The Jungle Book Review

Disney has made no effort to cease its never ending quest to take over popular film culture. And why should it? For roughly 80 years, the company has been an iconic household name with hit after hit after hit.

Now, with the superhero and space adventure niche under its belt, there is no end in sight for the House of Mouse, which is why it is interesting that its newest trend is remaking old classics such as Pete's Dragon and Beauty and the Beast (both set for near-future releases) in the live-action format instead of creating new material.

It was easy to question the decision to "reimagine" Disney animated features, but that was before The Jungle Book. This live-action spectacle is nothing short of just that, a spectacle. Some would even argue that this rendition is an improvement upon its 1967 source material, and in some ways it is. It looks both breathtaking and frightening, while capturing both the human and animal spirit in a way that is delightful to children and touching to adults.

In this Jungle Book, a singing sloth bear is no longer silly, but plausible. A cartoon tiger villain is suddenly terrifying. A young boy acting only to a visual effects screen is spirited and believable. Director Jon Favreau has taken special care of this cherished tale by managing to create a realistic portrayal of the jungle and its inhabitants while preserving the wonder of the animated film.

It would be blasphemous to discuss The Jungle Book without acknowledging the talent behind the visuals and the characters. The production design of this movie is near flawless. It is only until you step away from the film that you realize none of it is actually real. This makes it unfathomable that the filming process was almost entirely the young Neel Sethi by himself in a room of blue and green screens.

Behind the stunning CGI jungle characters is a group of A-list voice actors that were born to play these roles. Idris Elba is no stranger at intimidation, but as Shere Khan, he has the scarred feline exterior to match his intensity. Bagheera, Mowgli's panther caretaker is played by Ben Kingsley, who has the act of strict sarcasm nailed down. Christopher Walken playing the eccentric orangutan King Louie is only fitting, as there might be no better mascot for Walken's oddball demeanor than a giant jazz-singing monkey (keep an eye out for a nod to his famous SNL "cowbell" skit).

It is only appropriate that an entire paragraph be saved for Bill Murray's Baloo. Is there any other actor that provides such beaming joy and humor as him? When Murray hummed out a brief version of "Bare Necessities," a flood of nostalgia and warmth could be found within the hearts of all audiences. It is safe to say fans will forget about any worries or strife about injustice being done to this time-honored character and might even adopt this Baloo as their new favorite jungle bear.

The Jungle Book is sure to lead to excitement about the upcoming slew of Disney live-action remakes, as it not only honors the original, but brings freshness to it for a new generation of viewers. Hopefully the future films will "wanna be like" this movie and provide a great time for everyone while staying faithful to their origins.

Rating: A for allow your childhood feelings to come out swinging with this one

The Jungle Book is rated PG for some sequences of scary action and peril and stars Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o and Giancarlo Esposito.

Image by Walt Disney Studios.

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