Three backpacking buddies are offered by a experienced traveler the opportunity to hike into the Bolivian jungle to search for a missing tribe. Sold on what could only be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as well as earn those National Geographic photography bucks, the four trek out into the dense jungle, but one of the men soon proves to be the weak link of their expedition when he gets a nasty case of trench foot and doesn't appear able to continue on. They make an attempt to raft down the raging river, but debate over navigating the harsh rapids leads to the men splitting up into two groups - one pair of them taking the river route and the other two proceeding on foot. For the rafters, shit doesn't go too well and they are separated - leaving one guy hopelessly lost in the jungle and forced to survive.
Among the things that this movie does well is making the South American jungle seem like a total bitch to be lost in. The poor bastard here is forced to extract parasites from under his skin, wanders upon quicksand, battles psychosis and more; and it happens to be based on a true story of a traveler who suffered this deadly ordeal (including stuff they had to omit from this film for time...) back in the early '80s. There's text at the end provides a few details involving some of the other guys in their party that was pretty interesting and could almost warrant a movie in itself, I thought. Also, Daniel Radcliffe - a former child star who shit bags like other former child star, Shia Lebeouf, should definitely take notes from as how to keep your career going and NOT become a retarded waste of life - pulls off his pretty physically demanding role incredibly well - even going so far as to do some of that 'method acting' shit in dropping a ton of weight to look emaciated. Could have done without some of the unnecessary flashbacks/cut-aways, but in all, "Jungle" is a very solid and enjoyable movie, just don't go into it expecting tons of violence and bloodshed.
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