Disney’s Jungle Cruise looks like an entertaining rehash of The Mummy

Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson star in Jungle Cruise.

A scientist hires a down-on-his-luck riverboat captain as her guide on an Amazon adventure in Jungle Cruise, a forthcoming Disney film inspired by the classic Disneyland theme park ride. Yes, Disney's ride-inspired films have largely been forgettable apart from the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. And yes, the trailer does seem eerily similar to the 1999 film The Mummy in many respects, with a soupion of Tomb Raider thrown in for good measure. It also looks like good old-fashioned escapist fare, a perfect summer offering.

Emily Blunt plays Lily Houghton, a scientist who is keen to locate the Tree of Life somewhere in the wilds of the Amazon. It's purported to hold "unparalleled healing powers." She's already located a mysterious arrowhead she believes is the key to unlocking those powers, and now she just has to find the tree. Her younger brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall) accompanies her on the mission, and they hire a colorful riverboat captain, Frank (Dwayne Johnson), to guide them.

Frank is a bit on the shady side, manufacturing all kinds of fake thrills on his standard riverboat cruise to delight (and sometimes disgust) his clients. He's in this for the money-and his price for guiding Lily and McGregor tends to fluctuate along with their fortunes. "All the while," per the synopsis, "the trio must fight against dangerous wild animals and a competing German expedition." Not to mention, there might also be some kind of mythical cursed creature standing in their way.

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