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The Jungle Book - Review: Warm, nostalgic but darker than expected


The Jungle Book - Review: Warm, nostalgic but darker than expected
8 out of 10

The man cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi – film debut) was found lost in the jungle by the panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley –Iron Man 3) and raised by wolves as one of their own. When the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba –Pacific Rim) wants Mowgli dead, Bagheera must take him to safety with help of the carefree bear Baloo (Bill Murray – Ghostbusters) while crossing paths with the slippery serpent Kaa (Scarlett Johansson – Avengers) and the ruthless ape leader King Louie (Christopher Walken – Jersey Boys).

This venture marks the 3rd in Disney’s recent run of live remakes of their animated classics (after Maleficent and Cinderella) and it’s definitely their best so far, and the biggest change up from the two prior princess affairs is that The Jungle Book is easily the most adult in tone, especially when compared to its fun loving animated forebearer. For large parts of the film, it takes itself more seriously than expected with jokes and laughs drying up like the river in the heat of summer. There’s no cartoonish play fighting, the threat of death via jaws and claws is clear and present on many occasions, and in a few places, really hits hard with the emotion; a rain clad good-bye between Mowgli and his wolf mother Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o – The Force Awakens) is genuinely moving. None of these points are negative. In fact, they are welcome positives but anyone going to see this film hoping for 2 hours of back-scratching bears and dancing monkeys should brace themselves for a very different result. Also, its PG rating should not be ignored by parents as there are several scenes that little jungle cubs may find distressing.

That’s not to say the film doesn’t know how to have fun. When the film lightens up, it becomes utterly magic thanks to a particular man and bear combination. Young Neel Sethi has some understandable difficulties delivering his heavy dramatic material to nothing but a green screen, yet in the playful sections, he channels Mowgli’s adventurous nature to absolutely wonderful results. Then combine that with Bill Murray cracking off jokes in the guise of a hulking but fluffy and cuddly form, and it’s nothing but great family entertainment. Indeed, the sequence of the two pals floating down the river singing a very familiar tune is easily the film’s high point.

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Regardless of the tone, from start to finish, The Jungle Book looks breathtakingly gorgeous. The various jungle and plains locations are all superbly rendered but what really brings it all together is the dynamic camera work. It’s wild and raw as it follows the characters racing from tree-to-tree, in and around chases for a real animalistic feel  like someone strapped a Go Pro on the back of a monkey (Disclaimer: Do not try at home without asking the monkey’s permission). The powerful use of big-beaming sunlight gives a real feeling or warmth to the film, like it’s a cozy place to stay for a couple hours. Then, we have the principle animal cast themselves, who all look like they’ve been pinched from an episode of Planet Earth. It’s not just the loyal recreation and motions of their animal types but the sense of individual characterization that Jon Favreau has brought to each one.

Shere Khan’s stalking is menacing; Bagheera has dignity and composure to his every movement; Baloo feels the barrel of laughs he should King Louie’s mafia don persona is genuinely intimidating (he even puts some fear into “I wanna be like you”).  There are even a few good little supporting creatures like a hoarding porcupine and look out for fellow director Sam Rami (Spiderman, Evil Dead) and Favreau himself cameoing as a squirrel and pygmy hog, respectively. However, he does get somewhat inconsistant with the matter of animal vocalization as for under explained reasons, some species are confined to their natural shrieks and chirps.

The single biggest problem these animated remakes have all faced is stretching their story and going off book to present themselves as something new. In the first half, The Jungle Book demonstrates how this should be done with its additional material successfully expanding the film’s world by showing us more of the jungle society and jungle law like an early sequence of an all -pecies hunting truce when water levels get critically low. It even finds ways to cleverly work this into classical narrative as Kaa’s hypnosis is utilized for a backstory flashback that doesn’t feel out of place. Then sadly, it does fall into the familiar problems in its final act as it sacrifices its story content for the purpose of building up to a more dramatic climax that gets smothered by needlessly getting the whole cast involved. Thankfully, things do reach a more personal confrontation between Mowgli and <strikes Shatner pose> “Khaaaaaaan!” but even that comes with a sense of overdoing the pyrotechnics. While it can be great when films go for a big finish, The Jungle Book is a surprising case where a “less is more” approach would have been preferred..... the bare necessities if you will.

So The Jungle Book is 2 hours of visual spendor and delight with a good but inconsistant story adaptation, a dream collection of voice castings and plenty of welcome nostalgia for those adults viewers that watched their old VHS until it's worn out. If Midnight Special is too intense or Hardcore Harry too insane, this jungle boogie is a good open and approachable viewing alternative even if it’s not quite what you expected. It’s a roar in favour of these Disney remakes having artistic merit (in the right hands) rather than just being money-grabbing back catalogue-mining. There really is nothing like a good book.

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