The Jungle Book (2016) - Film Review

Starring: Neel Sethi, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray & Idris Elba

Screenplay: Justin Marks

Directed By: Jon Favreau

Certificate: PG

 

Disney is currently in the midst of going back and remaking their old animated classics. Already we've had live-action remakes of Alice In Wonderland and Cinderella, not to mention Maleficent. While these remakes have had some mixed critical response so far, Disney is now aiming for its most ambitious one yet, hoping to recreate the 1967 classic The Jungle Book. Forty-nine years later, can this adaptation of The Jungle Book rise above the lukewarm response to Disney's other live-action films, or have the studio still got problems on their hands?

 

Following more or less the same plot as the original film, The Jungle Book follows Mowgli, an orphaned “man-cub” raised by a pack of wolves in the jungle. For years, Mowgli has lived at peace with the other animals in the jungle, but that peace is now threatened by the tiger Shere Khan. With a strong hatred of humans, Shere Khan is intent on killing Mowgli before he can grow up to become a threat. Not wanting to disturb the peace among the animals, Mowgli decides to leave the jungle and return to the man village, with the help of his friend, the panther Bagheera, and a bear he meets by the name of Baloo. Yet Shere Khan is unsatisfied and pursues Mowgli through the jungle, in the hope of ending the man-cub's life.

 

Something I really want to get out of the way, as I'm sure you'll have heard it from pretty much every other review of the film, is the technical quality on show in The Jungle Book. It's no exaggeration to say that The Jungle Book is easily the most technically advanced film that I've ever watched. The fact that Neel Sethi as Mowgli is one of the only non-CGI things on screen is astounding, and there are times when watching that I struggle to believe how amazing and realistic both the animals and the world around them look. As is unfortunately the case with a lot of things that enjoy great popularity and success, I've noticed a minority of people who seem to enjoy criticizing certain things on screen that may not look 100% accurate or realistic. I think it's important to remember that before we criticize a certain animal that may look out of place or something else of the sort, 99% of everything we see on screen is CGI and has clearly had a tremendous amount of effort put into it. This really is a film where you can appreciate both the enormous amount of effort put into it, as well as the unparalleled results it's produced.

 

Going into The Jungle Book, one tiny annoying little worry I had in the back of my head, was that it would be more style over substance. If you too are worried about this, then it's best to put your mind at ease, as while this might ever so slightly be the case, there's a real lot of substance here as well. For one thing, The Jungle Book boasts a very strong and impressive cast, with some very big names. Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Lupita Nyong'o and more. At first this might just look as though the film has cast big names for the sake of it, but really everyone is surprisingly suited to their own individual roles. We also have a very promising newcomer with Neel Sethi as Mowgli. Neel Sethi has clearly taken a lot from the original film, and his performance is very reminiscent of the original Mowgli, while also adding more to the character. His performance is even more impressive when we remember that he is acting on a studio sound stage, and that whenever he is talking to any of the animals, he is in fact talking to thin air, or little balls placed on sticks.

 

Both Bill Murray and Ben Kingsley are well-suited to playing Bagheera and Baloo respectively. In particular, Bill Murray embraces what makes Baloo such a loveable character, and this adaptation is even able to add more to the original character. Baloo spends his first scenes on screen as something of a conman, using Mowgli for his own ends, in a bid to get some honey. While this wasn't strictly necessary, it was a nice addition to the original's format and added an extra layer to the character. Probably the biggest improvement from the original film is Idris Elba's fantastic take on Shere Khan. Here, the character is given more of a backstory, and through a nice flashback scene, we get to see just why he has such a strong hatred of humans and the desire to kill Mowgli. This scene makes Shere Khan's motivations so much more justified and understandable. Not to mention, Idris Elba is another example of perfect casting, as his deep, rough voice makes Shere Khan an utterly intimidating presence. Shere Khan also has a far greater and improved role in this adaptation, appearing in different scenes throughout the film to remind the audience of the constant threat he poses to Mowgli.

 

Fans of the original 1967 film can be rest assured that this remake isn't just a soulless cash-grab that's been trampled over and ruined. The animated classic has clearly been treated with both respect and love, and there are plenty of tributes to it that can be found here. The most iconic songs from the original are brought back, with Bill Murray and Neel Sethi providing a great take on what is easily the most famous song – The Bare Necessities. But that's not the only tribute here, as we also get Christopher Walken's King Louie singing I Wan'na Be Like You. Christopher Walken's take on the song is also one of the best things about the film, and this is honestly coming from someone who generally isn't a fan of musical numbers in films. While I can assure you that fans of the original film should definitely at least give this version a chance, there have been a few complaints that the 2016 version of The Jungle Book is now too dark for younger audiences. Personally, I find these complaints to be groundless. Yes, there are elements of darkness in there, with the conclusion even seeing Mowgli and Shere Khan suspended over a blazing fire, but it isn't overly dark. For the large majority of the film, both the settings and feel of many scenes are bright and colourful, and definitely something that the whole family can enjoy.

 

While I really enjoy this version of Rudyard Kipling's most famous work, I will admit that it isn't perfect. Every so often there will be a few structural problems that crop up or the occasional scene that feels out of place. There are some things here that feel as though they were added just as fanservice. This is clearest when the marching elephants or Kaa the snake shows up. While Scarlett Johansson delivers quite a hypnotic and seductive performance as Kaa, the character's presence doesn't feel necessary. Kaa only shows up in one scene, and the only thing she does in this scene is too deliver some expositional backstory about Shere Khan's motives. This problem becomes clearer by the time the credits roll, and Scarlett Johansson performs a good version of Trust In Me. It feels as though the song should have been included in a scene during the film, but that either the writer couldn't find anywhere to fit it in, or it was later left on the cutting room floor.

 

Overall, this adaptation of The Jungle Book is easily Disney's most successful live-action remake to date. To be honest, I'd argue that it's the first live-action remake that could legitimately be described as being better than the original. While the original deserves its iconic status, this version is far more fluid and coherent, adding so much to what made the original great. Whether it be a vastly improved version of Shere Khan, perfect casting choices for each character, or the simply unmatched technical brilliance, 2016's The Jungle Book is one for the whole family to enjoy.

The Jungle Book



8/10