The Jungle Book

Rudyard Kipling's eponymous collective works gathered under the name of The Jungle Book is almost gospel. The stories are fables and use animals in an anthropomorphic manner to give moral lessons. Jon Favreau knows the divine quality of the works and he gives us that and more and more and more.....

I thought Disney's Zootopia has reached an epoch in CGI, but The Jungle Book is definitely the crowned jewel. I was awestruck by the level of visual details of each animal that occupies the screen. The facial expressions mirroring its running gamut of emotions, the physical movements of each animal, the pitch-perfect voicing - who wouldn't believe they possess a human soul?

Films using a predominance of CGI go stale very fast if the story cannot keep up. The seams will start to show and the minutes will turn to hours. Looking at all the frames of The Jungle Book, other than Neel Sethi as Mowgli, everything is CGI-ed to the Ying Yang. But the sense of story is so compelling, I was totally immersed in the world. Yes, animals can talk! I am a believer! Favreau marries the narrative and the visuals so well, I couldn't see one without the other. It is the perfect marriage - each element serving the other in a symbiotic relationship. The sound design is also an aural extravaganza - just listen to the scene where the anaconda, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, engages and hypnotises Mowgli. The surround sound design is jaw-dropping oh la la. In fact, I think the entire movie is a demo disc for home theatres!

This is one of the most satisfying movies I have seen this year. There is something here for everyone, from the kids to the adults. As much as I was totally captivated by the movie, I did make one snide remark (actually two, but I will keep the second one to myself). At a languid scene of Mowgli floating down the river with Baloo the bear, voiced by the incomparable Bill Murray, thick undergrowth starts to rustle and ominous music starts to reverberate. Mowgli and Baloo stare fearfully at the moving bushes, getting ready for impending danger as best as they can. I turned to the missus and whispered, "I think Leonardo DiCaprio is going to pop out." She laughed.

The 1967 animated film to me is still one of Disney's best of the "classic era". This is not just nostalgia talking, quite a few childhood favourites have not held up, but 'The Jungle Book' is an example of one that has.

Expectations were mixed for seeing this film. The trailer looked great, the voice cast is filled with enormous talent and the featurette was fascinating. It was just that, relating it to the other Disney live action adaptations, whether it was going to be one example of a re-boot that looked stunning, was well-written and performed, respected its original source material(s) and added its fresh spin, like 'Cinderella, or a well-made film with enough other decent elements to make it watchable but also one lacking in soul and charm, like 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Fortunately, 'The Jungle Book' is an even stronger example of the former, and is one of Jon Favreau's best films along with 'Iron Man'. Fans of the animation will love recognising the familiar characters and scenes and it was also really nice to see more of Rudyard Kipling's writing and story telling here, the ending being closer to that of the animated film. 'The Jungle Book' is wonderful on its own merits too, just like the Disney animated film was, which was a poor adaptation of the book but worked so well as a film on its own that it didn't matter.

Criticisms for the film are very few. The first criticism is that Kaa's scene and screen-time is far too short, a great character like Kaa deserves far more than a mere five minutes or so. And it is a shame because it is a very suspenseful and hypnotic scene with some of the film's most striking visuals, and the deceptively maternal story teller approach was beautifully written and delivered. Regrettably, the other criticism was "I Wanna Be Like You". While one of the highlights of the animated film, and one of Disney's most iconic moments, because the scene is darker and King Louie more intimidating (in size and manner), also because it comes out of nowhere, the light-hearted fun of the song that worked so brilliantly before just doesn't fit here (if Christopher Walken really did desperately want to sing the song, it didn't show in his singing because he sounded uninterested and hesitant).

On the other hand, the film looks amazing. The rich, expansive cinematography is some of the best of the year so far and the scenery and settings are so vividly detailed and colourful, that reading that it was shot entirely in a warehouse was a shock. The rendering of the animals are staggeringly realistic, especially Shere Khan, Bagheera and the monkeys. Favreau directs with a keen eye for detail and spectacle, yet doesn't forget the drama, cast or the storytelling once. John Debney's music score is full of energy, atmosphere, warm orchestration and vibrant emotion, its referencing of familiar themes feeling nostalgic and affectionate rather than cheap. As for the songs in the film, although "I Wanna Be Like You" was a disappointment "Bear Necessities" fitted right in and was as good-natured and easy-going as one can hope and "Trust in Me" is worth listening to if you stay for the closing credits, Scarlett Johansson with her low-register, smoky yet sensual tone does a surprisingly good job with the song.

'The Jungle Book's' script is very funny (Baloo getting the funniest lines, and some of them were hilarious) without being childish or simplistic while also easy to understand and thought-provoking, there is a good amount of depth too without being too dark or sugary sweet. The story moves quickly and is constantly enthralling, one thing it does better than the animated version is expanding on motivations and making characters more interesting (as great a villain as Shere Khan is in the animated film, his motivation to me seemed clearer here). The climax is dramatically satisfying and darkly tense.

A great job is done with the characters also. They're not complex, but they are likable and interesting, are very true in personality to their animated counterparts and all serve a point in the storytelling, some like Shere Khan and the wolves expanded upon. It was easy to identify with Mowgli, Baloo is a breath of fresh air and to me a great villain is one that one can totally see why the villain is hated or feared but one can also understand their point of view, which is the case with Shere Khan (this is true of the animated film too, but as Shere Khan has more of a back story here it came through stronger to me). The cast were a talented one to begin with and their talents absolutely shine through. Newcomer Neel Sethi does very credibly as Mowgli, it is incredibly hard to react against nothing and apart from a few naturally stiff moments to begin with he handles all the different emotional elements very well. The superbly chosen vocal cast are even better.

Bill Murray was born for Baloo (sounding far more engaged than as Garfield), his relaxed but witty voice-work matching the character's easy-going, good-natured personality. Idris Elba effectively puts dread into one's heart as Shere Khan, he's silky, regal, charismatic and genuinely menacing, though George Sanders brought over the suavity and oiliness more. Ben Kingsley is a stern yet sympathetic Bagheera, and Christopher Walken, in a characterisation that is like a mix of mobster boss, Colonel Kurtz and Walken's own mannerisms, makes King Louie intimidating but also entertaining. Scarlett Johansson's voice work for Kaa is eerily sensual, Giancarlo Esposito is a dignified Akeela and Lupita Nyong'o's Raksha is movingly compassionate.

In conclusion, a truly great film. Works very well as a live-action re-boot and works even more as a film in general. An epic visually stunning adventure, told with fun, heart and depth. 9/10 Bethany Cox

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.

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.

The Jungle Book, a live-action adaptation of the classic tale, presents a mixed cinematic experience. While the film's CGI-enhanced visuals and cinematography beautifully immerse the audience in the lush jungle setting, and young Neel Sethi's performance as Mowgli is commendable, the movie falters in delivering a truly captivating narrative. The attempt to bring the animals to life with realistic visuals, while technically impressive, leaves some emotional depth lacking, and the music, despite its memorable tunes from the animated classic, doesn't quite hit the same notes. Consequently, The Jungle Book receives a 6/10 rating from me, as it falls short of recapturing the magic of its source material and struggles to leave a lasting impression.