THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

the forest (2016) movie

Genre               |   Fantasy Adventure

Classification   |   PG

Running time   |   106 minutes

Released         |   7 April 2016

cast

Neel Seethi as Mowgli
Bill Murray as Baloo
Ben Kingsley as Bagheera
Idris Elba as Shere Khan
Scarlett Johansson as Kaa
​Christopher Walken as King Louie

director

Jon Favreau

writer

Justin Marks ... (screenplay by)
 
Rudyard Kipling ... (based on the books by)

cinematographer

Bill Pope

music

​John Debney

film editor

​Adam Gerstel ... (2nd Editor)
Mark Livolsi ... film editor

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box office result

Worldwide             $​966,550,600  

Australia                 $​​​22,694,801

North America        $​364,001,123    

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the best dialogue

Bagheera: Many strange tales are told of this jungle, but none so strange as the tale of the cub we call Mowgli.

Mowgli: I am Mowgli of the Seoni, and this is my home!

Baloo: I can show myself out, thanks. Bye bye.

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THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) IMAGES

THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) STORY SYNOPSIS

​After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther, Bagheera, and free spirited bear, Baloo.

THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty   |   Review date 4 April 2016
​Pop Movee Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Jon Favreau’s update of Disney’s classic animated story THE JUNGLE BOOK offers as much for adults as it does children and, in doing so, elevates Rudyard Kipling’s original literary tale to the best cinematic version of the adventure ever committed to film. The IRON MAN Director has certainly gone against the odds, throwing caution to the wind and ignoring the old show business adage of never working with kids or animals. THE JUNGLE BOOK only has one kid, Neel Sethi’s Mowgli, and all the animals are computer animated, albeit to a wonderful level of detail that maintains the viewer’s suspension of disbelief throughout the film’s 105 minute running time. The real selling point of THE JUNGLE BOOK is the extraordinary array of vocal talent that Favreau has assembled to bring Bagheera, Shere Khan, King Louie, Baloo, Akela and Kaa to life. The combination of names such as Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley and Idris Elba matched to their CG counterparts make THE JUNGLE BOOK a must-see movie at the cinema.

The film opens with a short, but exhilarating scene where audiences are introduced to Mowgli mid-action, as he and his wolf pack are chased by an unseen jungle animal. Despite its brevity, the sequence gets the viewer immediately engaged with the story and introduces both Mowgli and another of its key characters; Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley). Screenwriter Justin Marks, who demonstrates great skill in translating Kipling’s source material with great economy, moves the plot along quickly to establish Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba) as the film’s principal antagonist and Mowgli’s adventures with Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray) after he has fled from his adopted parents Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) and Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o). While the film is not a musical, fans of THE JUNGLE BOOK Disney animated version will be pleased to know that Favreau features two of that film’s best known musical numbers: I Wanna Be Like You and the Bare Necessities. While not entirely organic in the way they’re introduced, both songs manage to lighten the story through the mid-point of the film before it sets a course for its boy vs beast finale.

The film’s climax is a real treat, as Mowgli returns to defend not only his wolf pack, but all the jungle animals who have been the subject of Shere Khan’s rule by fear and intimidation. An extended game of cat and mouse (or man and tiger, in this case) between Mowgli and Shere Khan takes place in the treetop canopy while fire rages across the jungle floor below. It’s a credit to young Neel Sethi that he delivers such a strong performance when he would have been acting on-set surrounded by green screen and motion capture technology with no ability to “react” to his co-stars. As for the rest of the cast, some of the characters work better than others. Bill Murray’s Baloo is entertaining all the way and he manages to capture the tone of the character, with his free-spirited yet caring outlook on life. Ben Kingsley delivers an acceptable Bagheera but the character feels as though it’s missing a little depth in terms of his voice. (James Earl Jones set the bar very high as Mufasa in THE LION KING; which would be a challenge for an actor voicing a big cat on screen.) The standout vocal performance belongs to Scarlett Johansson as Kaa; the beguiling, yet extremely treacherous, snake whom Mowgli encounters when he first leaves his wolf pack. It’s a small role, but leaves a huge impression upon the viewer.

The only negative for THE JUNGLE BOOK is its violence. The introduction of photo-realism makes the actions of the jungle animals far more life-like and, in some parts of the film, frightening. This new reality results in the film deviating from the cartoon version that adults will be familiar with and be using as the yardstick to judge whether or not to take their kids along to see it during the school holidays. Be warned, younger children will be scared by a number of scenes, especially those featuring Shere Khan and King Louie. For young teens and older, the film will be fine and is on par with Disney’s Marvel and Star Wars franchises for action and adventures. Jon Favreau and his entire production crew, including people such talented Cinematographer Bill Pope, have delivered a great film that entertains from start to finish. It’s a fantastic example of how to adapt a Disney animated classic without trampling over everyone’s childhood memories!

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