Jungle 2 Jungle

In Disney’s favoured style of seeing western cash potential in a foreign film, they’ve brought to the screen (again) this remake of the 1994 French film Un Indien Dans La Ville (An Indian in the City). I remember seeing a part of this original on SBS one late night and through only seeing trailers of Jungle 2 Jungle recognised both it and the Disney habit. It’s certainly curious, this predilection for another’s films, but in this glorious age of the remake, there isn’t even any need to wait 15 or 20 years anymore, you just go with something the punters are most likely not to have seen and so, foreign film it is.

Disney stalwart Tim Allen stars as uptight stock broker Michael Cromwell, who wants to marry his pretentious girlfriend. Unfortunately, to do this he needs signatures on divorce papers and must go to the Amazon to get them. There his estranged wife (of 13 years no less) drops the news that he has a son and after some mixed emotions, Michael agrees to take him back to New York (originally gay Paree), or from jungle to jungle, as it were.

Naturally, hilarity ensues.

The other hilarity that ensues is the tired old plot of high-strung-learns-true-meaning-of-life-and-throws-it-all-away-to-live-like-an-ape-man (but that’s in the end, after much hilarity ensuing.) There’s also a cheap sub-plot including the Russian Mafia thrown in for extra hilarity ensuing. All up, there’s hilarity ensuing everywhere.(And that’s the last time I use that expression, I swear.)

"When you pee, you lift the seat; after you pee, you put the seat back down. Females in tribe start war over this. Many deaths."

Watching this film I got a couple of genuine laughs, but it wasn’t really a major laugh piece. There seems to be a kind of tiredness in the acting in which everyone is permanently looking forward to the end of the day. There’s a kind of uneasiness too in that a lot of the New York stuff is set in the World Trade Center, though that’s hardly the film’s fault being shot in 1997. I did happen to recognise a street set from another Tim Allen/Disney vehicle, For Richer or Poorer, which made me wonder if it’s real, or they just really, really like that stretch of street.

Anyway, the film is watchable, but as mentioned the jokes aren’t thick and fast, Martin Short is annoying rather than funny (I know I didn’t mention that yet) and some of the diabetic world music scenes will define ‘patronise’ quite clearly for you.

For the most part the video treatment is rather nice. The opening and closing sequences set in the Amazon are truly spectacular, if not utilised enough, and they come across very well in the 1.85:1/16:9 transfer. There are some small failings with aliasing, though admittedly this is minor and usually on the WTC. Skin tones get a little gooey in the jungle, with white folks going a little orange at times, but all darker skinned folks come across looking just fine.

As to shadows, they receive excellent treatment with detail evident within and all blacks being true black. The jungle interiors are cleverly lit and well executed, although these aren’t frequent and in fact aren’t used enough. Otherwise another fantastic Buena Vista transfer.

Again, Buena Vista has delivered in the audio department. The sound is distinct with no noise and the dialogue is very clear and audible. There are cases of foreign languages that are also very clearly defined, even if we don’t know what they are saying. Musically this film shines, with some excellent world music used to bring home both the differences and similarities between cultures. All music has been well treated and well recorded with the Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 as clear as a bell.

My only fault, if I must find one, is in my old nemesis the stock sound effect. This has been used only in one instance, but plenty of times within that one instance. I’m talking about farting. Sure it’s fun and everyone does it, but everyone doesn’t do it with exactly the same sound do they? I recognised several classic renditions here, but as I mentioned, it’s still funny so I’m gonna let it slide. This time.

Not a sausage. With awesome locations like those seen in this film something involving the shoot or specialty cameras might have been a nice addition. This is very disappointing and will make this product harder to sell. There isn't even a trailer!

If you’re going to make a film that incorporates two vastly different cultures we should get more than the petty exploration of difference that this film offers. However, with the rainforests all chic and such, many people will find themselves enjoying this film at face value without finding anything underneath. That’s okay, because it doesn’t propose to be a sell job on saving the forest or anything (in fact that theme never even enters within). It’s sure to be funny for the kids and there’s even a little romance in there for the girls, but at most it’s just phuff. Limiting the extras to zero doesn’t help this DVD's cause, for without the support of extras there isn’t a lot holding this release together and that doesn’t make for a wise investment. If you want it for the sweeping rainforest vistas, go find Baraka instead. It’s the same length and will leave you a whole lot more satisfied. Or, find the original film Un Indien Dans La Ville which, whilst subtitled, will probably have less sugar and taste sweeter.