10 Best Movies Like Disney’s Jungle Cruise

Disney’s Jungle Cruise is the newest summer flick, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, in which a botanist, her brother, and a skipper undergo a river exploration to search for the Tree of Life. Families are enjoying the quest with its exciting and explosive action and many critics find it a worthy rendition of the beloved Disney attraction in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.

Adventurous movies often feature themes around expeditions filled with brilliant action and the immersive pursuit of something valuable. Jungle Cruise is just one example of such a film that explores this narrative device, and moviegoers love watching these stories play out on the big screen. Luckily, viewers can engage in other similarly exhilarating and amusing escapades, and the adventure is endless with these great movies.

10 The African Queen (1951) – Available On Prime Video

A missionary woman embarks on a river journey in Africa with a steamer captain. While seeking safety as WWI ensues, they also hope to use their travels to fight against German gunboats. It will become quite a challenge when they constantly argue, but their relationship soon turns romantic.

Starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, The African Queen resembles many aspects of Jungle Cruise, as both movies share the jungle and river setting, a riverboat adventure, and the dynamic chemistry between the two leads. Jungle Cruise also happens to take place roughly around the period of WWI. This romantic adventure movie is more mellow in its expedition, and its plot centers on the war conflict, but the inspiration here is clear and Jungle Cruise fans are sure to find something they love.

9 The Mummy (1999) – Available On HBO Max

Tension heightens in the Sahara Desert when Imhotep is awakened and hopes to reunite with his love, Anck Su Namun. It requires the efforts of a librarian, her brother, and an adventurer to stop him as they search for the ancient city, Hamunaptra.

The Mummy is noticeably different than Jungle Cruise in its setting, taking place in a hot desert rather than in a jungle. However, it follows a similar plot device of locating an ancient city while coming across curses and ruthless mummies, building a suspenseful, fun, and action-packed adventure. It also showcases similarly developed characters that include an enthusiastic and adventurous female expert, her brother as support and comic relief, and an adventurer of sort, acting as a love interest.

8 Treasure Planet (2002) – Available On Disney+

Adapted from a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Planet follows a young boy named Jim Hawkins who finds a treasure map. He joins a space pirate crew led by John Silver to search for the hidden treasure, but the expedition proves dangerous, and trust is tested.

Like Jungle Cruise, Treasure Planet caters to families and children, while also to those seeking a unique adventure. Adventure is in the air with its beautifully crafted animation and spectacular visuals. It’s a thrilling ride and is one of Disney’s most underrated movies.

7 Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) – Available On Paramount+

A daring archeologist ventures on an exploration to find the Ark of the Covenant, but time proves crucial as the Nazis also seek the powerful artifact. Thus, Indy must overcome dangerous obstacles and retrieve the artifact before it is too late.

Raiders of the Lost Ark currently has three sequels, and another is on the way. Many people describe it as a timeless action masterpiece. Like Jungle Cruise, this adventure film follows a similar plot in the character searching for a valuable relic, with incredible action sequences and an upbeat score, but in a different expeditious setting.

6 Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (2019) – Available On Paramount+

Dora must explore a new life as a high schooler, but it has been hard for her to make new friends. However, when her parents go missing, she joins her cousin and classmates to find her parents and a lost ancient city.

Dora is a popular Nick Jr. character that many young children have seen in her animated show, Dora the Explorer. Dora and the Lost City of Gold has a similar story to Jungle Cruise of an adventurous expedition to find a hidden city in the jungle. It has the same lighthearted and humorous tone that suits families and children.

5 National Treasure (2004) – Available On Disney+

Ben Gates is a historian who seeks a hidden treasure, but in his latest adventure, he is betrayed by mercenaries. As they all rush to find the treasure first, Ben works with his team to solves clues and they learn that the Declaration of Independence is the key to it all.

Starring Nicholas Cage and Diane Kruger, National Treasure takes scavenger hunting and exploration to a new level. While the film follows the narrative of an expedition to find lost treasure, it also gives an ode to the historical significance of artifacts with fun puzzle-solving clues and riddles. Despite harsh reviews by critics, most fans loved this Disney movie.

4 The Lost City Of Z (2016) – Available On Prime Video

The Lost City of Z follows the explorer Percy Fawcett who hopes to find the lost city of Z. His obsession impacts his relationship with his family, as his search could improve his status in society. The film stars Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, and Tom Holland.

The Lost City of Z is a different adventure film, given its biographical nature. While most adventure films feature a fun and action-packed thrill ride, this film shows the realistic experiences of exploration and has a serious tone. It also has an anti-climatic ending, indicating the ominous aspects of Fawcett’s journey. Despite its differences from usual expedition films, it has the similar plot device of exploration and one’s willingness to search for something valuable, making it well worth a watch.

3 Tomb Raider (2018) – Available On Sling & Spectrum

While Jungle Cruise is based on a Disney attraction, Tomb Raider is an adaptation of a video game. Portrayed by Alicia Vikander, Lara Croft goes on an adventure to a mysterious island in hopes of learning about her father’s disappearance.

Like any adventure film, it has dangerous stunts and thrilling action sequences in a jungle setting. Furthermore, Lara Croft resembles Lily Houghton in Jungle Cruise, as they both showcase their strength, intelligence, and ambitions to solve their quest, while also being complete badasses when facing their enemies.

2 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017) – Available On FXNOW & Sling

Many people may know the classic film Jumanji. However, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a modernized approach with a video game and makes the original Jumanji proud. Four high schoolers are stuck in a video game, appearing as their chosen avatars. While they must win and survive the game to return to their world, the game is not so simple in this dangerous jungle expedition.

Like Jungle Cruise, the adventure takes place in a jungle setting with action-packed sequences, making it a fun and entertaining film. The characters are charismatic and hilarious, with Jack Black and Johnson being standouts. Furthermore, the movie shows that Jungle Cruise is obviously not Johnson’s first outing when it comes to jungle expeditions.

1 Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) – Available On Disney+

A group of pirates kidnaps a governor’s daughter as she holds a coin responsible for their curse. Blacksmith Will Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow must team up to save her in this exciting pirate adventure. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl became one of the most popular and critically praised films, given its action sequences, performances from the cast, and remarkably catchy score.

The Curse of the Black Pearl mirrors the thrilling experience of Disney’s well-liked ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, located in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. And like Lily from Jungle Cruise, Elizabeth Swann challenges the traditional standard of women for the time by embarking on an epic adventure.

About The Author

Fariba Rezwan
(165 Articles Published)

Based in South Florida, Fariba Rezwan is a list writer for CBR and Screen Rant. Though working on her graduate degree at the University of Florida, her science education does not take away her love of movies and TV shows. She is a huge geek and considers herself a huge fan of many fandoms, including Star Wars, Marvel, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, and many more. Expect to see her watch movies on the first day they come out. While she will watch any film, she especially likes superheroes, mysteries, sci-fi, and thrillers. However, since she is in her early 20s, she also takes the time to educate herself about cinema by watching classics and well-received films. While she aspires to become a physician one day, she also hopes to try out screenwriting during her spare time.

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