Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes, unless you really dislike animals.
Score: 3.75/5
Secret ending? No, but Christopher Walken sings in the credits.
Running time: 106 minutes (~1.75 hours)
“The Jungle Book” is a live action (with CGI animals) fantasy adventure film that’s based on the 1967 Disney animated film, which in turn was based on Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.” It sees human Mowgli struggling to find his place in a forest full of animals, especially after enmity brews between him and the evil tiger Shere Khan. It stars Neel Sethi (Mowgli), and features the voice talents of Bill Murray (Baloo), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Idris Elba (Shere Khan), Lupita Nyong0’o (Raksha), Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), Giancarlo Esposito (Akela), and Christopher Walken (King Louie). It is rated PG.
There’s something about seeing a lone human living in a world of animals that keeps movies like “The Jungle Book” coming out at a steady rate every year. Maybe it’s the seeming straightforwardness of animals, who don’t seem to have the same type of politics that we do. Or perhaps it stems from our primal urge to be back with nature. “The Jungle Book” taps into those instincts, and delivers a movie with a superb animal cast.
Highlights
Lifelike animation
These days, top-notch animation is the default for any Disney film, but it’s still incredible how lifelike the visual effects are in the film. The animals are convincingly real in their movements and appearance, and you might even sometimes suspect if Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is an animated character as well. They truly blur the life between the real and the virtual, and are a huge part of why you can be fully immersed in the world of “The Jungle Book.”
Terrifying antagonists
Every time Shere Khan (Idris Elba) attacks, it’s a tense action sequence to see if his target will be brutally mauled to death. The musical score also aids in granting Shere Khan an aura of fear, and this applies to the other villains too, like the massive King Louie (Christopher Walken). While the forest might be a friendly place, the movie doesn’t shy away from depicting the ferocities of nature.
Baloo and Bagheera are the heart of the film
The film’s not all just about making you believe that these CGI animals are real — there’s a story about balance and coming-of-age too, which are espoused by Baloo (Bill Murray) and Bagheera (Ben Kingsley). Yes, Mowgli might be the central character of the story, but his mentors and companions are the ones who carry the movie’s message.
King Louie is horrifying but hilarious
We’ve grown up with friendly orang-utans like Ah Meng living in our midst, so it’s a shock to see the gigantic King Louie as one of the obstacles in Mowgli’s journey. He appears to be a harmless old mob boss that relies on his minions to do his dirty work, but when he gets angry… woah. As the largest character in the film, he could possibly defeat Shere Khan in a fight (though they two never meet), and an angry King Louie is not an animal you want to face down in any situation.
Letdowns
Mowgli is annoying
Mowgli is a typical Mary Sue, with virtually no shortcomings in his character. He also epitomises the trope of the clever foreigner who teaches the natives a thing or two about their own environment. He’s so high-pitched and perky and energetic that you wonder why haven’t the animals done away with him yet. Oh wait, that’s what Shere Khan wants to do, and I perfectly understand why.
The animals are the stars of the show in “The Jungle Book,” and you’ll never see them the same way again.
“The Jungle Book” opens in cinemas 7 April, 2016 (Wednesday).
Leave a Reply