Plot: The orphaned man-cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi) has lived all his life in the jungle with his wolf family and panther protector Bagheera (Ben Kingsley). When Shere Khan (Idris Elba) – a bloodthirsty tiger – learns of Mowgli’s existence, he makes it his singular goal to hunt and kill the boy. Concerned for the Mowgli’s safety, Bagheera sets out to return him to his own kind.
Disney’s original animated adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s novel is a classic; full of charm, humour and iconic moments, so I was initially very skeptical of the idea of a live action/CGI version. Any worries I had were quickly forgotten after the first few minutes of this film, which as it turns out, is easily on par with the 1967 animation.
Director Jon Favreau’s take on the tale doesn’t just bring fresh visuals to the table; there are a lot of surprises here even for people familiar with the story and the new material never strays too far from the path of its animated predecessor. This is after all a remake of the original Disney adaptation, and there are constant reminders of this found in its cinematography, dialogue and most noticeably soundtrack. Only two songs from the animation have made it into this film, but both of them are done well and – despite going ‘full musical’ – never took me out of the film.
Neel Sethi is the only actor to give a live action performance in the film and is instantly likeable as Mowgli. His interactions with the lifelike, CGI animals are convincing and the actors voicing them bring their own flare to the jungle creatures. Bill Murray’s Baloo and Christopher Walken’s King Louie were my personal favourites and both soaked up the spotlight whenever they were on screen.
Verdict:
The Jungle Book offers plenty to gawp at; from stunning backdrops to exciting action sequences, and thanks to strong performances, solid screenwriting and the quality of a classic tale, it’s a success that will both surprise and delight movie-goers of all ages.
5/5
Screened 