NEW MOVIE: The Jungle Book

Walt Disney Studios has released yet another live action remake of one of their animated classics. Beginning with the "okay" Alice in Wonderland and continuing on to a widely well-received Cinderella, how is The Jungle Book?

Rated PG for some sequences of scary action and peril

Directed by Jon Favreau (Elf, Iron Man), The Jungle Book is a retelling of the 1967 animated classic (also Walt Disney's last film) and follows the story of Mowgli and his journey to find himself in the jungle. For me, this film had a lot to prove. The original animation was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I still love it when I watch it today. Gratefully, this new one exceeds the original in almost every way.

In a creative choice, Favreau chose for the film to be completely animated besides Mowgli, and the choice pays off. The film is absolutely gorgeous, especially in 3D, and really brings life to these characters in ways that other family films have never reached. I felt completely immersed in this world, and while I knew everything was animated, I never doubted it was real. Neel Sethi, in his debut performance, is much to thank for this. Though being young, he had such chemistry with the animated creatures, and very rarely did he betray that he was actually talking to crew members with colored sticks and puppets in a soundstage. Furthermore, the voice cast is stellar. Bill Murray (Ghostbusters, Garfield) is the standout as Baloo, the lovable, relaxed bear who befriends Mowgli with his knowledge of the bare necessities of life. It really is a perfect match. Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler's List) and Idris Elba (Luther, Pacific Rim) are also rather good as Bagheera the paternal panther and Shere Khan the villainous tiger, respectively.

But the real question is: is it worth seeing if I've seen the original? Voice acting and animation were two things that the original succeeded in completely, so what sets this one apart at all? Simply put, the story is better. For as fun as the original animation is, there's very little connecting the pieces together; Mowgli travels from one animal vignette to another, and Bagheera and Baloo look for him. The new film cuts many of the vignettes, such as the marching elephant brigade scene (though they still appear in a more reverent role) and the vultures to streamline the film, and thankfully develops and expands what remains. We care more for Mowgli's wolf family, even after he leaves, since Favreau gives them stakes as Shere Khan terrorizes them, and the cubs are so adorable. The time with King Louie (Christopher Walken, Pulp Fiction, Catch Me If You Can) is extended into a thrilling chase sequence, and the film even develops a moral through the original book's Law of the Jungle passage. The result is a film that feels more concise and powerful than its predecessor.

That's not to say the film is no longer fun. In tradition with the other recent Disney remakes, this is not a musical, though there are two musical sequences, taking the two most popular songs from the original film and using them in basically the same way. Baloo and Mowgli sing a new rendition of "The Bare Necessities," which is a joy to hear from the jazzy baritone of Bill Murray, and we get an odd but still delightful version of "I Wanna Be Like You" by Christopher Walken. The latter is the only one that feels somewhat out of place because of how they jumbo-sized Louie to a Gigantopithicus ape, changed the story, and made Louie into a more antagonistic presence. However, I could still give it a pass while watching it because it's simply delightful. There are other easter eggs and character rapports that provide additional levity.

The only part that feels short-changed in this new film is the much-publicized character of Kaa the snake (Scarlett Johansson, The Avengers, Her). Honestly, she's not given much purpose in the film other than to provide exposition about Mowgli and the fiery "red flower" plot device. Her scene is well-done and is hypnotizing, but it is her only appearance in the film. Heck, the elephants have more screentime than her and they say nothing. Her role is now humorless and her song, "Trust in Me," is cut. Oddly enough, that song, in which Scarlett Johansson does a rather good job, is in the credits with the other two numbers mentioned above, so part of me thinks her scene was trimmed for time to get to Baloo and Bagheera quicker. I still felt she was relatively useless in the film, though, and I would have liked to have seen her play a bigger role in the film like in the original. Regardless, that is really my sole complaint in a film that is very strong and will most definitely get some Oscar buzz next year, at least in visual effects.

The film is gorgeous to behold, and feels real due to the performances.

To conclude, The Jungle Book is a textbook example on how to properly do a remake of an already great film and make it still stand sturdy alone. It is visually masterful and it reeks of passion. Despite a short-changed snake scene and slightly awkward reworkings, the film streamlines the original film and develops it into something stronger that respects all the material that came before it. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. This is hands-down one of the best films of the year, and it is definitely worth your time. Furthermore, it gives me hope for future remakes of Disney films, such as August's Pete's Dragon and next year's Beauty and the Beast. Because of my tardiness in getting this review out (regrettably, I saw this opening weekend, and didn't find an opportunity to review it until now), it may be harder to find a theater still showing it, but if you get any opportunity at all to see it, take it. Favreau has definitely given Andy Serkis and Warner Bros. a run for their money in 2018.

Note: The Jungle Book is more intense than the original cartoon, so be wary of showing it to younger children. They will connect with Mowgli and his adventures for sure, but they will lose interest once they're screaming because of scary large snakes, scarred murderous tigers, and a jump-scaring Gigantopithicus (they won't be comforted by the fact it is Christopher Walken) over the course of the film's near-2 hour runtime. The PG rating is definitely deserved on this one so I'd wait till they're 8 or 9. If they can handle Indiana Jones or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, they can handle this. If they can't handle Monsters, Inc., you might want to hold off a little longer.

Have you seen The Jungle Book yet? Which version have you preferred of this story? What is your thought on the recent Disney remakes? Whatever you have to say about me or the moves, comment below!