The Jungle Book – another Disney slam dunk

The strength of the wolf is the pack; the strength of the pack is the wolf. Words not to be forgotten.

Rudyard Kipling’s infamous story about an abandoned infant raised in the jungle by a family of wolves comes to life again in this feature film. Unlike the 1967 animated Disney classic, this version goes for a photorealistic look. With the exception of the boy Mowgli, played by Neel Sethi, a twelve-year-old New York native, everything is computerized, including the jungle itself. There are, however, a long list of Hollywood stars doing the various animal voiceovers including Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johanssen, and Idris Elba among others.

The film was shot entirely on stages in downtown Los Angeles and directed by Jon Farvreau, who helped launch the Marvel cinematic universe with the Iron Man films. His use of computerized techniques was honed in that series, and perfected in this one. (Favreau also wrote, directed and starred in” Chef,” one of my favorites of the past several years).

Young Mowgli lives harmoniously with and is accepted by the animal kingdom around him with one minor exception. Shere Kahn, the very nasty tiger, isn’t happy there is a “man cub” living in his midst, and he eventually sets out to do something about it. The story quickly evolves into a battle between all of the animals attempting to protect the boy and the powerful tiger’s relentless pursuit. Forced to leave his home, Mowgli has one adventure after another as he flees for his life. Along the way he meets a number of “jungle folk,” who don’t always have his best interests at heart. One of them is the giant gorilla King Louie, voiced by Christopher Walken.

This is a fast moving and highly entertaining movie. Mowgli and his animal friends will win you over quickly and the story will capture your interest from the start. The real beauty of this film however, is the phenomenal realism of the animals. With the minor exception that they talk (in English no less), you would swear that they are real. There was an informative article in the Chicago Tribune, where director Favreau explained how the scenes with the boy and the animals were actually constructed, an amazing process.

Regardless of your age you will most likely find this movie to your liking. It’s hard to find “P.G.” films around anymore, especially ones that will give you all the adventure you can handle. And oh yes, be sure to stick around as the credits roll at the end. There’s another five entertaining moments to savor before leaving the theatre.

tsansom2002@gmail.com

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