Jon Favreau Offers Adventure and Beauty in His Jungle

From left: Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), Baloo (Bill Murray),
Mowgli (Neel Sethi), and Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o) in "The Jungle Book"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

Over the past few years, Walt Disney Studios has given some of their classic animated films the live-action treatment, and still have a few more on the way.  As of now, we’ve gotten Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderful” and Robert Stromberg’s “Maleficent,” both of which suffered from an overabundance of showy CGI; last year, however, we were given Kenneth Branagh’s beautifully crafted adaptation of “Cinderella,” which showed us there’s the possibility that these live-action remakes could offer something great.

The next Disney animated film to get a remake is “The Jungle Book,” which is directed by Jon Favreau and based on the stories by Rudyard Kipling.  Although this movie has its fair share of CGI, it never feels like it’s there for just the “wow” factor, something of which “Alice in Wonderland” and “Maleficent” are guilty.  The film is bolstered by a strong lead performance from newcomer Neel Sethi, a world-class voice cast, a beloved story, and superb visual magic.  With all of this, Favreau has made a film of pure excitement that manages to top its animated predecessor.

As an infant, Mowgli (Sethi) is found in the jungle by a panther named Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), who then brings him to be raised by a wolf, Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) and her pack, which is led by Akela (Giancarlo Esposito).  One day, during the jungle’s dry season, the animals group together to drink the remaining water, which is all part of a truce that lets animals gather with each other without the fear of getting eaten by their predators.  When a tiger named Shere Khan (Idris Elba) notices Mowgli in the crowd, he threatens to kill him if he is not handed over to him by the end of the drought.  Not wanting any of his family to endanger themselves in hiding him, Mowgli decides to leave the jungle and go back to his village, and Bagheera volunteers to guide him.  While on this journey, Mowgli will meet several animals who either want to help or harm him, and he will eventually come to realize his place in the jungle. 

In his feature-film debut, Sethi is able to carry the movie as he interacts with the CGI animals.  Sethi’s ability to act alongside them and not have any other human characters in the film speaks to his talents and marks the beginning of a promising career.  Sethi converses with the animals as if he’s standing next to the real things, showing full confidence in his abilities to be at the heart of a big-budget film.

The talented voice cast is what helps us feel the strong emotions displayed by the animal characters.  Bill Murray brings his wonderful humor as the lovable bear Baloo; Ben Kingsley offers a sense of majesty as the protective Bagheera; Idris Elba is a perfect fit as the ferocious and ruthless Shere Khan; Christopher Walken is one of the highlights of the voice cast as the greedy orangutan, King Louie; Lupita Nyong’o offers her soothing voice as the motherly wolf Raksha; Scarlett Johansson is excellent as the cunning snake Kaa; and Giancarlo Esposito brings a feeling of authority as Akela.

Normally, I don’t care for movies that are overloaded with visual effects, but what the filmmakers use for this film is gorgeous.  The jungle is wonderfully vivid, and the realistic look makes for an immersive experience that had me wish all movies that take place in these CGI worlds could be as careful and attentive to detail in creating their environments.  Similar to other films that have brought effects-driven worlds to life, such as “Avatar,” “Prometheus,” and “Life of Pi,” “The Jungle Book” doesn’t just use average visual effects in the hopes that audiences will flock to the movie just to see a live-action version of a Disney classic; you can tell that the filmmaking team took their time in realizing the world they wanted to create and provided it with the details and scope that would make this film an absolute treat on the big screen.

The screenplay by Justin Marks doesn’t add much that’s new to the story, but his narrative still manages to stay true to the spirit of the animated film, and also manages to enhance the magic of it by adding a bit more emotion to the narrative.  He uses all of the important parts of the story that are essential to Mowgli’s coming-of-age journey as the character realizes his place amongst the wildlife of the jungle.  In between all of the thrills, Marks also includes the animated film’s beloved songs “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wan’na Be Like You,” which transported me back to the time I first watched the original as a young viewer.

What Favreau proved with “Iron Man” (not so much “Iron Man 2,” unfortunately) is when he’s given a compelling script and a film that requires special effects, he can offer some very memorable entertainment.  There aren’t any dull spots in his directing, and he keeps the story going by heightening the sense of adventure throughout the film.  With stunning CGI effects, a classic story, a talented cast, and Bill Pope’s sweeping cinematography that gives us splendid images of the jungle, Favreau has crafted a visually splendid and well-acted film that can be loved by audiences of all ages, just like many of Disney’s films from the past and present.

If “The Jungle Book” is further indication of the quality Disney’s future live-action remakes will have going forward, we’re in for some more worthwhile revisits to our favorite classics.

Grade: A-