Starring: Bill Murray, Neel Sethi, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito
OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆
Story:
Disney’s live action film directed by Jon Favreau about the adventure of an orphaned Indian boy named Mowgli (Neel Sethi) who is raised by a pack of wolves led by Akela (Giancarlo Esposito). But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by a black panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures that don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower, fire.
Best Quotes
Bagheera: Many strange tales are told of this jungle. But none so strange as the tale of the cub we call Mowgli.
Bagheera: [to Mowgli] If you can’t to learn with the pack one of these days you’ll be someone’s dinner.
Shere Khan: I can’t help but notice there’s a strange odor today. Man is forbidden!
[as Shere Khan jumps to attack Mowgli Bagheera interjects and gets knocked aside]
Bagheera: Run, Mowgli!
Bagheera: The jungle is no longer safe for you.
Mowgli: But this is my home!
Bagheera: Only man can protect you now.
Bagheera: The jungle is no longer safe. I’ll return him to where he belongs.
Bagheera: Maybe I can be of help. The boy’s right, maybe it’s time to count on other people.
Raksha: No.
Bagheera: I’m the one who brought him to you and now I’ll return him to where he belongs.
Raksha: I won’t let you. He’s my cub!
Akela: We knew this day would come.
Raksha: We are the only family he’s ever known!
Akela: Raksha, it’s the only place he’ll be safe.
Mowgli: It’s okay, ami, I won’t got far. I’ll come back and visit.
Raksha: Never forget this, you’re mine, mine to me, no matter where you go or what they may call you, you will always be my son.
Mowgli: Hello? Who’s out there.
Kaa: Hi, little cub. Oh, no, don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you. Are you alone out here?
Mowgli: I’m waiting for a friend. He should be here soon.
Kaa: We should never be alone. I’ll keep you safe.
Mowgli: Who are you?
[Mowgli sees Kaa for the first time, slithering towards him]
Kaa: Kaa. I know what you are. I know where you came from. Would you like to see?
Mowgli: Yeah.
[Mowgli looks into Kaa’s eye and she shows him what happened to Mowgli when he was a baby]
Kaa: Mostly men stay in their village, but sometimes they travel, and when they do their caves breathe in the dark, they call it the Rat Flower. It brings warmth and light and destruction to all that it touches.
[referring to the man looking down at a young baby]
Mowgli: Who is that?
Kaa: The traveler protecting his cub.
[we see Shere Khan sneaking up on the man before killing him]
Kaa: Shere Khan ended the man’s life. The panther found the cub, and that cub was you.
Kaa: [to Mowgli] Poor sweet little cub. Are you alone out here? What are you doing so deep in the jungle? Don’t you know what you are? I know what you are. I know where you came from.
Kaa: [to Mowgli] Poor little sweet cub. I’ll keep you close. Let go of your fear now. And trusssst in me.
King Louie: You are a man-cub who wants to live in the jungle.
Mowgli: How do you know that?
King Louie: Kid, I got ears. My ears got ears. Only I can protect you.
Baloo: [singing] Forget about your worries and your strife.
Mowgli: What’s that?
Baloo: That’s a song about the good life.
Baloo: [Mowgli wakes up and screams in shock] Relax, kid. No need to get worked up, okay?
Mowgli: Where am I?
Baloo: This is a cave. It’s my cave. You don’t remember what happened, do you?
Mowgli: No.
Baloo: I saved your life. Yeah, I snatched you from the jaws of death, the coils of death if you will, and lucky for you, your new favorite hero, old Baloo here, just happened to be passing by. No big deal. Just tell me this, can you climb?
Mowgli: Yeah.
Baloo: Then let’s quit wasting time and get on with it.
Mowgli: Get on with what?
Baloo: Payback, kid. Payback.
[Baloo starts walking out of the cave]
Mowgli: What do you mean payback? Payback for what?
Baloo: If you send him back to the man village they’ll ruin him. They’ll make a man out of him.
Bagheera: [referring to Shere Khan] He will stop at nothing until he has this boy.
Baloo: If anything happens to that kid, I’ll never forgive myself.
Bagheera: Come on, Mowgli, let’s be on our way.
Mowgli: But I’m helping Baloo get ready for hibernation.
Bagheera: Bears don’t hibernate in the jungle!
Baloo: Not full hibernation, but I nap, a lot.
Shere Khan: You change your hunting ground for a few years, and everyone forgets how the Law works. Well, let me remind you. A man-cub becomes a man, and man is forbidden!
Akela: Mowgli is a member of our pack!
Shere Khan: Mowgli. They’ve given it a name! When was it we come to adopt man to this jungle?
Akela: He’s just a cub.
Shere Khan: [referring to his scars] Does my face not remind you of what grown man can do?
Shere Khan: [to Mowgli] I want him dead.
Mowgli: I’m Mowgli, and this is my home!
Baloo: What did I tell you? He’s special.
Bagheera: I know he’s special. I raised him.
Baloo: Then don’t make him leave Bagheera. You got to let him be what he is.
Bagheera: You don’t understand. The boy’s in danger.
Baloo: I know he told me. He’s being hunted by a tiger.
Bagheera: Not any tiger Shere Khan.
Baloo: Shere Khan’s hunting him? Oh. But if you send him back to the man village they’ll ruin him. They’ll make a man out of him. We should send him back to the wolf pack. Who’s their alpha? Akela. He can protect him.
Bagheera: Akela is dead.
Baloo: What?
Bagheera: Shere Khan killed him. He will stop at nothing until he has this boy. Nothing. The only way we can save him is if he goes to that man village. Please Baloo. You’re the only one he’ll listen too.
Shere Khan: Did you think I would let you grow old? Either I’ll devour you or the red flower will. It’s only a matter of time. How long did you really think you’ll survive in the jungle? Longer than your father? Longer than Akela?
Mowgli: I’m not afraid of you! Do you hear me? I’m not running from you!
[Shere Khan roars and leaps at the end of the branch to tackle Mowgli, Mowgli manages to jump onto a vine, the branch snaps and Shere Khan falls to his death]
Shere Khan: Nooo!
Trailers:
With The Jungle Book, Disney pulled off one very visually pleasing family film. They managed to blend live action and CGI components better than most films I have seen.
The Jungle Book stars Neel Sethi as Mowgli, a man cub who was raised in the jungle by a pack of wolves ever since he was brought there as a boy by a panther named Bagheera (Ben Kingsley). The wolves attempt to raise Mowgli as their own but the job proves to be unsuccessful, as Mowgli continues to think and act like a human. One day at Peace Rock (a rock that appears in the dry season that signifies a truce between all animals) Mowgli’s life is threatened by the feared tiger Shere Kahn, who believes humans are destructive and evil. To keep Mowgli safe, Bagheera decides to take him back to live with the humans. Mowgli however does not want to live with the humans and wishes to stay in the jungle.
While journeying to the humans, Bagheera and Mowgli become separated. Alone in the jungle, Mowgli comes across a giant snake named Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) and is almost eaten. Mowgli finds that he was saved by Baloo (Bill Murray), a lazy and sometimes arrogant bear that teaches him how to be himself, as well as live by his own laws.
The voice acting was perfect for these characters. I could tell much time was spent meticulously syncing up the voices of Bill Murray and others to that of the animals. It was well worth the time, as it is some of the best CGI lip syncing I have seen in any film.
The audience with whom I watched The Jungle Book was made up of families and couples, young and old. Everyone in the theater loved the film and laughed at its easily likable and relatable characters. Neel Sethi as Mowgli does great at interacting with the CGI animals and his acting is fluently enjoyable. At no point in the film did I feel like I was watching him “act” the part. Bill Murray as Baloo is one of the highlights of the film for me. I found myself laughing at most things he said, even at things that weren’t necessarily funny. Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, and the rest of the cast also give great and memorable performances.
The story itself is still timeless, just a little more complex. Young children can still enjoy the film if not understanding every plot or moral. There are a few points in the film where I questioned this or that action but not enough to ruin the experience. The ending of the film seemed a little to “fix it all” and too convenient, but again it was still a very enjoyable ending to an already great film.
Those who will steer away from this film will be those who had harsh feelings from the get go about a Jungle Book remake. At first, that seemed like an understandable viewpoint. However after seeing just how breathtaking this visual work of art is, I would have to tell the skeptics they are only hurting themselves. Anyone at any age can enjoy the timeless story of The Jungle Book.
The Jungle Book pays plenty homage to the original Disney classic all while having enough creativity and stunning visuals to call it its own. This Jungle Book adaptation is certainly a worthy remake. Those who love the original and are optimistic enough to watch this will not walk away disappointed.
In The Jungle Book actor Neel Sethi (Mowgli) does a terrific job portraying how curious and fearless Mowgli is in the book. The entire cast does a great job of incorporating themes from the book into the movie. I feel like Kaa had a bigger role in the book, in the movie, she met Mowgli in the jungle and after Baloo saved him she wasn’t in the film again. Shere Khan was done beautifully, the effects were awesome. The scar on his face really drew people in and explained the story of his past. The voice acting in the movie was fantastic.