After months of self-doubt, acquiring a new auto-immune disease, and pouring my heart and soul into Cinema Sass, I've found my way back to the keyboard! Thanks for all of the support (you know who you are).
Jungle Cruise (Disney+ and still in theaters)
Entering into this movie, I had very low expectations. I thought it was going to be dated, boring, and the cinematic embodiment of an eye roll. But, after a few turbulent moments in the beginning, this new Disney flick wasn’t too shabby!
What I love: the self-awareness that allowed actually funny, pun-filled jokes to happen that transcended, the otherwise drenched in the Disney Venere, story. I enjoyed the humor more than I thought I would. I expected cheesy one-liners and cringe-worthy puns, but I was pleasantly surprised when the jokes actually landed and made me laugh out loud! The casting choices were great and the film absolutely would not have worked without Emily Blunt at the helm, alongside Dwayne Johnson and Jack Whitehall, who portrayed one of the first gay characters in the Mouse House history.
What I hated: After watching the likes of “Cruella” and “Luca” and seeing the Disney/Pixar universe expand its portfolio with fresh takes on what it means to be a “good” person, it was tough to watch a movie that felt regressive. It was very over the top and fantastical, which is fun and old Disney, but the leaps and bounds the titan producer took with the latest films felt like the over-produced schtick was outdated.
What I would have done differently: Honestly, this is probably as good as it’s going to get without a complete rewrite. I could probably go on and on about technicalities, but I won’t. I’ll just mention that I think Disney should stop pussyfooting around their gay characters and just let their rainbow flag fly! It’s ok to have gay characters regardless of the audiences ability to connect with that character, because more people will benefit from that representation than (homophobic) people will suffer from being forced to watch a gay character flourish.
This movie if fun for the families with older kids or a cute date night flick and can be found in theaters and on Disney+
