The Jungle Book

SPOILER-FREE MOVIE REVIEW

Disney just can't do no wrong at the moment, can they?

Coming off the back of the brilliant Zootopia as well as other related releases (i.e. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, etc), this movie couldn't have come at a better time.

The Jungle Book is a new live-action remake of the classic Disney tale, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef) and features the vocal talents of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba and Scarlett Johansson, just to name a few.

The film also introduces young actor Neel Sethi, who plays the main protagonist in the form of "man-cub" Mowgli - an orphaned human boy who was left in the jungle on his own after his father was killed.

Now, if you've seen the original classic Disney animated musical movie before, you'll find that a lot is very similar.

I think the familiarity of the story aids the movie's cause as it brings a huge sense of nostalgia to those who consumed Disney animated movies as children growing up.

What brings about all this nostalgia? Nothing but a series of welcome tributes and homages to the classic.

This is how every filmmaker should make a remake - a fresh new direction while at the same time respecting the source material/original.

This is the main reason why I have such an issue with the upcoming remake of the 80's classic Ghostbusters.

A story for another day.

Now let's talk about what I really liked about The Jungle Book.

I thought the entire cast was very impressive, with biggest praise going to youngster Neel Sethi who plays Mowgli.

I know for a fact that acting to nothing but your imagination while being surrounded by green screen is one of the most difficult jobs in the acting business.

Some adult actors can't even pull it off, but this kid did.

Not only was he convincing, he also felt so natural in doing everything. Not once did I feel as though he was for example struggling with imagining a vicious CGI animal charging towards him.

A very impressive performance from the boy.

I also loved the voice acting, with the likes of Bill Murray, Idris Elba and Ben Kingsley being the standout vocal performances.

Bill Murray plays the character of the bear Baloo, who befriends Mowgli and becomes a kind-of father figure to him.

He gives plenty of warmth and heart to the character, and he even has time to make us burst out in laughter with his classic Bill Murray-style of deadpan humour.

As the character of Bagheera (an older black panther), Ben Kingsley is appropriately wise and knowledgeable, adding a sort of "Patrick Stewart-Professor Xavier to the original X-Men" kind of vibe which can somehow only be portrayed by an older Englishman.

Idris Elba is also fantastic as Shere Khan, whose bellowing and deep voice alone is enough to make one wet themselves.

The movie is also visually stunning - so stunning that I couldn't even believe that some shots were actually just pure CGI.

Now, I'm no mega fan of CGI, because I believe that CGI should be used only where necessary in order to enhance the quality of the film, and not make one entirely out of it.

In this case though, with CGI this realistic... It may just be the dawn of a new era for movie making.

For one, I have never seen a CGI tiger look so insanely good and detailed and scary since Ang Lee's Life of Pi back in 2012.

Now if you know me personally, I don't like that film very much because it stole the Oscar for Best Cinematography which Skyfall should have rightfully won - and that is because Life of Pi's camera work shouldn't even be considered as cinematography, cos everything's all fake.

Okay I'm sidetracking, sorry. Back to The Jungle Book.

I also loved the music by John Debney.

Not only did he create some terrific new themes for the action/chase sequences, but he also adds lovely subtle little cues of the classic themes from the original soundtrack into his score.

Last but not least, Jon Favreau's direction for this remake was terrific.

He didn't attempt to make a total and frame-by-frame remake of the classic, and instead toyed with the story and characters a bit to make for a very interesting and entertaining new take on the tale.

As for the bits I didn't quite like, well, there were a few.

For starters, I didn't like how abrupt it was when the characters broke into song.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love it when characters break into song/dance in movies, but only when there is a seamless transition into it and not just *SNAP* <Cue the music>.

There were also one or two plot devices in around the middle of the second act of the movie which just felt a bit forced and unnecessary to add more drama and complication to the story. 

Perhaps if they had opted for a more complex or compelling twist, it would have had a far better outcome.

Nevertheless, these aren't major issues. Just little bits here and there that I didn't particularly agree with.

All in all, The Jungle Book is a very fun adventure that both children and adults will love.

As a live-action remake of an animated film, The Jungle Book does a solid job in bringing us a more fun-filled, beautiful-looking and entertaining version of the tale, and the freedom to use more action only serves to further improve the overall narrative.

The warmth and wisdom the A-list supporting cast offers is partnered beautifully with the eagerness and energetic enthusiasm of newcomer Neel Sethi's Mowgli to make for a very interesting and compelling set of characters.

Go catch it in theatres, guys. It's good.

And Christopher Walken as the giant ape hahaha. Gotta love that man and his super unique voice/accent.

8/10.