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Chris Eberle
Mowgli seems quite content and happy to live among a pack of wolves in the jungle. Abandoned after his father is killed by a tiger, he is raised as part of the pack. One day the tiger returns and demands the boy be handed over to him. The pack feels his only chance for survival is to return to the man-village. His journey is filled with danger and mystery until he meets a friendly bear named Baloo. Mowgli then learns about the deadly red flower and discovers he must use it and his special skills to save himself and the jungle from certain destruction.
2016, Color, Rated PG, 1 Hr 46 mins
DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley
Directed by Jon Favreau
Rating
Violence: No, but some intense moments
Sex: No
Language: No
When the original version of this film came out in 1967, it was at the height of Disney animation’s golden age. In a time before CGI effects and grandiose budgets, hand-drawn animation was the best way to bring talking and singing animals to the big screen. The magic of those films is tough to live up to and I think Jon Favreau has accomplished something very special with his live-action re-imagination of a classic tale.
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This is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family though the little ones may find some scenes a bit intense. It’s a classic coming-of-age tale in which Mowgli, affectionately known as the “man-cub” must reconcile his human side with the laws of the jungle which has maintained peace between the animals for generations. The story is completely engaging as are the characters which come to life thanks to some amazing CGI and superlative voice-acting by an A-list cast.
I was completely impressed by young actor Neel Sethi who makes his feature film debut here. At twelve years old, he’s already showing amazing skill. Consider that he’s acting with computer constructs. I don’t know what or who he worked with on set but the package comes across as completely believable. I found The Jungle Book very entertaining and a visual and auditory feast. To use the Disney vernacular, it will appeal to “children of all ages.”
The image is reference-quality in every respect. Even on a big screen, it was impossible to discern what is real and what is digital; the effects are that good. Color is predominantly green as you’d expect but splashes of red and the always-important flesh tones are spot-on. Contrast is broad and deep with some of the best shadow detail I’ve ever seen. Several night scenes showed rich textures even in the darkest areas.
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The 7.1-channel DTS audio encode is also among the best. Ambient effects are used liberally and take place all around you. Even with my now old-school 5.1 system, I heard objects moving behind, to the sides and even above my seat. The sub gets into the action here and there with room-rattling effects. Music and dialog are also first-rate with excellent clarity and a wide frequency range.
Bonus features total about 47 minutes and include a making-of featurette plus two shorts about the casting process and specific info about the ape temple seen in the film. You also get audio commentary by director Jon Favreau and a DVD copy of the film.