Movie Review: The Jungle Book

Movie Review: ‘The Jungle Book’

Rating: 4/5

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Neel Sethi, [Voices English Version] Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson. Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Jon Favreau, Sam Raimi [Voice Hindi Version] Om Puri, Nana Patekar, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan

A live action remake of the animated classic turns up the drama while keeping the bushwhacked fun of the original.

If you go to the cinema to watch a movie that will draw you into a fantasy world of wonder, Favreau’s retelling of this story – which so many of us remember from childhood – manages to weave that magic.

From the opening sequence of young Mowgli (Neel Sethi) racing through the jungle in the company of his adoptive wolf family and his feline guardian, the black panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), through its comic setpieces with the layabout Baloo the Bear (Bill Murray) and its sinister interludes with the anaconda Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), the despot orangutan King Louie (Christopher Walken) and the scarred Bengal tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), the movie bears you along on a subdued current of enchantment, climaxing in a thunderous extended action sequence that dazzles while neatly tying off every lingering plot point and gathering up all the bits of folklore, iconography and Jungian dream symbols that have been strewn throughout the story.

These are the key characters, but you’ll also be delighted to discover a few new entrants along the way as well. It all builds on the charm of the 1967 film, which by itself is a must watch for any child.

A live action film with extensive CG, this one is an immersive experience that engages the audience to an extent that one is able to feel the characters’ sufferings and joys as one’s own.

Most are quick to dismiss such adaptations as films meant ‘strictly for children only’. But this one is surely for all ages and stages (of life). It is escapist cinema at its best. We’re ushered into a world where — when it rains, you feel drenched; when the ground cracks under the summer blaze, you feel parched. Just for the portrayal of seasons, the post-production team needs to be given due credit.

While it’s a tight choice, the most visually spellbinding scene is the one when after escaping from a potentially deadly situation, Mowgli appears from a smudge of fog wafting over a river, seated on a log, floating gently — the lull after the storm has never been as cinematic.

While Sethi is of course, the only real person in here, all the animals have a fantastic degree of photorealism. And Sethi’s interaction with the animals throughout the duration of the movie, given that they are CGI, is completely convincing. He combines innocence and warmth with the survival skills and resourcefulness of someone far older.

While Favreau is faithful to the old elements, (old songs like Bare Necessities included, of course) he also brings in a few new subtle touches as well in order to keep things interesting. While the King Louie scene is one of the many high points, Kaa’s screen time could have been lengthened a bit, though. Nonetheless, the performance of the voice cast is spot-on. But more than anything, the intricate landscaping, masterful camerawork and environment (actually filmed in Downtown Los Angeles) create a delightfully immersive experience. Heartwarming and enjoyable.