My movie stub from “The Jungle Book” is still fresh from only seeing it hours ago. I loved this movie for simply taking me back to my childhood even if it was for a moment. It’s funny with loving moments and great adventure scenes that make up for its predictability.
The plot was almost exactly the same as its cartoon counterpart so I guess you can say it stayed true to the phrase of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” All of the main characters’ make an appearance such as Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo, Shere Khan, King Louie and Kaa (though he seems to have had a sex change in this movie). The movie is essentially about the dangers that Mowgli, the man cub, faces in the jungle.
The movie was loaded with great actors/ actresses such as Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, and Christopher Walken as King Louie. I honestly had no idea these big name actors/ actresses played these parts until after the movie. Christopher Walken voice is so known to me though I knew he was behind the voice of King Louie before he could finish a sentence. These actors really brought the movie to life, although it was really surprising that Kaa was played by a female when its cartoon counterpart was obviously male. Neel Sethi played Mowgli, and I feel he did a great job in his first major role. When I think of Mowgli his face pops into my head. He owned that role.
I loved the graphics and action scenes of this movie. The people behind the scenes really put a lot of work into it. Every animal looked to be real and all of their movements were deliberate and sort of majestic. The environments were spectacularly crafted and I almost believed they were real. Although, that idea is absurd when you know all of the animals are definitely CGI and Mowgli is the only living, breathing character. There are intense loving and scary moments between Mowgli and the main characters and with each interaction, you find yourself wondering if these are living, breathing creatures. King Louie gets a real upgrade in this movie, and I find that I like it. He is 20 times his original size from the cartoon and I find his size matches his personality. You wouldn’t want a man to get as close to these animals’. Least of all a boy, but then you remember that the CGI is just that good.
I did not like was how the plot went from 0 to 60 almost as soon as the movie comes on. One minute you are learning who Mowgli is, and how he comes to be a lone man cub in a jungle to becoming a part the jungle wolf pack. Then Shere Khan is on the scene demanding Mowgli be turned over for dinner. That’s when the adventure begins. It is decided that Mowgli would be safest amongst his own kind and must leave the jungle, the only home he has ever known. It seems as if this happens within the first 15 minutes. I just feel it had rushed the beginning, and they could have done better. Its cartoon counterpart is just that a cartoon, and this is a box office movie. Their writers should have made it their own by expanding and giving its own proper beginning. Once all the groundwork of the movie has been established, Mowgli’s sets out on his journey and on the way he comes in contact with Kaa, Baloo, and King Louie. They all put their stamp on Mowgli and I feel he grows up just a little bit with every encounter.
The moral of this movie had to be that you might not have the same skills as someone else, but you can use what you have to accomplish your goals just the same or maybe even better. Everyone of all ages will enjoy this movie. This movie is rated PG. Though I will say for very small children this movie may come across as scary. So parents beware. Know your children and how they will react. My 5-year-old loved the movie and can not stop talking about bears though I am doing my best to convince her that bears are not fun-loving friends of humans.
My final say is this is a great movie that you can enjoy with family and friends. "The Jungle Book" is now in theaters.
