Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Paul Giamatti, Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons, Andy Nyman,
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Release date: 30th July 2021
The year is 1916 and Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) is an eccentric but talented and driven scientist/ explorer. For many many years, there has been talk of a legend, which speaks of a mysterious flower called ‘The Tears of the Moon’ which only blooms on The Tree of Life. Many people and countless expeditions have tried to find it but none have succeeded. The flower is said to cure any ailment and has so far been elusive to all. Lily is thought of very poorly by her peers and so she decides that she must journey to the Amazon, with the hope of finding the flower and using it to aid medical science. She and her younger brother, MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) journey to Porto Velho in Brazil to begin their search.
They come across a boat captain named Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) who agrees to help them with their quest, but only for the right price…
Their search begins but it is not long before they realise that there are other very dangerous people looking for the flower too.. Who will get there first and at what cost?
The movie is based on a ride at the Disneyland theme park and also on the iconic 1951 movie ‘The African Queen’ which starred Hollywood legends, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.
This movie has everything you could possibly wish for when looking for an action adventure film, including lots of punch ups, a treasure hunt and an amazing array of baddies. People are already saying that it’s a cross between Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean, which by anyone’s standards can only be a good thing. With a fantastic cast, including the always amazing Emily Blunt, the chemistry between her and Dwayne Johnson is great and feels totally believable. There’s twists and turns, chases and calamity, and it really feels like you’re on a theme park ride.
This has to be my movie of the year so far and ticks all the right boxes; great story, interesting characters, more action than you can shake a stick at and some amazing twists and surprises. Plus some great appearances by Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories), Paul Giamatti (Billions, Sideways) and Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad/ The Irishman).
A great movie to go to with your family or even just with your mates, this film is going to do great things in the box office over the Summer. Just make sure you see it on a big screen if you possibly can, and fasten your seatbelt! 🙂
Overall: 9/10
