THE JUNGLE BOOK is a Visual Wonder (Review)

I was really looking forward to The Jungle Book. Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef) is one of the few white male directors actually worth his bloated budgets and opportunities. The 1967 Disney animated film is a childhood classic. After Cinderella, I have faith in the new trend of bringing old animated classics back to the big screen. And its star-cast is full of talented folks. Then the reviews starting pouring in, and the 77 on Metacritic was really promising. So all in all, yes, this movie was on my "please watch ASAP" list.

The Jungle Book stars newcomer Neel Sethi, Bill Murray (St. Vincent), Idris Elba (Thor), Ben Kinglsey (Selfless), Lupita Nyong'o (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Giancarlo Esposito (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials), and Christopher Walken (Jersey Boys). Based on both the Rudyard Kipling novel and the animated film, the script was written by Justin Marks, who apparently is writing a Top Gun sequel unfortunately. The Jungle Book made $103 million in the US, and has already made about $190 million overseas.

Mowgli (Sethi) is a man-cub living in the jungle, raised as a wolf by Akelah (Esposito) and Raksha (Nyong'o). When Mowgli is threatened by the fierce tiger Shere Khan (Elba), the wise panther Bagheera (Kingsley) decides it's time for Mowgli to join the man-village. Mowglie agrees and starts the dangerous journey through the jungle to join the village with Bagheera. Along the way, Mowgli and Bagheera get separated and Mowgli meets some characters: the hungry python Kaa (Johansson), good-humored bear Baloo (Murray), and gigantopithecus King Louis (Walken).

The Jungle Book was shot in Los Angeles. Almost everything except the boy was CGI, photo-realistic rendering, and motion capture. The film stands next to Avatar, Gravity, Hugo, and Life of Pi as examples of how film technology can further the cinematic experience.  The Jungle Book is absoltuely beautiful to look at; the film looks "realistic," but not in a weird The Polar Express way. The detail is mind-blowing, and the 3D is enhancive. Jon Favreau is no slouch when it comes to big movies, and his control over the special effects is awesome to behold. The film is restrained, with its visual wonder allowed to speak for itself. A lesser director might have thrown the effects in our face, but Favreau has more confidence in his direction.

The story has a lot of heart and imagination. The visual effects do take center stage, but Mowgli's story is one that is inherently engaging. While he might be a man-cub, doesn't he belong with his real family, the wolves? Or should he go back to be with his own people? The structure of the film is pretty episodic, with Mowgli meeting different animals and escaping their clutches. Well, except for Baloo, who just wants some honey. The film zips along at a nice pace for the most part, with each new interaction providing solid character moments. The movie does stop to a dead halt when Walken's King Louis shows up, offering a badly sung rendition of "I Wanna Be Like You" and a seemingly interminable action scene.

The themes of belonging and family are resonant, and Favreau's affectionate filmmaking style compliments it well. The Jungle Book is truly a family film, one that can excite and inspire kids all over. The editing by Mark Livolsi (Saving Mr. Banks) is hyper and excited, matching a kid's wonder. Bill Pope (the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy) handled the cinematography, and his "camera" finds a home at kid's eye level, bringing the audience directly into Mowgli's perspective. Composer John Debney (Iron Man 2) blends together Indian sounds with big adventure music, and the score is really cool.

For his first role Neel Sethi is raw and green. He's plenty charming and has an infectious screen presence. But he can't quite land the dramatic moments. He's not as precocious and over-precious like most kid actors, and he could have a sterling future with more experience (and opportunities). I have to say, I was surprised when I found out that Mowgli was actually being played by an actor of Indian descent.

The adult voice cast members all fill their roles rather well, except for Christopher Walken. His airy voice isn't as menacing as it could be, even though he was going for a Scorsese wiseguy. Lupita Nyong'o and Giancarlo Esposito bring strength and conviction as Mowgli's adoptive parents. Scarlett Johansson is hypnotic and entrancing in her short sequence. Bill Murray's easygoing "hey, kid, come over here" charm is a natural fit for Baloo. Ben Kingsley is wise and fierce as Bagheera. For me the highlight is Idris Elba, whose delectable voice provides a calm, dreadful danger to the film's villain.

The Jungle Book isn't a musical, but it does feature two songs. Of course "The Bare Necessities" had to be included, and it's not really a musical number. Baloo and Mowgli just sing it during their time together. As mentioned above, "I Wanna Be Like You" is not good at all, and it is treated like a full-blown musical number. It's a puzzling decision, especially since Scarlett Johansson did record an amazing cover of "Trust in Me." Her song isn't included in the film, but does feature in the credits. I'm not sure if the film would have benefitted from being a full musical, but being a "half musical" does it no favors.

I usually don't recommend people go see movies in 3D, both because of the price and because usually the 3D isn't all that great. However, go see The Jungle Book in 3D. It's a visually sumptuous treat, with solid performances and a heartfelt narrative. I can easily imagine this movie winning the Best Visual Effects Oscar, because its effects are so seamless and they enhance what's already a well-made movie. Oh, and for your listening pleasure:


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