The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is a live-action/CGI fantasy film that retells the story of Mowgli, an orphaned human boy who, guided by his animal guardians, sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening Shere Khan. Neel Sethi plays the main character, Mowgli in the movie. He is the only human being on screen and as his first ever role, this kid actor is truly magnificent. He is as good as any kid actor has ever been, even favorably compared to Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense. The computer generated imagery is brilliant all throughout, definitely some of the best ever and the 3D is just mind blowing. In every single scene I kept getting surprised and thrilled at just how amazing the CGI and 3D were. I think the main reason as to why this movie worked it's because it also has a very good story line that's mixed in with the amazing visuals. Also, the voice actors are all perfectly cast. Especially Idris Elba as Shere Khan, who is truly haunting in every scene he's in. That was one well made and scary villain that Mowgli had to face. Jon Favreau did a fantastic work with this movie, cause really this story has been told many times before, and yet this movie feels fresh and interesting nonetheless. I'm glad that it's doing so well in Box Office because it completely deserves it. Movies like this must be appreciated so that they can inspire more great work, and maybe one day, even erase movies like Transformers.

Favreau's Jungle Book is a marvel. With a Spielbergian sense of magical awe and reverent fear, it's a children's epic that not only stands-up to its legacy, but surpasses it. Giant snakeskins, intense animal battles, and daring escapes from ape kingdoms give the film a scope beyond the animated musical, all while keeping intact its persistent joy. Funny, jaw-dropping, thrilling, grand, and fun, it's an all-cylinders-go cinematic experience on every level. The story of a young man-cub raised by wolves and living amongst the animals of the jungle hasn't changed much, down to the talking beasts. Much like last year's Cinderella, they utilize nostalgia of the beloved product to dive deeper into the story without cynically dismissing it. On top of immersing us into the wilderness through meticulous attention to the smallest of details, the characters are drawn with much more depth. The bratty and paper-thin Mowgli of yesteryear is replaced by a boy with brains and motivation. Played with wide-eyed confidence by newcomer Sethi, we emotionally engage with his adventure. And he's not alone; all characters are given loving attention, specifically the foreboding presence of scary-cool bruiser Sheer Khan. The technical feat of creating photo-realistic animals that convincingly speak and emote is so impressive it feels like a benchmark in CGI. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say this is as groundbreaking and beautiful as any visual effects in years. Favreau and co. manage intense attention to accuracy without shoving it down our throats or overshadowing the story. At the end of the day, under all the computer data, there is a soulful and entertaining tale about life's bare necessity: individuality within community.

I knew the story and the characters, and was not disappointed with this current rendition of this classic Disney/Kipling.

It was always beautiful to watch the almost perfectly realistic models of the animals.

Mowgli looked the part and seemed to handle the physical side of his performance as the only live performer, but his acting at times made me think of 'Anakin from the Phantom Menace' which is not good for a comparison. It was also not a good feeling to see cuts, scrapes and scars on Mowgli as the movie progressed. This is realistic for the amount of action, but it made me uncomfortable seeing this in an almost naked kid getting abused and almost killed by half the jungle.

The two times the movie broke out into song, also didn't really fit with this version either. If it had 5 or ten songs, you wouldn't notice, but those two moments really stood out and dumbed the movie down to me.

All the voices were pretty good, except Christopher Walken who seem woefully miscast and as King Louie and Bill Murray as/and the too cartoony Baloo character I also didn't really care for either.

It was also odd/unsettling that all the main characters were intelligent, but other animals seemed retarded (hedgehog?) or just normal animals? The monkeys and elephants in particular didn't talk, and these are two of the smartest most human-like in real life so this was really weird.

On the other hand, Idris Elba was gold as Sheer Khan and Scarlett Johansson's Kaa is perfect, like her voice performance in 'Her' she was wonderful as the hypnotic snake villain.

Had me in tears at times, all in all good, honest Disney fun in the spirit of the best of them like 'Lion King', Aladdin or Toy Story.

"The Jungle Book" is a live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale, in which we follow Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves in the jungle, as he navigates the challenges of life among animals and faces the threat of the dangerous tiger, Shere Khan.

I have to admit that I didn't have high expectations from this movie and I was pessimistic about it. Fortunately, I was happily surprised by it, it was interesting and the stunning visuals were simply impressive. The CGI work was absolutely incredible, bringing the jungle and its animal inhabitants to life in a way that felt real. The animals were well-designed and, despite being animated, had a surprising amount of personality, making them feel lifelike. In addition to this, the combination of adventure, emotional moments, and the strong interpretations of the voice cast, worked perfectly. Lastly, I have to say that "The Jungle Book" is a visually mesmerizing movie and I recommend you to watch it even if you have doubts because I am sure that you will enjoy it.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing, the original Jungle Books has been adored by many, be it the animation or movie interpretations. The new rendition takes the expectation and rises beyond with emotionally engaging and larger-than-life characters, which is no small feat considering it relies on sole child actor Neel Sethi while the rest of the veteran cast lend their voices for the animal kingdom.

Story follows Mowgli (Neel Sethi) on his two feet as he ventures around the thick jungle. He meets with near mythical allies and foes alike, while learning and accepting his unique nature. A lot rest on his small shoulders, and as Mowgli he performs remarkably well. He presents an innocent vibe even though the harsh jungle is demanding and sometimes merciless.

Visual is utterly impressive, these beasts look and move very naturally. There has been talking animals before, but the sway of their furs, the slight gestures different to each species and how the environment reacts to their motions are nothing less than exceptional. These subtle details give lives to characters from two dimensional then make them dreamlike lively.

The famous voices another layer of their personalities, from the protective Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, merry Bill Murray as Baloo to Idris Elba as fierce Shere Khan. Its sound effects and songs are symphony of the wild, it hits just the right tune with nostalgic effect and engaging soundtracks.

The new tale of one child and his fauna companions is brilliantly told by exhilarating graphic and harmonic concerto.