Movie review
July 28, 2021 · 127 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Jungle Cruise is a 2021 Disney fantasy adventure film in which a determined British botanist and her brother hire a wisecracking riverboat skipper to search the Amazon for a mythical healing tree amid World War I dangers and cursed conquistadors. The core story follows a standard action-fantasy quest with puns, chases, and redemption. Visible identity elements include a gay supporting character played with campy stereotypes as comic relief and a female lead explicitly challenging 1916 gender barriers at the Royal Society, alongside sensitivity updates to the source ride's colonial imagery through positive indigenous portrayals.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Jungle Cruise.
Woke representation / casting
Includes visible gay character marketed as inclusion milestone and performed with stereotypical effeminate comic-relief traits plus humiliation gags; female lead explicitly positioned as gender-norm challenger; Trader Sam recast female and indigenous tribe shown positively versus original ride stereotypes.
Woke political dialogue
Brief historical references to Royal Society barring women and racism plus conquistador brutality; one indirect coming-out exchange; no extended activist speeches or modern framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Gay subplot centers family rejection and quiet acceptance; Lily's arc highlights woman succeeding against male institutions; tribe framed as wise guardians protecting the tree from colonizers.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Shows conquistador violence and curse origin as villainous; mocks old-boys'-club exclusion of women; German WWI militarism as antagonist; adapts ride material to reject earlier colonial snark in favor of sensitivity.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant to major legacy characters or historical figures; minor ride-adjacent adjustments such as gender-swapping Trader Sam and softening stereotypes for modern audiences.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Pre-release and post-release progressive complaints over gay casting, stereotyping, and insufficient representation; scattered anti-woke forum notes on inclusion and male portrayals; largely fringe and overshadowed by simultaneous ride updates.
Creator track record context
No evidence of prior activist, political, or identity-focused work by director, writers, or producers.
Production
