Whilst it is a classic with some brilliant music, I’ve
always felt that Disney’s 1967 animated film was not one of their best. It was
always just a fun bit of fluff, but not anything particularly outstanding.
This
new adaptation adds more meat to the bones of the film on which it is based,
whilst still allowing for just enough nostalgia to seep through, adding more
substance than Disney’s first adaptation, whilst keeping its best aspects. Twists
are added and they are also effective, although the film does become a bit
heavy handed in its desperation to set up certain story elements.
The most striking thing about this film are its visual
effects. The animals look fantastic, but the film’s greatest triumph is the
incredibly immersive Jungle, which looks unbelievable. This is also shown
through some stunning cinematography, as they take every opportunity to show
off the marvellous world they have created. This is one of those movies that
has to be seen on the big screen, it can’t possibly have the same effect on
DVD.
The voice actors are also remarkably well cast. Bill Murray and
Ben Kingsley fit the roles of Baloo and Bagheera perfectly, whilst Idris Elba
is appropriately threatening as Shere Khan and Lupita Nyong'o is wonderful as
Mowgli’s adoptive wolf-mother, Raksha. Christopher Walken is also surprisingly
well cast in the role of King Louis. One of the only issues is Scarlett
Johansen’s slightly stiff performance as Kaa, although her scene does not last
long. The actor playing Mowgli also does
a good job considering that this is his first role and that he (literally) had
nothing to work with.
Overall, ‘The Jungle Book’ effectively adds a fresh
perspective to a classic, whilst being a stunning film in it’s own right.
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