Reviews: 'Jungle Cruise' Stays Afloat And 'Stillwater' Mesmerizes

LOS ANGELES, CA — This weekend, the highly anticipated fantasy-adventure film, “Jungle Cruise,” finally makes its maiden voyage to theaters, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as an unlikely duo of explorers searching for a mythical flower in the jungles of the Amazon.

And if you’re looking for a stirring drama, look no further than “Stillwater,” in which Matt Damon plays a father hell-bent on overturning his daughter’s (Abigail Breslin) conviction in Marseille, France.

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Here's what to see/stream and what to skip this weekend

• “Jungle Cruise” — Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez; directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Over the years, Disney has had a string of movies based on its theme park rides, including “Tomorrowland,” “Haunted Mansion,” “Mission to Mars,” “Country Bears,” “Tower of Terror” and the famed “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.

Now, nearly seven decades after Disneyland first opened its doors in 1955, a silver-screen take on its beloved riverboat attraction finally makes its maiden voyage to theaters in an epic fantasy adventure, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as an unlikely duo of explorers headed to the jungles of the Amazon.

Set in 1916, “Jungle Cruise,” directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, finds our skipper, Frank Wolff (Johnson), in the throes of financial woes. Alas! He sees a golden opportunity to emerge from his personal misfortunes when Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt), a strong-willed British scientist, offers to pay him handsomely for his navigational expertise. Apparently, Lily and her brother, MacGregor (Jack Whitehall), need Frank to take them on a treacherous expedition to find a fabled flower that can cure all illnesses.

Armed with a conquistador’s map, the trio soon embarks on a journey in Frank’s beat-up steamboat, setting in motion along the way a myriad of wild chases and death-defying stunts, replete with wistful references to some of the most popular adventure films of all time, including “The African Queen,” “Indiana Jones,” “Romancing the Stone” and 1999’s “The Mummy.” Meanwhile, Lily and Frank must deal with the yin and yang of their budding relationship.

Will they ever find the mythical flower, “el flor de la luna” (The Moon Flower)?

Watch the trailer.

See/Screen it. Thanks to the enormous and magnetic appeal of Johnson and Blunt, “Jungle Cruise” manages to stay afloat despite the film’s derivative and bland screenplay.

• “Stillwater” — Matt Damon, Camille Cottin, Abigail Breslin; directed by Tom McCarthy

Four years after Tom McCarthy’s journalism drama, “Spotlight,” won Best Picture at the Oscars, the filmmaker is back on the director's chair with "Stillwater," a stirring thriller drama that is loosely based on the story of Amanda Knox’s murder case in 2007.

In McCarthy's new movie, Matt Damon plays Bill Baker, a God-fearing roughneck from Stillwater, Oklahoma, who has lived a hard life tarnished by alcohol and drug abuse.

Moments later, audiences will discover why the middle-aged man is on a plane bound for Marseille, France. Turns out, he is anxiously making his way to see his estranged daughter, Allison (Abigail Breslin), who is serving a nine-year prison sentence for the murder of her girlfriend, a crime the young woman maintains she did not commit.

By the time Bill arrives in the French city, Allison has already been imprisoned for almost five years. And now, more than ever, he is determined to clear his daughter’s name regardless of what it takes. Indeed, for our flawed hero, it will be an uphill battle due to language barriers and complicated French laws — that is, until he crosses paths with a struggling French actress named Virginie (Camille Cottin) and her eight-year-old daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud), who come to his aid in his attempt to unearth the truth.

As Bill traverses the streets of Marseille with a new lead that could prove Allison’s innocence, the narrative eventually turns the spotlight on his blossoming relationship with the mother and daughter. By the end, the two plot threads of the story converge in Bill’s profound journey of self-discovery, redemption, love and morality.

See/Screen it. Captivating as it is, “Stillwater” mesmerizes with a well-crafted screenplay, further elevated by McCarthy’s adroit direction and Damon’s magnificent performance of a flawed hero.

Watch the trailer.