The Jungle Book (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Jungle Book' (based on Rudyard Kipling's tales, inspired by Disney's 1967 animated classic, & directed by Jon Favreau) is an eye-popping, heartwarming, & sometimes terrifying live-action/CGI epic destined to win-over audiences of all ages. The story follows young 'man-cub' Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), the only human cohabitating with animals. An orphaned toddler, Mowgli was found deep in India's jungle by the black panther Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley) & raised by a family of wolves, led by alpha male Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) & his mate, Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o), who considers him one of her own cubs. Observing a 'truce' during the drought, predators & prey live in harmony, gathering around the water hole, until the vicious, vengeful Bengal tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) comes looking for Mowgli - to kill him; Shere Khan was burned/scarred by the "red flower" (aka fire), wielded in self-defense by Mowgli's late father some yrs. ago.
The pack tries to protect young Mowgli, but he decides to save his wolf family by allowing Bagheera to safely return him to the world of men. Things are okay for a bit, but diversions occur along the way: 1) Mowgli gets caught in the seductive & literal coils of the python, Kaa (expertly hissed by Scarlett Johansson). 2) He is rescued by the large, honey-obsessed bear, Baloo (a great Bill Murray). 3) He encounters some elephants - who are rulers of the realm. 4) And he gets ensnarled in the labrynthing temple underworld of local godfather, King Louie (Christopher Walken), an ancient Giagantopithecus orangutan. All the while, Shere Khan punishes the wolf pack for not turning over Mowgli and lies in wait for the youngen to return to his deadly grasp. Action, adventure, & some good 'ole movie magic ensues.
This version of 'The Jungle Book' is a prime example of how to do a children's movie RIGHT. It has heart, it has thrilling action, it has a great sense of adventure, it contains wonderful voice-acting, it is visually stunning and, perhaps most important, it doesn't shy away from providing a few scares (something SORELY missing in "kids" films of today). Some of those scares may be too much for young kiddies to handle {I jumped 4 times!}, but overall, kudos for this film providing a sometimes uneasy film experience. I mentioned above how eye-popping this film is and, well, that's an understatement. Blending live-action (the boy actor, landscape vistas) with nearly everything else being CGI (photorealistic animals, the exotic jungle) provides the type of amazing, immersive visual experience that Avatar offered 7 yrs. ago.
Young Neel Sethi does a good job making us care about a boy who doesn't completely understand why he's being hunted in the vast unknown world of the jungle. Ben Kingsley brings a level of gravitas to the strait-laced black panther, Bagheera. Bill Murray's well-known voice & vocal personality is lent greatly to the character of Baloo; he's a bear you'd want to have around you, always. Christopher Walken lends a twisted, pseudo-comical/rapidly menacing voice portrayal of orangutan, King Louie. As giant python Kaa, Scarlett Johansson utilizes her husky tones to entrance us & hypnotize Mowgli with the sad tale of his origins. And Idris Elba is perfect as the villainous Shere Khan, a tiger so blinded by vengeance that he can't even see that the human Mowgli truly means no harm to animal kind.
Although this version is not a musical, Justin Marks' script incorporates a couple of familiar songs, including fan favorite, "The Bare Necessities" {Baloo & Mowgli cheerfully sing this while floating down the river}, along with the film's mantra: "The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack". 'The Jungle Book' may not be perfect. i.e., the pacing gets too leisurely in the middle; the child actor is good, not great; and I truly believe that some of the jump-worthy, intense moments will affect young children (one sudden death, several vicious animal chases/fights). But Baloo provides some needed comic relief. The energetic action/adventure set pieces will rivet. The visuals will dazzle. And the strong messages of courage, friendship, teamwork, & family are palpable.
The pack tries to protect young Mowgli, but he decides to save his wolf family by allowing Bagheera to safely return him to the world of men. Things are okay for a bit, but diversions occur along the way: 1) Mowgli gets caught in the seductive & literal coils of the python, Kaa (expertly hissed by Scarlett Johansson). 2) He is rescued by the large, honey-obsessed bear, Baloo (a great Bill Murray). 3) He encounters some elephants - who are rulers of the realm. 4) And he gets ensnarled in the labrynthing temple underworld of local godfather, King Louie (Christopher Walken), an ancient Giagantopithecus orangutan. All the while, Shere Khan punishes the wolf pack for not turning over Mowgli and lies in wait for the youngen to return to his deadly grasp. Action, adventure, & some good 'ole movie magic ensues.
This version of 'The Jungle Book' is a prime example of how to do a children's movie RIGHT. It has heart, it has thrilling action, it has a great sense of adventure, it contains wonderful voice-acting, it is visually stunning and, perhaps most important, it doesn't shy away from providing a few scares (something SORELY missing in "kids" films of today). Some of those scares may be too much for young kiddies to handle {I jumped 4 times!}, but overall, kudos for this film providing a sometimes uneasy film experience. I mentioned above how eye-popping this film is and, well, that's an understatement. Blending live-action (the boy actor, landscape vistas) with nearly everything else being CGI (photorealistic animals, the exotic jungle) provides the type of amazing, immersive visual experience that Avatar offered 7 yrs. ago.
Young Neel Sethi does a good job making us care about a boy who doesn't completely understand why he's being hunted in the vast unknown world of the jungle. Ben Kingsley brings a level of gravitas to the strait-laced black panther, Bagheera. Bill Murray's well-known voice & vocal personality is lent greatly to the character of Baloo; he's a bear you'd want to have around you, always. Christopher Walken lends a twisted, pseudo-comical/rapidly menacing voice portrayal of orangutan, King Louie. As giant python Kaa, Scarlett Johansson utilizes her husky tones to entrance us & hypnotize Mowgli with the sad tale of his origins. And Idris Elba is perfect as the villainous Shere Khan, a tiger so blinded by vengeance that he can't even see that the human Mowgli truly means no harm to animal kind.
Although this version is not a musical, Justin Marks' script incorporates a couple of familiar songs, including fan favorite, "The Bare Necessities" {Baloo & Mowgli cheerfully sing this while floating down the river}, along with the film's mantra: "The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack". 'The Jungle Book' may not be perfect. i.e., the pacing gets too leisurely in the middle; the child actor is good, not great; and I truly believe that some of the jump-worthy, intense moments will affect young children (one sudden death, several vicious animal chases/fights). But Baloo provides some needed comic relief. The energetic action/adventure set pieces will rivet. The visuals will dazzle. And the strong messages of courage, friendship, teamwork, & family are palpable.