Bienvenido a la jungla

Alright first of all, this movie is dumb. Let's just get that out of the way first. You're looking for an intelligent, movie? Look somewhere else.

OK now that that's covered, this movie is hilarious. It's not a serious, realistic, or high-budget movie, and it knows that. Definitely doesn't take itself seriously at all, which just compounds the humor exponentially. This movie is very self-aware that it's an exaggerated caricature of the trope it's based on.

If you don't like swearing, poop jokes, or you're looking for a cerebral, deep story line, don't watch it. If you're planning on doing some lighthearted laughing for an hour and a half, put it on.

This movie is strictly for people who enjoyed Office Space, Dumb & Dumber, Dodgeball, Ace Ventura, etc. and have the capacity to get over themselves. It's absolutely ridiculous, immature, and goofy like all of those other low brow comedies but with a way smaller budget and considerably less starpower. It's not a thinking mans movie and will never considered for an Oscar but I think anybody with common sense realizes that 5 minutes in. It's definitely not an instant classic either but people on this site are being way to hard considering what this is. All the acting is more than adequate for a screwball comedy and it has it's share of laughs and silliness. I'd recommend it for the people who just want be amused and entertained for a few hours by a little of absurdity.

I'm not going to get into any plot or detailed film descriptions in this review (if you can call it that). All I'm am going to write is what I did and did not enjoy about this film.

Firstly, the bad parts - the thing that really let's the film down is the writing - basically the majority of the actors just aren't given enough to play with. They all try really hard to get laughs, whether it be by forcing out swear words or resorting to penis and boob jokes that come across more than a little forced. The characters for the most part are likable enough but the comedic actors/actresses like Kristen Schaal are not used to their full comedic potential and it is disappointing to say the least.

TV actors Adam Brody and Megan boon are good on their roles and do their best at trying to keep the viewer from nodding off into a dull boredom coma.

So why give what really is just another average comedy film that would otherwise deserve only a 5 out of ten, a 7?

Well, the answer is obvious - Jean-Claude Van Damme! Not only does he save this film from being shelved completely - he manages to make it really enjoyable and worth watching and he really is hilarious!

I have always been a massive Van Damme fan ( or "Fan a Damme" as I like to put it) but that being said, I think comedy is really a route he should explore on a more regular basis. Every scene Van Damme appears in - he steals completely and the only laugh-out-loud scenes in the film are they ones with him in them! Clearly he is enjoying himself and it really shows on screen. Whether he is stealing the other actors lines or just making fun of himself - JCVD is the one and only reason you should watch this film and I give the extra 2 stars to this films rating due to his brilliant, comedic performance.

Hopefully this film is the comedic stepping-stone Van Damme uses to land a comedy role in a big-budget comedy film and to give him the big mainstream hit he really deserves :)

You are and always will be the man, Van Damme!!!

Moral of the story: don't go on team building exercises with crazy people from work on a deserted island.

Let's put van Damme in the Jungle, pair him with Adam Brody and some other comedians and see what happens. That seems to be the motto of the movie. But while that might not sound that appealing, I thought it worked. Not always, see also some of the awkward lines van Damme has to deliver, but often enough.

The movie is more than predictable, you can outright guess when what is coming and who will be getting what (or whom). But that is not the point. And while there is a journey, it's the isolation of the Jungle and the characters (used to work in offices), that make this movie funny. Is there potential for more? Sure! But that doesn't mean this is a bad movie. It's just a inferior one to what some might have expected ... still funny though