaller scale can apply to Jungle Cruise’s conflict. If the Creedence Clearwater Revival protest song is in Jungle Cruise’s trailer, one can only imagine the set of cautionary, adventurous songs heard to underscore the entire movie.
