Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson
Director: Jon Favreau
Genre: Adventure, Action, Family
Duration: 1hr 45 minutes
Showing: Cinema Magic Metroplex Mall Naalya and Century Cinemax Acacia Mall, Kisementi
The live-action remake from the beloved animated classic back in 1967 delivers on a level that could be better than the original. We already know Disney’s lineup is extremely impressive this year, we had The Finest Hours and that was average, we had Zootopia which was clever and brilliant. We now have The Jungle Book.
Firstly, the visuals are profound, it is unbelievable that this entire movie was filmed on a soundstage in downtown Los Angeles. The environment looks real, the animals look so realistic.Very rarely will I say that a movie needs to be watched in 3D, and The Jungle Book needs to be experienced in 3D. It’s captivating, it’s immersive, it’s enthralling. Luckily, the movie has substance to it. I was amazed at how they turned this into a darker, realistic adventure. It borrows story elements from the original while implementing new elements that give a more grounded and coherent story. The film editing is astounding, the pacing is great. There is not one boring scene in this movie. The voice cast were solid, Idris Elba as Shere Khan was the standout. Such a good villain, extremely intimidating and Elba’s voice supports that. Neel Sethi shines in a few scenes while lacking in others, nevertheless he was great considering it is his first acting gig. The movie feels like the Jungle Book but it does not feel like a rehash and that is something you have to appreciate. The world in which The Jungle Book takes place is one I was lost in.
There are a few things I disliked from the movie and that is the use of songs. I have huge respect for Disney taking a new direction and tone for the movie, however, in the film there are light tone moments and one of the most iconic things about the story is the music particularly “Bare Necessity’s’. I felt it was underused and the film definitely had space to use it. Another flaw, was Scarlett Johansson as Kaa was underused. I won’t spoil anything but she doesn’t have as much screen-time. She only provides exposition for the movie and it is really unrealistic. Other than that, this movie is an amazing achievement on all levels.