Poor Daniel Radcliffe. I can imagine him reading the script of Jungle, based on a true story of one man's harrowing trials when he gets lost in the unexplored jungles of Bolivia. He probably said, "Hey, it worked for James Franco! Maybe I'll get an Oscar nod out of this." If you liked 127 Hours, you'll probably like this one as well. Many people find survival movies to be extremely entertaining - but if you're not one of those people, don't even think of renting it. This isn't like Robert Redford's A Walk in the Woods; it's quite gory and upsetting.
You won't believe it until you see it, but Jungle is actually grosser than 127 Hours. What could be more disgusting than cutting off your own arm with a pocket knife? There are three scenes where the lead actor has to eat an animal in order to keep his energy up, and they're so upsetting, I would highly recommend fast-forwarding them as I did. In one scene, Daniel has to cut open his own forehead to rid himself of a parasite; in another, he fights off a vicious snake to prove his manliness. It's heartbreaking to remind yourself that a man actually did live through these things and that you're not just watching a "for your consideration" piece of entertainment.
I was very interested in seeing Daniel Radcliffe's acting chops in what was arguably a one-man show, but as a squeamish viewer, I knew some of it would be too intense. If you're like me, skip ahead for a few minutes when they capture the baboon, when he figures out there's a bug in his head, and when he finds the bird's egg. In my opinion, it was a little unnecessary for the film to be that gross, but it was a small price to pay to see a great acting performance.
Physical acting is often taken for granted, but it really shouldn't be. Swimming around in the rapids, climbing and hiking in difficult terrain, and getting stuck in quicksand - take after take after take - is quite difficult to do. As is maintaining (and increasing throughout the film) a sense of exhaustion, starvation, and hopelessness - take after take after take. In addition to all the physical and emotional acting, Daniel also put on a distinctive Israeli accent.
The scenery in the film, though obviously dangerous, is quite beautiful (the jungle scenes were filmed in Australia). And you'll absolutely take an emotional journey while watching Daniel's on the screen, but just make sure you have the stomach for it. Daniel Radcliffe has certainly proved his point: he's no longer the sweet little Harry Potter kid. Now he can go make some mainstream movies for a nice change.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Daniel Radcliffe takes the hallucinogenic drug, he sees double vision for a couple of minutes, and during the water rapids scene, the camera spins around quite a bit, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to gore and upsetting situations involving animals, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
You won't believe it until you see it, but Jungle is actually grosser than 127 Hours. What could be more disgusting than cutting off your own arm with a pocket knife? There are three scenes where the lead actor has to eat an animal in order to keep his energy up, and they're so upsetting, I would highly recommend fast-forwarding them as I did. In one scene, Daniel has to cut open his own forehead to rid himself of a parasite; in another, he fights off a vicious snake to prove his manliness. It's heartbreaking to remind yourself that a man actually did live through these things and that you're not just watching a "for your consideration" piece of entertainment.
I was very interested in seeing Daniel Radcliffe's acting chops in what was arguably a one-man show, but as a squeamish viewer, I knew some of it would be too intense. If you're like me, skip ahead for a few minutes when they capture the baboon, when he figures out there's a bug in his head, and when he finds the bird's egg. In my opinion, it was a little unnecessary for the film to be that gross, but it was a small price to pay to see a great acting performance.
Physical acting is often taken for granted, but it really shouldn't be. Swimming around in the rapids, climbing and hiking in difficult terrain, and getting stuck in quicksand - take after take after take - is quite difficult to do. As is maintaining (and increasing throughout the film) a sense of exhaustion, starvation, and hopelessness - take after take after take. In addition to all the physical and emotional acting, Daniel also put on a distinctive Israeli accent.
The scenery in the film, though obviously dangerous, is quite beautiful (the jungle scenes were filmed in Australia). And you'll absolutely take an emotional journey while watching Daniel's on the screen, but just make sure you have the stomach for it. Daniel Radcliffe has certainly proved his point: he's no longer the sweet little Harry Potter kid. Now he can go make some mainstream movies for a nice change.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Daniel Radcliffe takes the hallucinogenic drug, he sees double vision for a couple of minutes, and during the water rapids scene, the camera spins around quite a bit, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to gore and upsetting situations involving animals, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.