By Bernie “The Movie Guy” Ment
I can remember the first time I saw the original animated Disney version of “The Jungle Book.” The visuals were stunning, the story was compelling and the voices were recognizably familiar and fit well within the context of the story. Well, Disney has outdone itself with this remake, done with animated talking animals and a real live man-cub interacting on the big screen.
This is one movie that must be seen to be believed.
And believe in it you will. You might almost get the impression that it is possible for animals and humans to communicate.
The tale opens with Mowgli, the man-cub, still living with the wolves where he was placed by the panther Bagheera many years earlier after Mowgli’s father was killed by the tiger Shere Khan. As he gets older, it becomes increasingly obvious to many that Mowgli cannot keep up with the wolf pack in their efforts to escape predators, including the aforementioned Shere Khan, who wants very much to kill Mowgli in revenge for the singeing he got from the fire wielded by Mowgli’s father in that horrible fight. As difficult as it may be to accept, Bagheera has decided that the best course of action is to return Mowgli to the Man Village where he would mature into a hopefully responsible adult.
All of the familiar scenes from the original animated adventure are here, but some significant changes have been made to the story to make it more mature than cartoon animation that came before. Also, the music that was incorporated into the story is not as prevalent as it was in the earlier version.
“Trust in Me,” the signature motif of Kaa the python, is now heard as part of the end credits, as well as the full versions of “I Want to be Like You” and “The Bear Necessities,” although stanzas of the latter two songs are incorporated into the story with the lyrics sung by the actors who play King Louie and Baloo the bear respectively. More on that in a moment.
What really makes this film as fantastic an experience to watch as it is, though, is the quality of the casting. The producers found just the right child actor to play Mowgli. He completely looks the part and his acting is spot-on with just the right blend of interest, curiosity and youthful sarcasm to complete the on-screen persona.
As Bagheera, Sir Ben Kingsley brings the right amount of gravitas to the picture, as does Scarlett Johansson who plays the voice of Kaa the python. They have the unenviable task of grounding the tale and keeping it “real.”
Baloo the bear is edgier than he was in the original story, willing to go to great lengths to get the man-cub to work on his behalf in collecting honey to satiate his needs before winter’s arrival. In some ways, Bill Murray’s portrayal reminded me a lot of Fagin, from Oliver Twist, the only difference being that, in the jungle, there aren’t any pockets to pick, only bee-hives to steal.
And Christopher Walken, who plays King Louie, is inspired casting. He brings just the right edginess and lunacy to the part that you can feel the fun he’s having with the portrayal as it comes through loud and clear on the screen. That really is one big orangutan.
Idris Elba gets the unenviable task of bringing Shere Khan to life and he’s the perfect choice for the role. He will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Just don’t ever turn your back on that tiger.
There are some images here that will definitely disturb younger viewers. Consider carefully the maturity level of your kids before you take them to see this story. It’s not the animated version you may remember but a truly inspiring production that blends well the interaction between nature and the young man-cub.
It may be a jungle out there, but this story is a howling good time to see. I give the new “Jungle Book” 4.5 out of 5 stars.
