The Call of the Jungle: A Dusty Old Adventure

Is this thing worth your time?

Honestly, probably not. Unless you have a weird obsession with early adventure cinema or old-school, creaky production values, you’re going to be bored. It’s for the folks who like seeing how movies used to be made before anyone cared about pacing. If you prefer your action fast and your dialogue snappy, stay far away.

The whole thing kicks off with Dina Morris and her crew floating around on a yacht. Then, naturally, the engine gives out. You know exactly what happens next. They head for the shore because that’s what happens in these types of flicks. It’s like watching people walk into a trap on purpose.

There is this one moment where the group is just standing around looking at the trees, and the silence lasts so long I thought my internet cut out. It’s painfully slow. You can practically hear the director shouting at the extras to look more worried. They just don't look worried.

Comparing this to something like Trailing the Killer makes you realize how much the 'adventure' genre has shifted over the decades. This one feels stuck in the mud. The jungle isn't even that scary. It looks more like a well-groomed park with a few extra ferns thrown in for flavor.

Harry Piel is in here, obviously, and he’s doing his best to keep things moving. But the script by Georg Mühlen-Schulte is so dry you could use it for kindling. Every time they try to build tension, someone says something wooden like, 'We must find water.' Okay, we get it.

There's a scene near the middle that makes absolutely no sense. I rewatched it twice. Why is the radio equipment just sitting on a rock in the middle of a clearing? Who set that up? Maybe it’s not meant to be analyzed, but it bothered me the whole time.

The performances are... well, they exist. It feels very stage-y, like they’re projecting to the back row of a theater rather than a camera. Elisabeth Eygk looks like she’d rather be anywhere else, and honestly, I relate.

• The yacht looks incredibly fake.
• The 'jungle' sounds are just a guy blowing into a microphone.
• The pacing is basically a crawl.

It’s not the worst thing ever, but it’s certainly not a classic. It’s a relic. If you’re into the history of film, fine, have at it. Otherwise, catch a nap instead. 🌴