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Amongst the animals that resides in the jungle lives a small boy called Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), who at a young age was found by the panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and presented to the wolf pack to be raised as one of their own. He's struggling with living the wolf way, as his slower speed and different physique means he can't keep up with his brothers and sisters during training, but loves living in the wild and is at peace with all the animals – that is, until one Shere Khan (Idris Elba), a tiger with a certain vendetta against man and their power of producing "red flower", discovers the man-cub's presence and demands that he's given to him. With a heavy heart, Mowgli elects himself to leave his pack for their protection, and with Bagheera acting as protection the duo head off through the jungle...except he'd rather stay in the jungle than return to civilisation. Add encounters with the alluring snake Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), the dictating gigantopithecus King Louie (Christopher Walken), a herd of elephants, and Baloo (Bill Murray) – who quickly bonds with the boy – Mowgli and Bagheera must evade the tiger before he gets his paws on the small boy.
As an amalgamation of the 1967 animated adaptation and Kipling's original source material, it's a story that fans will be happy with; making a few changes such as a stronger focus on the wolf pack to further elevate the beloved tale. And as far as a live-action remake goes, this is easily Disney's strongest to date. It flows easily, it actually hones in on its more emotional sequences, and is for the most part a fun experience. The comedy doesn't really begin to strive until Baloo enters the fray, and the usage of characters such as Kaa feels more like they're there because they're a part of the original story more than anything (I'll discuss Kaa in more detail shortly), but it's very easy to get into once you get enamoured by the virtual jungle that all these characters reside in. Justin Marks' screenplay, together with the fan-love injected to it by director/producer Favreau creates a rendition of The Jungle Book which is the perfect modernisation – keeping the best of both and making it even more accessible for today's audiences. That all being said though, there is an issue of perhaps being a little too scary for younger viewers; Shere Khan is a great character, but some of his actions and the way he's presented may frighten those who were expecting simple Disney magic and fun.
Another note to make is the song choices, which were always a favourite of the classic cartoon thanks largely to 'The Bear Necessities' and 'I Wan'na Be Like You'. Both make a return here with different results, whilst other songs (bar Kaa's 'Trust in Me', which plays over the end credits) are absent from the entire film. 'Bear Necessities' remains a favourite, and is fitted into the non-musical picture largely through the sheer delight of Murray's Baloo and his character's – and later Mowgli's – love for the song, but the original still lies heavily over it. 'I Wan'na Be Like You', on the other hand, is much different; it comes out of nowhere in the middle of a duologue between Louie and Mowgli, but with the newer lyrics (updated by one of the original's writers Richard B. Sherman) perhaps works even better than Murray's singing, and in the end only really works as either a worthwhile but perhaps mandatory inclusion to the main story or a great tune to play over the end credits. And if you care about John Debney's score, it's fine but barely noticeable.
As one of only three human actors in the entire movie – and the only noteworthy one – Neel Sethi is a bit hit-and-miss in this, his first feature film. It's hugely understandable, considering the variables of being a large lead role and working off sets which were all simply sound stages, and with that in mind he does do a tremendous job, but there are times where a line could have been delivered a little better. Still a great job, but needs must if the reported sequel does in fact go ahead. Ben Kingsley as Bagheera is inspired casting and does superbly in a role which is mostly a mentor-father character, whilst fellow companion to the man-cub Bill Murray brings about possibly his strongest acting for a comedic role in years. As soon as he enters the fray, the entertainment factor kicks up a gear, and he's a laugh throughout. Idris Elba is incredibly strong as the unstoppable Shere Khan, and with the added benefit of an actual backstory this time for his hatred of the young man-cub makes his iteration of the character even more terrifying. Plus, it's Idris Elba. How can you not get a strong vocal performance from him? Scarlett Johansson brings about a small but eye-catching version of Kaa, but the factor that her version is only there for one scene – one filled with exposition, might I add – makes the slithery snake seem unnecessary to the overall film; Christopher Walken makes for a mighty and menacing King Louie; and Giancarlo Espostio as Aleka the head wolf serves his purpose well. But it's Lupita Nyong'o who surprisingly steals the show as Mowgli's mother Raksha; her performance is so striking and filled with emotion that she nicks every scene she's present in – her goodbye to Mowgli makes for perhaps the most heart-wrenching segment of the entire film.
The teamwork of Jon Favreau's direction and the beautiful visuals presented onto the screen creates a film that is gorgeous to look at. From the very first moment that you explore the jungle, you half-expect the scenery to be real, and whilst it's a bit obvious to start with that certain elements are CG, very quickly they all merge into this hyper-realistic reality and you forget you're witnessing something created on a slew of computer desktops. Add Favreau's little touches that makes the film his own and his clear admiration for the source material, and altogether it creates this world unbeknownst to anyone, and easily the best usage of full-CG environments since Gravity or Life of Pi.
Is The Jungle Book the best Disney rendition of the story? Not quite. The songs don't entirely fit, nor does Kaa in the overarching story, and there's something just so charming about the 60s edition. But this 2016 revamp is still a worthwhile viewing for families of all ages, as the technical masterpiece that surrounds the classic tale mixed together with superb performances from the likes of Murray and Nyong'o creates easily the best Disney live action remake thus far, and perhaps a high bar for their future films to surpass. 8/10.
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