I’m tired of
writing reviews for bad found-footage horror movies. How many have actually
been successful? Artistically, it is difficult to think of more than a handful,
but they must all have some kind of financial success in order for the market
to become so flooded. Horror has always been a genre that thrives in low
budget, but all creativity has been lost in this generic formula.
The largest
problem with The Jungle is that it
feels like a film that is about fifteen years past its time. By today’s
standards, the pacing is far too slow and too little happens, but it actually
aligns perfectly with the narrative and style of the original found-footage
hit, The Blair Witch Project. Like
that first creative endeavor and The Last
Broadcast, which followed, much of the film’s suspense is built from what
isn’t seen. Filmmaker and conservationist Larry Black (Rupert Reid) leads a
team into the Indonesian rainforest to attempt to track down the elusive Javan
Leopard, but encounter a different creature instead.
The creature is
not shown in much more than glimpses, which is much better than the attempts to
show more with digital effects. The entire thing is a bit hokey, but can be
commended slightly for the successful moments of restraint. The true enemy here
is the back cover art, which shows a clear picture of a creature which
resembles nothing seen in the film. It offers misleading images for a horror
film that is only rated ‘R’ for language, relying heavily on the sound of
rustling bushes in the dark over a convincing creature.
Entertainment Value:
1/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 2.5/10
Historical
Significance: 0/10
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