The Jungle Book
Starring: Neel Sethi, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o
Directed by Jon Favreau
Rated: PG
Tree swinging, mudslides, and monkey battles prove one thing: Mowgli was the original Revenant.
Disney is knocking it out of the park with their live action updates of classic animated films. Last year, we had Kenneth Branaugh's wonderful Cinderella. This year, director Jon Favreau has released The Jungle Book.
As a huge fan of the animated Jungle Book, I wondered how they would adapt it for live action. The cinematography in this film is fantastic. Many shots look like a painting come to life. From the dazzling visual locations to the many animals, the CGI is unbelievable. Each animal actually looks like it's talking. The film has taken full advantage of motion capture technology and the final results are quite impressive.
Unlike the animated film, this adaption has a darker tone. (I would not recommend taking very young children to see this) There's a much more intense feeling of danger present. Much of that danger feels so real due to the sheer size of the animals and realistic effects used to create them.
That leads me to the impressive performances. Every actor in The Jungle Book is perfectly cast.
Neel Sethi is wonderful as the adventurous and inquisitive Mowgli. While this is an adventure film, Mowgli's journey through the jungle is a tale of growing up. The film (and Sethi's performance) illustrate that excellently. Side note- Neel Sethi is the only human who appears in the film. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? "Ok, now pretend you see a panther walking next to you and talk to it. Action!" Props to all actors who act surrounded by green screen technology.
Mowgli encounters several allies on his journey through the jungle. Those allies are voiced by some Hollywood Heavyweights. From Ben Kingsley as Mowgli's strict, but helpful guide, Bagheera to Bill Murray as the iconic carefree bear, Baloo, (Don't worry, the Bare Necessities is in the movie) to Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, a nurturing wolf who brought Mowgli into her pack, Mowgli has some fantastic actors on his side.
However, Mowgli runs into his fair share of trouble. Idris Elba is the menacing tiger Shere Khan who attempts to hunt Mowgli down. Christopher Walken is the over-the-top gigantopithecus, King Louie (introduced perfectly with a cowbell!) Scarlett Johansson is the dangerous snake, Kaa....proving you don't want to mess with Black Widow in any form.
The Jungle Book is an epic, visually stunning thrill ride that will keep you riveted from start to finish. You don't want to miss this one!
My Rating: 9/10