(*** out of 5)
Yes. It's been a year since I wrote in this blog. Whatever you want to say, my response will be "point taken."
Now...
Unfortunately, there is that annual gap between the Academy Awards and the summer, in which not many decent movies arrive in theaters. Spring is a time for Netflix and rentals.
The best movie in theaters right now is The Jungle Book (until the summer movies start). It takes the original story and adds CGI animals, bringing the original tale to life in a whole different perspective. Some of the characters were not as prevalent in this version. (Kaa only has a minor part, which disappointed me).
What I really enjoyed was the interesting political twist. Shere Khan, a tiger who had been previously attacked by a human, wants Mowgli to be dead by the time the rains return to the Jungle. He is able to convince many of the animals in the jungle that Mowgli will learn that he is a man and will possess the power to make fire. Once Mowgli discovers fire, Khan believes that Mowgli will destroy the Jungle. Khan knows that he is not the only one who feels threatened by Mowgli, and he uses this to his advantage. The casting director made a perfect decision casting Idris Elba as the voice of Shere Khan, as it makes the villainous tiger sound rough, yet betrayed.
The beginning of the movie is a serious tale, until they introduce the warming personality of Baloo, voiced by Bill Murray. Baloo becomes the comic relief of the film, much like the original version. Baghera and Baloo behave more like adults, and there isn't as much bickering between the characters, and there is more of understanding.
Baghera was not much different from the original version. Sir Ben Kinglsey voices the giant black panther, paying homage to the original movie.
The graphics were amazing. My favorite scene was near the end, when Mowgli faces Shere Khan alone in a burning jungle. It felt much like the animated film, but took the suspense up a level.
The character that I did not enjoy was King Louie. It was not necessarily the character; it was the fact that he was voiced by Christopher Walken. While the scene was supposed to be dark, I wanted to laugh. I thought I was watching a mafia movie with apes. I later read that they wanted the character to be the ape version of Marlon Brando. The director accurately did this, but it felt out of place in the film.
Overall, I think The Jungle Book is a fun, family movie to go see. It earned its PG rating, but there were lots of small children at the theater that seemed to enjoy it. That being said, I am looking forward to summer films.
