Ever since Disney began raiding its own back-catalog to join the remake trend, they have been met with both vocal support and aggressive criticism. While some fans are thrilled to see their favorite classics given new life, others view the new remakes as some kind of sacrilege against the holy Disney canon. Of course, it doesn't help the issue that 2014's Maleficent and 2015's Cinderella were not the most critically revered films ever created by the House of Mouse.
Today, April 15th, The Jungle Book joins the party as the 3rd in a long planned line of Disney do-overs. You'd be hard pressed not to know by now that the film is at least a technical marvel, with much being made by the press of the groundbreaking CGI used to create the film's jungle inhabitants. What might come as a surprise, then, is that the film is just as wonderful when it comes to the actual story and characters. In short, The Jungle Book is fantastic.
+ CGI can't believe that's fake
Simply put, the visual work on this movie is astonishing. Not only do the animals look completely real (you'd be hard pressed to distinguish a frame of this film from a national geographic photo), but everything about them seems to breathe with the energy of real life. Every lumbering step of Baloo, every snarl of Shere Kahn, and every clumsy leap of King Louie is animated to the point of perfection. There's one particular moment where a wolf is lying down and relaxing early on in the film, and I couldn't believe how much he looked like my own dog at home. And not only are the characters realized beautifully, but the sets (which were almost entirely digital) also look like real images of the Indian jungle.
+ Mowgli-ing down the competition
In a film full of A-list voice acting talent, it's nonetheless true that newcomer Neel Sethi steals the show as the man-cup Mowgli. While the original animated version of the character expressed little more than joy and adventure at all times, this Mowgli has much deeper character elements. While he still displays the exuberance and playfulness granted by spending his days playing with animals, Sethi also manages to incorporate the gravitas of a young boy beginning to understand that his life is not as secure as he once thought. The result is that Mowgli now seems like a real person, capable of joy and laughter with friends and true sadness and fear when confronted with all the dangers of the jungle.
+ A better original
Unlike Disney's previous two remakes, The Jungle Book absolutely proves that there was a good reason that it was made. It strikes the perfect balance between respecting the original and adding to it to create a film that tells a far more realistic and compelling story. There are plenty of allusions to the original film here, enough to satisfy any die-hard fan, and almost all of them really do work. (The only throwback scene that seems forced is King Louie's "I Wanna Be Like You", and that is short enough not to be a real detractor.) But rather than being a simple rehashing, this remake adds and remixes plot elements so that every character feels fully developed. The real standout in this regard is Shere Kahn (played by Idris Elba), whose savagery and menace is both explained and given far more time to shine.
- Celebrity voices
For many, the inclusion of A-list actors to the cast of an animated film is nothing but a bonus, as they can bring unique and talented characterizations to a role that many moviegoers prefer. That being said, The Jungle Book contains so many famous voices, all of whom are very recognizable, that it becomes a bit of a distraction. It's hard not to hear Bill Murray pining after honey as Baloo, or Scarlett Johannson seducing Mowgli as the boa constrictor Kaa. In reality, this is a small criticism, but it was enough to provide a slight annoyance.
- Some narration
If any movie were a perfect fit for a narrator, it would be The Jungle Book. It does, after all, make perfect sense that someone would be reading the titular book. The problem here is that the narration is so infrequent that it actually serves as more of a distraction than an aid. There is a chunk of voiceover at the beginning, but then only a few remarks heard throughout the rest of the film. And when those remarks do come, they don't seem to add anything to the plot that the viewer couldn't learn simply by watching. Thus the narration is not really used as a crutch (as it is in so many modern movies), it simply proves irrelevant.
* High intensity
Put succinctly, The Jungle Book is not really a kids' movie this time around. Certainly, there are plenty of scenes that kids would love to see, and the film is downright bursting with playful energy. However, that carefree attitude is regularly interrupted by moments that show just how brutal real wild animals can be. Not only are there many suspenseful, danger-filled moments, but there are also a number of genuine jump-scares (for lack of a better term). The result is a film that is probably too intense for many young children, though older kids shouldn't have much of a problem.
* Nostalgia factor
Disney is well aware of the fact that the original animated Jungle Book lands high on the list of most beloved classic animated films. As a result, they made sure to capitalize on that in every way possible--not just inside the story. To that end, the opening Disney castle logo is actually hand animated in the style of the classic film, and the closing credits include a sequence that is well worth sitting through (I don't want to spoil anything here).
The Final Chapter
In short, I loved The Jungle Book. It made me smile and laugh, it is beautiful to look at, and the intensely real depiction of the wild is awe-inspiring. While it may no longer be a kids' movie (and that could turn away a lot of potential audience), it is worth seeing for anyone who grew up loving the original. In fact, it's worth seeing for anyone who just wants to see a good movie.
