REVIEW: With the addition of impressive visuals, The Jungle Book recreates the magic of the original Disney movie.
By Franklin Racobs, Staff Writer
The Jungle Book is the live-action retelling of the 1967 Disney animated classic. It is directed by Jon Favreau and stars newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli. This film features the voice acting talents of Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, and Christopher Walken. The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by a family of wolves since birth, who must go on an adventure with a panther named Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and a bear named Baloo (Bill Murray) because the intimidating tiger, Shere Khan (Idris Elba), is stirring up trouble in the jungle.
The advantages filmmakers have with computer generated images (CGI) are truly incredible, just like this film. Neel Sethi delivers a believable and heartwarming performance as Mowgli, who is the only element of this film that isn’t computer generated. CGI can be tricky to work with, but Favreau does an excellent job. All the CGI animals and jungle environments reel you in as you watch, leading you to believe that what you are witnessing is very realistic.
Disney has attempted to adapt their classic cartoons into live action films before, with titles like Maleficent and Cinderella, but The Jungle Book is clearly the best adaptation yet. When it comes to adaptation in film production, deciding the level of similarity to the source material is the most important aspect. The Jungle Book did an excellent job of not bonding itself completely to the source material of the animated feature. It carved an independent path with its story, while keeping hallmark moments from the original version intact. For example, the connection you have with Mowgli’s character, which represents the heart of both man and beast, is just as strong in this film as it was in the original cartoon. Keeping a balance between source material and originality is key when it comes to adaptation.
Along with the CGI, voice acting was also very key to the success of this film. Favreau’s decision to choose Bill Murray’s voice for the character of Baloo was a perfect casting, as Murray did some of the best voice acting I have ever heard. Murray captured the heart and comedy of Baloo with his voice. Idris Elba as Shere Khan provided this movie with an element of fear; his intimidating voice as the tiger made him the perfect villain for this jungle adventure.
The Jungle Book is a film that provides an adventure for audiences of all ages. Kids will appreciate the retelling of a classic cartoon, while adults will marvel at the visuals, direction, and voice work from some of Hollywood’s most talented actors.