The Jungle Book - movie review
The Jungle Book
Plot: After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther, Bagheera, and free spirited bear, Baloo.
Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley
Director: Jon Favreau
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 46 mins
Release Date: Friday 15th April 2016
The original animated Jungle Book by Disney, is a dear favourite of mine. It may be a little thin on plot but it's one of the most fun and joyful Disney films. And so now, almost fifty years after its initial release, Disney have now remade it into a live-action venture, a common and recent trend for Disney. The plot is roughly the same. The characters are just as enjoyable. So why did I find this version of The Jungle Book better than the animated one?
For a film shot entirely on a soundstage with all but one character being technologically created and the same for the landscapes, I am clueless to how Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli, gives such an inspired performance as he basically acts against nothing. It become even more astounding when you realise that this is his feature film debut. He may not give a perfect performance but through Favreau's direction and the kid's immensely powerful screen presence, you are just drawn to following Mowgli on his adventure. That does it for actual physical performances as the rest of the cast are voices. As Baloo the bear, we have Bill Murray. Bill Freaking Murray as Baloo. That thought had never crossed my mind when thinking of a live action Jungle Book, but now it makes so much sense. This is the first time in a while, where it seems like Murray is giving a damn and makes Baloo leap from the animation through undeniable charisma and warmth. Murray's depiction of Baloo was everything I thought a real version of the bear would be like. However, the perfect casting doesn't end there. The black Panther of Bagheera needed a voice that is commanding yet kind, and no one is more suited towards that than Sir Ben Kingsley. Bagheera was always the character in the animated film that I wasn't too sure about. He obviously wanted to protect Mowgli but he did seem like too much of a goody goody. In this adaptation, I understand the motives of Bagheera and Kingsley does an incredible job as acting as the voice of reason.
No Disney film is complete without a menacing villain and Shere Khan is one of the best. Voicing him here is Idris Elba and surprisingly, I was a little worried about how he would turn out. I wasn't a big fan of him in Zootopia and the trailers didn't sell me on his voice performance. Looks like it's time to eat humble pie as Elba is terrifying as the fearsome tiger. I really do mean that. Shere Khan is very intense in this film and I wouldn't be surprised if that puts off some of the younger viewers. All of his scenes were incredible and Shere Khan had such an tremendous manner about him, that I forgot that he was a CGI created character completely. Lupita Nyong'o also voices the role of Raksha, Mowgli's adoptive mother. She isn't featured heavily but every scene she is in is so emotionally compelling. Her interaction between Mowgli and her other cubs can either tug at your heartstrings or make you giggle and laugh. The bond felt real which is a ridiculous thing to say about a young boy and a computer generated wolf. As the deadly snake Kaa, is the voice of Scarlett Johansson. She may be in only one scene, and the original character may have been male, but her voice works. Not only is Johansson herself hypnotic, but her voice as Kaa is a mixture of alluring and sinister. And finally, perhaps the most impressive casting decision, is Christopher Walken as King Louie. Impressions of him are performed constantly, but sometimes, I forget how well he can act rather than thinking of a generic impression. He suits King Louie down to a tea and, whilst his singing voice has much left to be desired, every moment he is on screen is just such fun. And that is the best way to describe this film. It is so much fun.
A main concern I had before watching this, was how it would address and possibly correct the flaws in the storytelling of the animated original. Thankfully, it wasn't a problem at all. My main issue with the 1967 interpretation was that its plot was basically to get Mowgli to the man village but they ran into all the conveniences that helped stretch the film to a suitable run time. In the updated version today, Favreau fixes this issue by presenting the conveniences in a natural and effective way. Instead of running into the elephants and becoming part of their herd, Mowgli treats them with respect and helps rescue one of their own. The relationship between Mowgli and Baloo is also addressed. Instead of just meeting each other and becoming best pals, Baloo gets Mowgli to work for him allowing their relationship and friendship to blossom. Apart from one sequence (a sequence that I felt the same about in the animated version) everything felt necessary to the plot and moved in a fast paced motion to keep your interest at a peak high. Even the Kaa scene was important even if it was only included to provide some exposition. The writing for all characters felt true to their past incarnations with not a single animal feeling incorrect or inaccurate. Sadly, the one thing that stops The Jungle Book from being a perfect film was the King Louie sequence. Now, I love this scene and think that it's fantastic which seems odd to say after I said it was hindering the film from being perfect, however, much like the earlier film, it didn't serve a purpose other than to entertain and stick to the original. It doesn't progress the film any further nor provide any character development apart from the introduction of King Louie. That whole sequence is executed fantastically but it was very jarring and detracted from Mowgli and his adventure trying to avoid Shere Khan.
During a press conference for this film last year, director Jon Favreau, described this film as 'the most technologically advanced movie ever made'. And he was absolutely right. One could go into this film knowing nothing about how it was made and they would have believed that everything was real apart from the animals. The actual truth is that Mowgli and maybe a couple of props are real. Everything else that you see in this film has been created on a computer. I love practical sets and prefer them when given the option but I can categorically say that I have never seen a film that is as visually stunning as this. Every blade of grass, every leaf, every tuft of fur on an animal is so intricately designed and created that you could easily be mistaken in thinking that it looks real. I was blown away with how beautiful this film looks and never found a fault in the visual effects. It may be early to tell, but I can guarantee that this will be nominated for the Oscar for visual effects and have a good chance of winning. For those of you who were wondering about the inclusion of songs in the film, there is only two, three if you count one in the credits. Bill Murray treats us to a rendition of the Bare Necessities which is bound to get you humming or tapping along. As for Christopher Walken's version of I Wanna Be Like You, it's certainly unique but fun nonetheless.
A near perfect adaptation of an already brilliant animated movie, 2016's The Jungle Book is an amazing family film that will entertain most ages. The cast are all perfect in their roles with Bill Murray becoming how I now imagine Baloo. But the greatest aspect of this film are it's visual effects. Never have I seen a film look as impressive as this visually. By taking everything into account, that is why I prefer it to the 1967 original.
My Verdict: 9.5/10
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