The Jungle Book (2016) Review

The Jungle Book

Release Date: 14th April 2016 - Australia

Production Companies 

Walt Disney Pictures 

Fairview Entertainment 

Distribution 

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Adventure

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes

Budget: $175,000,000

Box Office Gross: $966,553,944 (Worldwide - figure subject to change)

Plot Summary
The story of Mowgli, 

an orphan boy is raised
in the jungle with the
help of a pack of wolves,
a bear, and a black
panther.

Cast
Neel Sethi - Mowgli
Kendrick Reyes - Infant Mowgli
Ritesh Rajan - Mowgli's Father

Voice Cast

Bill Murray - Baloo the Bear

Ben Kingsley - Bagheera

Idris Elba - Shere Khan
Lupita Nyong'o - Raksha

Christopher Walken - King Louie

Scarlett Johansson - Kaa
Giancarlo Esposito - Akela
Garry Shandling - Ikki
Brighton Rose - Gray
Jon Favreau - Pygmy Hog
Sam Raimi - Indian Giant Squirrel
Russell Peters - Rocky the Rhino
Madeline Favreau - Raquel the Rhino

Crew

Producer/Director - Jon Favreau
Based on Book "The Jungle Book" - Rudyard Kipling
Screenplay - Justin Marks
Executive Producers - Molly Allen, Karen Gilchirst and Peter M. Tobyansen
Producer - Brigham Taylor
Co-Producer - John Bartnicki
Casting Director - Sarah Finn
Production Designers - Christopher Glass and Abhjeet Mazumder
Supervising Art Director - Andrew L. Jones 

Supervising Visual Art Director - Yuri Bartoli
Costume Designer - Laura Jean Shannon
Cinematography - Bill Pope
Second Unit Director/Director
of Photography: Second Unit/
Visual Effects Supervisor - Robert Legato
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Thomas Robinson Harper
Special Effects Supervisor - J.D. Schwalm
Visual Effects Supervisor - Charley Henley
Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - Adam Valdez
Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital - Joe Letteri, 

Dan Lemmon and Keith Miller 
Animation Supervisors - Andrew R. Jones, Dennis Yoo and Gabriele Zucchelli

Film Editor - Mark Livolsi
Sound Designer (Uncredited)/Supervising Sound Editor/

Re-Recording Sound Mixer - Christopher Boyes

Music - John Debney
Lyrics: The Bare Necessities - Terry Gilkyson
Lyrics: I Wan'na Be Like You
and Trust In Me (The Python's Song) -
Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman

Review

Before the newly-released feature film of 'THE JUNGLE BOOK', there were many versions recreating this high-spirited, adventurous story, most notably the original 1967 animated version by Walt Disney. This animated classic is colourful and energetic and is more of a musical whereas this one is just a live-action remake, but dark and scary. I would have waited first to review the earlier interpretations before watching the latest incarnation of 'THE JUNGLE BOOK', this may not have been a bad thing because often when you watch the originals then watch the remake, you can have a biased opinion and miss some of the qualities in the remake. 

Director Jon Favreau is so amazing in keeping the film intact with borrowing both of the elements from Rudyard Kipling's original story and the Disney animation. It confirms to audiences that there's still a glimmer of hope for Disney to green-light any more live-action remakes after this one alongside 'Maleficent' and 2015's 'Cinderella'. The best aspect is probably the CGI rendering which is a highest standard and the really captures the jungle settings which really immerses you in a deep, beautiful and mystical world.

All the voices in the latest version are brilliant, there are three standouts such as Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera and Bill Murray as the carefree Baloo. This isn't the first time Elba has been with Disney with a few successes under his belt such as the 'Thor' series and 'Zootopia' and it is at this point that he finally outdone the late George Sanders in terms of performing a real menace inside a vicious tiger. I'm surprised that they haven't removed any of the two songs that were from the 1967 classic "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wan'na Be Like You", this does well to mix musical elements originally used in the animated film and this will have some sentimental value for fans of the original.

Some people who have grown up watching the classic may not like it and I don't blame them. Because the original was lighthearted, less dark and gritty and more tailored to a younger audience. I think this is a very watchable movie which is deserving of the attention of any movie-goer in the mood for a wild ride.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie