The Jungle Book takes people right into the heart of this dangerous, massive jungle
I was intrigued when I first heard of a live action remake of The Jungle Book. I liked that Jon Favreau was directing it, but was apprehensive when the trailers for a long time showed the jungle in all of its wonders but we were never allowed to hear the animals speak, besides Kaa the snake anyway. Once the Super Bowl aired fans finally got a trailer that had all of the animals talking, my review of it can be found here. The Jungle Book has been retold many times, and has had some good versions and a few terrible ones. I was able to see this newest interpretation this week and here is what I thought of it.
Here is the basic plot for The Jungle Book:
“Raised by a family of wolves since birth, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) must leave the only home he’s ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar. Guided by a no-nonsense panther (Ben Kingsley) and a free-spirited bear (Bill Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals, including a slithery python and a smooth-talking ape. Along the way, Mowgli learns valuable life lessons as his epic journey of self-discovery leads to fun and adventure.”
The Jungle Book was rather good. I really liked the cast choices, they all were the perfect fit for every role animal and human. Neel Sethi is the break out star who as a newcomer plays Mowgli wonderfully. I was hesitant when I heard Chrisopher Walken as King Louie but he was a good choice for this giant ape especially with the direction they decided to take in this version. There are some new sides told of this tale that have not been heard before that add new depth and direction to some characters and also adds new elements to this wonderful story.
The Jungle Book gets 8.5/10. I still like the animated version more and yet this film does a good job of breathing new life into this tale. From the music to the characters down to the unforeseen surprises there is little wrong with this movie. It does have a few dark and scary moments that little kids may find too intense but other than that most of the family will love it.
Anybody who has read the book will definitely want to see this film. Fans of the past versions shouldn’t miss out on seeing this newest interpretation. The Jungle Book comes out this Friday.
Watch the adventure unfold below: