"I Am Mowgli, And This Is My Home..!"
Of all the Live-Action Disney remakes that have graced our screens over the course of the past few years or so, the latest from Iron Man's Jon Favreau could easily be regarded as perhaps the best of the lot, with Kenneth Branagh's take on Cinderella last year arguably being the closest Disney re-imagining that manages to at least rival and in some areas, better, the latest take on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, a film featuring an impressive foray of CGI inflicted animals, each with their own personalities, aided by a stellar voice cast featuring the likes of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley and of course, Idris Elba as the terrifying figure of Shere Kan, an enemy completely parallel to the one featured in the 1967 Disney animated classic, highlighting the darker and scarier direction Favreau's film has decided to go in. The real question still remains though; does the latest incarnation of Mowgli and Baloo's story give justice to both Kipling and the 1967 animation? It does indeed, although, perhaps inevitably, probably won't be as endearing as the latter has been in terms of longevity and legacy.
Of the film's many successes, the CGI animals throughout the entirety of the film are a sheer wonder to behold, with flawless design and an incredibly voice cast accomplishing the incredible feat of forgetting the animals' fictionalised reality and entirely believing in them from the outset. A dour joke at the beginning that fell flat on its' face aside, the CGI through the course of the film is easily the best use of the technology in recent memory, perfectly realising the characters of Kipling, particularly that of the stand-out trio in Bill Murray's charismatic Baloo, Idris Elba's sinister Shere Kan and finally, Christopher Walken's King Louie, harbouring a comical updated version of "I Wan'na Be Like You". Letting the team down rather comprehensively however is Scarlett Johansson's Kaa, a involvement way too short to have any impact whatsoever. Of course, being the only real-life actor within the film, Neel Sethi's portrayal of Mowgli is one of depth and interest, a testament to the young acting abilities of Sethi, a previously unheard actor. Not any more I would think. Disney does it again, congratulations, The Jungle Book is a easy-going family treat, one that will please everyone that intends to see it. With a sequel already in the works, it is safe to say the story of Mowgli has a very strong future indeed. Any news on Star Wars now?
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