The Jungle Book - Filled with beautiful visuals and nostalgia
Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Disney’s animated version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, King Louie, Mowgli, and Shere Khan. These are characters that have stuck with me throughout my life. This level of nostalgia drives the enjoyment to be had for older viewers when watching Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book directed by Jon Favreau. Although the movie is still impressive outside of its nostalgic effects, Favreau’s eye for visual spectacle through well-managed computer effects and his devotion to character is what made Iron Man and Chef so good, and the same can be said for The Jungle Book.
Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a young boy who was left in the Indian jungle to be raised by wolves. He is guarded by the pack and his friend and rescuer Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), a black panther. When a drought enacts the water truce, the animals convene at a communal watering hole and refuse to hunt until the rains come. When Mowgli arrives at the water hole the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) who despises humans threatens to kill Mowgli when the rains come. Bagheera attempts to help Mowgli escape but when they are separated Mowgli joins forces with Baloo (Bill Murray), a relaxed, con-artist sloth bear.
The casting of the characters is spot-on. Bill Murray’s relaxed portrayal of Baloo is perfect for the character, he seems as though he was born for the role, I couldn’t imagine a better pick. The same goes for Idris Elba, who’s iconic English accent baritone sounds like a low growl of a tiger. His portrayal is even more frightening and domineering than George Sanders performance in the animated film. Christopher Walken’s iconic speech pattern is perfect for the character of King Louie, who is clever and funny while still retaining his malicious power-hungry side. The only questionable portrayals are from Neel Sethi’s Mowgli, his status as a new actor is noticeable, but he has the confidence to take on the main character. Still, he is the least noticeable character when surrounded by his animal companions. The Kaa scene, and Scarlett Johansson’s portrayal, are both brief and seem unnecessary to the plot as a whole, especially compared to Kaa’s importance to the story in Kipling’s book and the animated film. These characters are all the more enjoyable and believable thanks to the great visual effects that bring the animal characters to life.
The film relies heavily on CGI for its animal characters but the effects are really well-balanced. The animals not only look real, but never make the scene feel overburdened with computer generated effects. It’s a balancing act that Favreau and his visual effects artists have been able to walk perfectly before. This movie is a great example of using a lot of CGI but still using it as a tool, it adds to the movies quality instead of dragging the movie down by being too reliable on it.
The Jungle Book has a perfect mix of nostalgia for adults and enhanced storytelling that never treats its adult or child audience as though they are dumb. It has a few low points, but its treatment of character, great performances, and well-executed computer graphics make The Jungle Book an incredibly enjoyable film for all audiences.