THE JUNGLE BOOK
US, 2016, 105 minutes, Colour.
Neel Sethi, Voices of: Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Gary Shandling,
Directed by Jon Favreau.
This is a big, spectacular film, most impressive to watch, the jungle, the animals, the talking animals, an extraordinary landslide, the collapse of the ruins of a Temple, all kinds of chases and survival. But, there is one reservation about listening to the film: a long way from author, Rudyard Kipling’s English with all kinds of contemporary Americanisms, “hey, kid”, “big deal”, “my bad”. One might imagine Kipling saying “Eh! What did you say, what did you mean?”. It is also interesting to note that many reviewers and bloggers refer to Disney’s 1967 animated version, very welcome still in the popular imagination, as “the original”. Yes, the original Disney film but many must be unaware of the fine 1942 British version of The Jungle Book. With that out of the way, this review can go back to all that is impressive in the film.
During the final credits there is what seems to be a slightly offhand remark that this was all filmed in downtown Los Angeles. But, that is one of the main points to make – this is a studio produced film, relying on excellent CGI, even for the jungle, especially for the animals and the work done on making their mouths credible for speaking. Then someone remarked that the life actor, Neel Sethi, did most of his performance in a studio in front of a green screen with the animals worked in afterwards. It has to be said that the performance is completely credible and that the photography of real life and CGI is, as they say, “seamless”.
This is a well-known story, from Kipling (and Nobel prizewinner) and his stories, from the 1942 film, from the 1967 film and the brief sequel (or rerun with Haley Joel Osment and John Goodman, The Jungle Book 2 (2002). There is a flashback at one stage dramatising how Mowgli was a little boy and the vicious tiger, Shere Khan, savaged a camp and (shown in silhouette) killed Mowgli’s father. He was rescued by the Panther, Bagheera and grew up in the jungle in a family of very sympathetic Wolves. He is referred to by the animals as a Man-Cub?. There are a number of very playful scenes, Mowgli racing the young wolf cubs and Bagheera through the jungle, a happy life.
The dramatic thrust of the screenplay is the arrival of Shere Khan, terrorising all the animals, confronting the wolves and cruel to the father wolf, searching for Mowlgi to destroy him. Mowgli becomes lost in the jungle, has an encounter with the sinisterly seductive snake, Kaa,collapses but is found by the huge, rather pearshaped bear, Baloo, who saves and guides Mowgli.
The adventures include the previously mentioned extraordinary landslide, Mowgli going down river and over falls, his encounter with the giant King Louis and the collapse of the Temple, but some lyrical moments, especially sitting on Baloo’s ample tummy, floating down river and singing the ever-popular song (Oscar-nominated in 1967), The Bare Necessities.
Should Mowgli returned to the human village? How will he confront Shere Khan? What will be the effect on the other animals? Well, audiences will just have to go and see!
And the voices! Bill Murray is unmistakably Bill Murray as Baloo, entertainingly so. Ben Kingsley is much more serious as Bagheera. And Idris Elba is aptly frightening as Shere Khan. Christopher Walken is King Louis – and has the opportunity during the final credits to sing the Sherman Brothers’ song, I Wanna Be Like You. Most audiences who now seem to have an built impulse to rush the exit as soon as the first word appears on screen for the final credits, will not only miss Christopher Walken’s song but also a song, slinkily seductive and serpent like by Scarlett Johansson who has been the voice of the snake, Kaa. And, for those who stay put, a final rendition of The Bare Necessities.
So, on the whole, this is a lavish Disney entertainment for adults and families – although, the censorship classification rightly notes that there are “some scary scenes for younger audiences”.
1. Popular version of the 21st century? Story, characters? The technology?
2. The background in Rudyard Kipling and his stories? 1942 version, 1967 version and its popularity? The songs?
3. The successful blend of live action with the character of Mowgli combined with the animation? Real animals made to speak? The action, the special effects, the landslide, the Temple destruction?
4. Audience familiarity with the plot in characters, expectations, the blend of the light and the serious? Adventure? For children, for adults?
5. A timeless story, the jungle, the animals, the humans? Yet the contemporary American idiom and its effect?
6. The credit that all was filmed in Downtown Los Angeles? The effectiveness of the CGI and blending with the live action?
7. Mowgli, his age, the qualities of the actor, audiences identifying with him, children identifying, his character, manner, action, challenge?
8. The back story, Shere Khan and his attack on the human camp, Mildly’s father, the death in silhouette?
9. Bagheera, saving multi, entrusting him to the Wolf family, the father and his leadership, the mother nice, the cubs, the racing sequence through the jungle, Shere Khan and the death of the father? Terrorising the other Wolves?
10. The character of Bagheera, his voice, finding Oakley, saving him, tutoring him?
11. She Khan, his size, voice, slinking through the jungle, facial, confrontation with the Wolves, with the other animals, dominating them? His intent in finding Mildly?
12. Car, the seductive voice, the snake, sloughing the skin, the encounter with mildly?
13. Baloo, finding boldly, in the cave, Bill Murray and his voice, character, helping Oakley, on the River, singing The Bearer Necessities?
14. King Louis, the monkeys, the Temple, sinister and imposing, in the ruins of the Temple, his face, the collapse?
15. The special effects, the huge landslide and its effect, the river, the falls?
16. Shere Khan going to the village, the thrift Oakley, the pursuit, the fear of the animals?
17. The buildup to the confrontation, Oakley using his wits, the touch of the David and Goliath story, Shere Khan and his presumption, his defeat?
18. The happy ending, Oakley and the animals? The final credits and the range of songs?
