By: Dan Buser

Shortly after director Jon Favreau finished directing his indie film, Chef, he instantly returned to his roots to direct the 2016 summer blockbuster, The Jungle Book. The live action reboot adapts the classic story written by Rudyard Kipling. The film features an all-star voice cast including Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, and Christopher Walken. Additionally, the movie introduces Neel Sethi, a new child actor with a bright future in Hollywood.

This year’s adaptation of the classic story closely follows the original 1967 animated film. It features Bagheera (the panther) and Baloo (the bear) helping Mowgli, a human played by Sethi, navigate life in the jungle. Along the way, Mowgli encounters many different animals with all sorts of different personalities, all while being chased by the revenge driven, Shere Khan. Khan is voiced by Elba. While the story is a familiar one, it is tonally different from the 1967 version. The film trades goofy animated slapstick with heart pounding tension and action.

There is nothing wrong with this year’s adaptation of The Jungle Book. In fact, it does a lot of things exceptionally. The all star voice cast nails their roles, with each actor giving their character a distinct and unique personality. Sethi’s performance as Mowgli gives the movie its heart and sense of childlike curiosity and exploration. Favreau’s entirely CGI-ed jungle and characters look incredibly realistic and are never distracting.

However, while the movie almost never stumbles on its own, it’s nearly impossible to separate a remake from its original. In this, comes the movie’s biggest flaw. This year’s take on the tale lacks heart, not from the actors or the director, but rather the audience’s own expectations of what The Jungle Book should be.

Favreau’s take on The Jungle Book is never able to escape from the shadow of its predecessors. It’s impossible to watch The Jungle Book and not have a portion of one’s opinion influenced by the ‘67 version. Consequently, this is what ultimately holds this year’s adaptation back. The movie relies too heavily on using the nostalgia of the 1967 version and not enough time exploring its own darker take on the adventurous film.

The Jungle Book is an incredibly enjoyable take on a classic tale that brings a more serious tone. Unfortunately it seems that the film is afraid to fully explore these darker themes, and it’s these more light hearted moments that ultimately keep the film from being great.       

Rate: 6/10

Trailer 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlRPZjxtetI