(Photo Courtesy of screenrant.com)
The Jungle Book:
Live Action Childhood Brought to Life
The Jungle Book is the story of a young man named Mowgli who was raised by wolves and who explores the depths of the jungle after having his life threatened by a violent Bengal-Tiger named Shere Khan. Director Jon Faverau, most famous for his directiong efforts on the 1996 sleeper hit Swingers, and 2008’s massively successful Iron Man, takes the helm to direct a gorgeous and all-together fun adaptation of this story. Although the 1967 version will always be the definitive version for me, what Faverau and the crew for this film ultimately achieved was a heart felt story of a child embracing both his roots and his purpose through the help of his friends and family through experiences of fear and adventure. This entire film was made on a sound stage in Los Angeles, which is astounding given the amazing environment in this movie as well as all of the animals incorporated in this story. So let’s go over the postives and negatives.
Postives:
The Special Effects – This film is a CGI masterclass. From the realistic set pieces and animals that are all visual effects, to the little details here and there, the special effects department deserve high praise and accolades for their work on this fantastic looking film.
The Voice Acting – Bill Murray and Ben Kingsley are fantastic as Baloo and Bagheera, and Idris Elba steals the show as a menacing, cunning Shere Khan creating the perfect voice for a great villain. Also, kudos to Christopher Walken as King Louie.
The Score – The score fits very well within the scope of the action pieces, creating an epic feel throughout the film.
The Emotional Scale/Message – This movie has an endearing message for kids and adults on the meaning of who we are and what we are bound to do. This is definitley a film for both adults and children.
Negatives:
Some of the Pacing – For the first 20 minutes of the film, the film really feels like an exposition that lasts maybe five to ten minutes too long, it isn’t until we are introduced to Khan and Baloo that things really start to pick up.
Neel Sethi is inconsistent as Mowgli – Given the fact that this kid had to act with nothing, it’s pretty impressive. But there are moments where when he interacts with other characters, I could really spot the “tennis ball acting” where he doesn’t seem to be aware of what or who he’s supposed to be talking to, there his delivery of certain dialogue goes to awkward, to sometimes very wooden and lifeless.
Not Enough Shere Khan – Whenever he was on screen, Elba stole the show as Shere Khan, however, there is a long gap where he isn’t in the film, so the stakes and the terror of his potential as a villain, doesn’t really build up in the way that the final act plays out. It feels smaller and less grand on scale.
Final Grade : B+