But take another look.
Come on, it's got Dwayne Johnson, which is a guarantee of crazy stunts, some silly humor, safe-for-the-family (most of the time), and some giggle or "awe" moments, usually involving a kid or a critter. In this case, it's a jaguar with mostly impeccable timing.
The gang in charge of designing and executing the special effects for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN have got to be involved, because the special effects are just as night-of-the-living-dead grossly great. What is with walking skeletons and bugs and snakes and just general "ick"? Yeah, it works, but ... ewwww!
There are these Conquistadors who hack off the wrong natives in the Amazon jungles. They get cursed. There's a tree with blossoms that are supposed to cure everything that ails you. Including curses, supposedly. The 400-plus-year-old Conquistadors get involved with this jerk German prince who wants the tree to give Germany an advantage in WWI (nope, no Nazis this time -- next war!).
And then there's Frank, the con man riverboat captain with cheesy special effects that don't fool the passengers on his tour route, really lame jokes, and a boat that should have sunk ... maybe decades ago. The guy is a lot older than he looks. Then comes Lily (Emily Blunt) and her dandy, somewhat helpless brother, seeking the tree. She's a liberated woman, daring to be an explorer and and thumbing her nose at stuffy academics who believe she doesn't have a brain just because she's female. She's got enough brains and guts and mad survival skills for both her and her brother. And she gets a little testy when Frank seems to be playing games with them. Until the walking dead catch up with them, after the jerk prince-you-love-to-hate sets them on our heroes' trail. Lots of surprises and revelations and yeah, some awwwwww moments among the ewwwww moments.
Fast-paced slightly icky fun. Highly recommended!
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