THE JUNGLE BOOK: WELL DONE REWORKING

Let’s face it, the name Disney on nearly any movie means quality and something that children will flock to. And when you take a well-known Disney film and remake it the odds are in your favor that it will be a hit. You would have to seriously mess things up for it to fail. Thankfully director Jon Favreau didn’t do that and has turned in a well done reworking of the classic animated Disney film THE JUNGLE BOOK.

Based in the novel by Rudyard Kipling both versions have strayed a bit from the original source. If you’ve ever tried to read Kipling you’ll understand why and give them a pass on this. While the story structure and deep rooted tale remain, just how it is told changes. And while the original Disney film was standard cell animation, this time around we are blessed with the most amazing computer animation there is to offer.

The story itself revolves around a young boy, a human, named Mowgli (Neel Sethi) who was found in the forest of India, taken to a pack of wolves to be raised by his now guardian a black panther named Bagheera (the voice of Ben Kingsley) and who now faces a new danger. With a dry spell in the area a water truce is called among the animals with none allowed to kill another during this draught.

But as they all gather around the nearest watering hole they are surprised by the appearance of Shere Khan (the voice of Idris Elba), a man killing tiger scarred by his last encounter with a human, a human who happened to be Mowgli’s father. Shere Khan follows the pact for the water truce but warns the animals that when the waters rise once again he will return for the boy.

As the weather changes and the waters rise the wolf pack discusses what they should do about Mowgli. It is Mowgli himself who decides he must leave. Bagheera agrees and so begins the trek of these two to take Mowgli back to the land of men. Adventures follow the pair beginning with an attack by Shere Khan resulting in a slim escape by Mowgli.

Separated from Bagheera Mowgli soon makes friends with a conniving bear named Baloo (the voice of Bill Murray) who enlists his help in bringing down a number of honey combs. When Bagheera shows he scolds the pair and starts the journey with Mowgli again only to have him taken away by a group of monkeys led by King Louie (the voice of Christopher Walken) who wants Mowgli to show him the secret of “man’s red flower” aka fire.

The story carries on and eventually a resolution to the conflict of Shere Khan and Mowgli will bring about the end of the film. That Mowgli’s friends all become involved is a given. But will they be willing to lay down their lives for this man-cub? Will they consider him the boy they’ve loved all these years or will they see him as a growing young man who will present danger to their world?

The movie is a fantastic combination of story and technology that work hand in hand to present the tale in the best way possible. Rather than shoot in an actual jungle the entire production was shot on sound stages equipped with blue screens meaning that while the entire movie takes place in a jungle they were never once in an actual jungle. Not only are the characters computer animated characters but the entire setting is done this way. To combine all of these together is a near impossible task, especially when it comes to the use of shadows. And yet they did it and did it well.

Not only are we presented with this grand vision we also find ourselves wrapped up in this coming of age story about Mowgli. So many things could have gone wrong. The actor playing Mowgli could have been terrible. The animation could have been off. The voice actors could have been the worst choices possible. Instead the right combination of elements comes together here for a jewel of a movie to be added to the Disney crown.

It should also be noted that this film is less of a musical effort than the original. But never fear because at least two songs do appear, the main two that could have spelled disaster had they not been included. Yes “The Bear Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You” are both hear. Plan on hearing your children singing the songs around the house for the next few weeks.

This is one of those films that anyone with children need to add to their collection. Disney fans need to do the same. And if you enjoy a well-made and entertaining film then you’ll want a copy as well. It satisfies on all levels.

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