In 1967, a film premiered that not only added to the Disney animated movie collection, but was a complete departure from the previous tales of princesses and fairytales. This movie, “The Jungle Book,” premiered to huge audience and critical aclaim, and ended up being one of the top 30 highest grossing films in history. Now, Disney is releasing a new, live-action adaptation of the beloved classic, following Mogli “the man cub” and his animals friends through the jungles of India, all in spectacular special effects. While there’s a lot to look forward to about this movie, here are four reasons to get up out of your seat and make a trip down to the local movie theater this weekend.
1. The Special Effects
When it was first announced that Disney was adapting “The Jungle Book” into live action, there was a lot of confusion and scratching of heads by the public over whether that was possible, considering only one character in the story is a human. However, it’s obvious that Disney solved this problem, and in spectacular fashion, with fully fleshed-out animals that, according to many reviews, are some of the best aspects of the story. Just seeing the jungle and the animals that populate it brought to life is enough of a reason to go see the new film.
2. The Cast
While only adorable newcomer Neel Sethi as Mogli is seen on screen, the supporting voice cast has someone for everyone, including Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, a hypnotic snake, and Idris Elba as Shere Khan, a tiger bent on eliminating Mogli. Other cast members include Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong’o, and Christopher Walken, to name a few.
3. The Movie Works for Everybody
When picking a movie to go see, sometimes it’s tough to find one that everyone likes. However, with a movie like “The Jungle Book,” there is action, adventure, friendship, and a fun story that all ages will like, and more importantly that any group of friend could find works for each member. Just the fact that it’s not a rom-com or a superhero movie alone makes it stand out from the box office, and offer something new.
4. Getting to See “The Jungle Book” Reimagined
The 1967 version of “The Jungle Book” is a classic childhood movie, one that inspires judgemental looks if you say you’ve never seen it in public. While we’ve all seen the original about a million times now, this new film is a new reimagining of the old, an update of a great story. If that’s not reason enough to see the film, I don’t know what is.
“The Jungle Book” opens in theaters nationwide April 15. Don’t miss out!