Hello all! I apologize for the lack of posting recently, despite there being stuff to talk about. Yesterday, I finally got to see the new version of The Jungle Book. Here's my review of it, (even though it's not Sunday anymore!)(No spoilers, even though there's really nothing to spoil.)
The Jungle Book is directed by Jon Favreau, and stars the voice talents of Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, and introduces Neel Sethi as Mowgli.
When this film was announced, despite the star-studded voice cast, nobody really cared. We have had almost ten different iterations of The Jungle Book now, and the story was been worn out. This isn't even the last one, considering a sequel to this world has already been highlighted by Disney, to be released in a few years, and ANOTHER reboot/remake/reimagining of this tale will come out next year, directed by the king of motion capture, Andy Serkis. You get the idea that this story has been done to death.
Now, when the first footage of this film was shown at D-23 2015, Disney's own fan convention, everybody was excited for Captain America: Civil War footage, or a trailer for the Force Awakens. Almost everybody agrees, that the Jungle Book was by far the stand-out of all the new movie stuff announced there. The visuals blew people away, and as someone who has now seen the film, I can say that they don't disappoint in any way. Although I was not at the actual convention, I saw the teaser trailer released online, and I was amazed at the work that the visual team was able to accomplish. When Avatar was released back in 2009, everybody was calling it a landmark for special effects. The Jungle Book is the first film to out-perform Avatar in the visual effects category, and I am surprised why this film is not also being named a landmark for special effects.
Every trailer following that original teaser only increased my excitement for this film. The light-hearted tone, mixed with some more serious aspects, combined with the gorgeous visuals made this film out to be one of the best family films ever. Just reading off the names of the voice cast, and the roles they play, you can see that they are all near perfect for their respective role. Walking into this film, I was expecting my favorite to be Idris Elba as Shere Khan, but it ended up being a tie between Bill Murray and Christopher Walken. Not to discredit Elba, for he did a fantastic job.
On to the actual film itself! I loved this movie. It was everything the trailers had promised and more. The voice cast was harmonious and every single member of the cast was just plain awesome. Bill Murray as Baloo was hilarious, and the character was probably my favorite, as he was in the Disney classic animated film. His voice fit the persona of the bear incredibly well, to the point where I forgot that that is Bill Murray, and not an actual talking bear. Ben Kingsley as Bagheera was probably the largest voice role, and he played his part exceptionally well. Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken had much smaller roles, especially Johansson as Kaa, but they were all still cool to see. Walken as Louie, oh boy. Seeing Christopher Walken as a giant monkey, who was swinging around a temple singing, was truly a sight for sore eyes. The King Louie scene was likely my favorite, but with such great sequences, it's hard to choose one. Idris Elba was haunting, and menacing as Shere Khan, and was the best voice they could have gotten. His character provided for an exceptional villain, and his underlying presence was always felt, even if he is not on screen. Every moment he is conversing with another animal, you fear that he will pounce and slaughter them.
Is there anything else to say about the visuals. They are beyond beautiful, to the point where you are questioning yourself if the animals and plants you see are real or not. It is incredible to watch what was completed here, and it is gorgeous to see unfold, as the characters explore uncharted areas of the jungle.
Favreau could have easily let the story arc drift away, and crossed his fingers that the audience would be dumb enough to awe in sight of the CGI and not notice the lack of substance. But he didn't. This film is a lighthearted adventure tale, that absolutely anybody can enjoy, from age one to one hundred. This film is not just breath-taking to behold, but it engrosses you every which way, never having a dull moment. I had a blast watching this film, and I highly recommend watching it in a movie theater. It is honestly the only way to experience The Jungle Book.
This film has all but one flaw. While many have been praising Neel Sethi for his acting, I felt it to be incredibly inconsistent. In some scenes, you would think this kid was one of the best child actors ever seen, and in others, you are just cringing and bad line delivery. As difficult as it is to be a first time actor, and have to act in front of large green screens and pretend like a tiger is leaping at you, you can't excuse him for circumstances. You can see him sort of wandering his eyes in some scenes, and being confused what exactly to act to.
In the end, The Jungle Book is as stunning to experience as it is engrossing to watch, The Jungle Book does the thought to be impossible task of being a remake that improves on it's predecessor, while making groundbreaking advances for visual effects in film. I encourage you to experience this film in a theater, and not in any other way.
Consensus:
A
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