The movie is thrilling right off the bat as it opens with a scene of Mowgli racing ferociously through the jungle with his adoptive wolf family and his feline guardian, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), Along with thrills you experience, comedy from the beloved bear, Baloo (Bill Murray), and hair raising scenes from the sinister anaconda Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), the tyrannical orangutan King Louie (Christopher Walken) and the terrifyingly villainous tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba). This movie is exhilarating from start to finish as you experience the enchantment, fear, and pure excitement Mowgli encounters as he travels through the Jungle.
The film was well adapted fro the 1967 version although it took on a more serious note,and some songs from the beloved cartoon did not make it into the movie. However some did such as "The Bare Necessities," "I Wanna Be Like You" and an even more forbidding version of "Trust in Me." Other musical pieces such as the elephants marching song and the cultures song "That's What Friends Are For," did not make the cut most likely do to pacing.Nevertheless the lack of the songs' appearance did not take away form the movie.
This movie successfully and gracefully grabs the attention of parents and kids. It also has enough similarities to the '67 version but also drew more inspiration from Kipling's work.
This movie is also very enlightening and pushes the idea that humanity is not necessarily fated to destroy nature, but that people and animals can live in harmony if we behave with kindness and mercy.
"The Jungle Book" has brought in 528.5 million USD so far and has remained number 1 for the past three weeks straight. The movie is bringing in bountiful amounts of good reviews. Eric Eisenburg from Cinemabland states, "The Jungle Book is shot beautifully, and has a fantastic sense of wonder within the world being created. That translates into big screen magic." It also scored a great review with Rotten Tomatoes where it received a 94%.
"The Jungle Book" was a beautifully remastered and re-imagined film and has been made with the latest movie-making technology but still has a classic feel and it should be seen by all.
-Jacara Pool