The Jungle Book is the
next instalment in the growing list of Disney live action remakes
that have so far turned out to be relatively average. This is by far the best
of the bunch as it brings back memories of the original Jungle Book that used
to be one of the most watched Disney films in India back in the 1990’s. Let’s
see how this reboot of the original fares.
Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is
a human boy raised by a pack of wolves Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) and Akela
(Giancarlo Esposito) ever since he was brought to them as a baby by a black
panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley).
When the feared Bengal
tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) threatens Mowgli’s life since man isn’t allowed
in the jungle, the wolf pack are forced to send Mowgli to a man village. Guided
by Bagheera and Baloo the bear (Bill Murray), he sets out on a journey of
self-discovery while evading the man-hunting Shere Khan.
Along the way, Mowgli
encounters jungle creatures who try to use him for the best of their interests.
The rest of the story is the journey of Mowgli and how he manages to escape
from the clutches of Shere Khan.
One of the biggest
asset for Jungle Book are the incredible CGI effects that seamlessly sync the
animals to appear as authentic and original as possible. The technical prowess
that Disney possess and managed to create such an amazing world where
we actually feel the creatures are real is incredible.
The young actor, Neil
Sethi, enthralls you with his acting in his debut. It is certainly appreciable
that the kid had to imagine his environments and creatures while acting and he
pulls it off to the tee. The overall plot of the film stays very faithful
to the original film, barring a few changes.
The film also captures
the emotions of all the creatures beautifully and the basic theme is carried
out throughout the film. The whole film is entertaining and will be especially
enjoyed by the kids.
One of the negative
points of Jungle Book is that being a Disney film, it tends to get certainly
dark in a few places. Tiny, sudden jolts may give the jeepers to little kids,
but these are sparse and few in-between.
Also, a few characters
like Kaa the snake are given very short screen time which makes it seem like
they have been included just for namesake. The film also drags just a bit
during the anti-climax. It tends to move a little too slow at times, especially
during the whole King Louie episode.
The whole story about
“Red Flower” can be a little too much for kids to apprehend.
Technical Aspects:-
As already said, the
technical prowess of the film is absolutely stunning. CGI Effects are as
amazing as they can get. Background score by John Debney certainly elevates the
happenings on the screen. Editing is on par, although two tiny songs could have
beet cut. Dialogues are entertaining as well as understandable for all
ages.
Coming to director Jon
Favreau, he is known for directing the first two parts of Iron Man. Jon
excels in bringing a true-to-original live action flick. He also sets a bar for
the upcoming Disney live action films and he certainly knows the divine
quality of his work which helped him in bringing out the best. Jon also
succeeds in blending the CGI effects with live action perfectly.
Verdict:-
Overall, Jungle Book
is certainly a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Although a few
times the film can get dark for a kids movie, these parts are easily
overshadowed by rest of the film which manages to promise a roller-coaster of a
ride. Jungle Book is a film that will bring back old memories for adults while
kids will be making new ones.
0 comments:
Post a Comment