Where to watch Jungle 2 Jungle
2 Stars
Michael Cromwell is a successful albeit self-absorbed commodities broker who wants to marry his new girlfriend, but to do that he has to divorce his ex-wife who has spent several years living among South American Indians. When he travels there to obtain the divorce papers, he discovers he has a teenage son, who accompanies him back to America to learn the ways of the urban jungle.
The film career of stand-up comedian turned television star Tim Allen is a varied one. He appeared in two comedy classics, The Santa Clause and Galaxy Quest, but his other movies are mostly duds. Unfortunately, Jungle 2 Jungle falls into the dud category despite Allen’s funny line readings of a few amusing bits of dialogue and Martin Short’s manic physical comedy. This is an otherwise routine effort from Disney Pictures.
Jungle 2 Jungle is Tim Allen’s follow-up assignment after the surprise success of The Santa Clause, and I believe this is the reason Jungle grossed a respectable amount at the box office, but I have never met anybody who liked the movie. The film’s script includes an out-of-place subplot that mixes Tim Allen and Martin Short with Russian mob figures over coffee futures. This odd and unnecessary story element turns an already awkward film into a compelling failure. Jungle 2 Jungle isn’t close to the worst of the year’s releases, but it is a low point in the cinematic career of funnyman Allen.
Directed by: John Pasquin
Written by: Hervé Palud, Thierry Lhermitte, Igor Aptekman
Starring: Tim Allen, Martin Short, JoBeth Williams