The Jungle Book (2016)

[AniNate]

I kept hoping the movie would cut back to the wolf pups when he was on screen

[K1stpierre]

Just got back from seeing it with the family:

 

My first thoughts were WOW! How on earth could computer animated CGI make a jungle look so real?! I felt like I could reach out and pet the animals fur, or scoop up some water at the stream. It was just so surreal. Now for the characters: First judging it from a character of the story I found Mowgli and Sher Kahn to have developed the most vs. the animated version. Mowgli in the cartoon was always an after thought, when you think of the cartoon version everyone always remember Baloo for being his funny silly way and the other animals for their other quirky characteristics. However Mowgli was always just flat and for the main character of your story to be flat, it says something. Here, I love that Mowgli actually made logical decisions, for example who reasoned with himself that it would make the best sense for him to leave, as him staying would endanger his family (whereas the cartoon version Mowgli was so self centered regardless of the peril and doom around him). We also got a very nice background story to how he came to the jungle, which leads......

 

To us discussing Sher Kahn, as we get a more detailed look into why Kahn wants to kill Mowgli so bad, whereas in the cartoon it just seems so random and out of place with him wanting to kill Mowgli with no other reason than "eh, because I want too". Kahn here we truly see and feel his motive, which makes his characters all the more menacing when he appears on screen. Kaa's character was changed not only from being male to female but also in attitude, as Kaa is more of hypnotic, seductive snake vs. the cartoon's sillier version.

 

Now onto the actor's/actresses: I thought the boy who played Mowgli did a superb job, considering the challenges of having to act in front of nothing but a screen. It never felt like he was acting at nothing, he carried a lot of emotion where things went sad and carried humor and laughter when it was needed. Bill Murray as Baloo was a good, maybe not as goofy as the cartoon but his cool charm still made this film work. Bagheera in this seemed to be exactly the same as the cartoon version, being played by Ben Kingsley, and if I didn't know any better I would have thought it WAS the same actor from the cartoon playing him as both voices sound identical. King Loius was okay, I'll into my only gripe with him in a bit. Kaa was exceptional, although it was disappointing we only got one scene with her, seemed like such a waste. My stand out though was clearly Sher Kahn. Every time his presence took up the screen, you knew shit was going to go down. The scene where he kills the alpha wolf was so random and quick, it made me and my family jump. We didn't see it coming. He's definitely a villain I could see terrorizing young children for sure.

 

Now, for my complaints I really only have two: First I already mentioned that I wished there was more Kaa, seemed like a waste to have a big name actress play her, and to also showcase how amazing she looked, only to utilize her once. My biggest gripe though with the film are the songs, which I heard is what others have said (here and critics). I have to say I agree, more so in particular the song I wanna be like you by Loius more so than Bare Necessities by Baloo. It just felt so out of place and really didn't sound good at all to me when Loius was singing the song. I think taking the songs out would have made the film so much better. I realize what they were trying to do here, but it just didn't work and it really took me out of the film. 

 

Other than that though I loved everything else, the pacing was awesome, characters great, overall a huge achievement by Disney.

 

Rating is an A-, 9/10  

[Avatree]

19 hours ago, Blank Panther said:

I also appreciated Mowgli playing with a cowbell right before meeting Christopher Walken lol.

fuck me, I feel like an idiot. I was wondering what the point of that moment was. 

[Kvikk Lunsj]

8 hours ago, ddddeeee said:

The kid killed the movie for me too.

 

i didn't care for it in general. The Jungle Book is pretty much the only Disney classic I don't have much of a nostalgic connection to and I wonder if that explains my apathy.

Agreed I never cared for as a kid. 

 

I thought on a technical level the film is great. The voice acting is splendid. The biggest problem is the story and the pacing. A lot of the characters felt under used. Mowgil was a boring character.  The film felt over long. 

2/5. 

[ttr]

Baloo was the worst part of the movie. Only reason for it was to just show that Mowgli is capable of making "tools", ultimately serving the end of the movie with last fight and the elephants. Have to say, I really enjoyed how they presented the elephants (compared to the 1967 version).

 

My daughter found Kaa to be the best part of the movie. Very hypnotizing, ScarJo was amazing. Even if it was a bit disconnected from the other parts, it did give very good explanation to why Shere Khan hates Mowgli. And it introduced the red flower and how animals feel about it. Nice little educational aspect considering the child-audienece And served the story really well.

 

In my opinion everything after the King Louie episode was awesome and very intense. Great movie with great ending.

[RobinHood26]

Visually breathtaking. I was blown away by the first 30 seconds even. Very episodic, great adventure, the music was good, but some of the story beats felt too heavy handed. Baloo telling the kid ehhh be meant nothing to him felt forced and never gets brought up or gets resolved. The characters in general really don't have too much conflict if any conflict but its a fun time that will make you smile and feel like a kid.

 

B (86)

[Kalo]

On 4/17/2016 at 4:22 PM, tribefan695 said:

 

 

 

It's a big budget blockbuster, not an elementary school play. I think it merits critique so that it actually means something when you praise another kid's acting in a similar situation.

 

Expect that I thought Neel did great, not perfect all throughout but pretty great, definitely better than a elementary school play...

[AniNate]

Well, I didn't

[Kalo]

1 hour ago, tribefan695 said:

Well, I didn't

 

Well go watch an elementary school play then.

[Spidey Freak]

Guys... 

 

Neel was pretty impressive, considering this was his first film and he had no other actor to react to. The fact that it was all green screen instead of being an on location shooting meant he had no proper atmosphere to work with either. Pretty intimidating and demanding for a first time child actor. There have been seasoned professionals triple his age who have stumbled terribly when put in the same situation.

[Spidey Freak]

On 4/17/2016 at 10:28 AM, Blank Panther said:

I also appreciated Mowgli playing with a cowbell right before meeting Christopher Walken lol.

 

On 4/18/2016 at 6:10 AM, Treetrunk Special said:

fuck me, I feel like an idiot. I was wondering what the point of that moment was. 

 

Pretty convenient that the scene took place in the ruins of a Hindu temple. Those bells hang from the ceilings of temples so it didn't seem out of place in those ruins either, while still being sly.  

[AniNate]

Whatever justifications you make about Neel, I cannot say with a straight face that I enjoyed his performance. When I find child actors impressive I will give them their due credit, but this was not one of those times

[Spidey Freak]

59 minutes ago, tribefan695 said:

Whatever justifications you make about Neel, I cannot say with a straight face that I enjoyed his performance. When I find child actors impressive I will give them their due credit, but this was not one of those times

 

[AniNate]

I'm just defending my opinion here. You guys liked him, I didn't. Agree to disagree?

[Morococusco]

B+ entertaining family movie. The visuals are really good.

[Goffe]

It's kinda long, isn't it? there were more than a couple scenes where I felt the film was losing focus. Most of these scenes are in the second act. 

 

Making small changes here and there, I think Johansson's snake () scene,  Mowgli saving the elephant, Mowgli being introduced to the elephants and both musical numbers could have been cut, easily. 10-15 minutes right there.

 

Some have pointed out its episodic nature, maybe that's my problem with TJB.

 

On the positive side, the kid was adorably excellent and the score was pretty terrific, I say that was at least half of the reason why the film worked as well as it did. 

 

Also, first half is strong, like really strong.

 

It's what keeps me from rating it lower.

 

75/100 

 

Ranking Disney live-action fairy tales time?

 

1 Oz - Sam Raimi
2 Cinderella - very good, lacks a bit of ambition though
3 Jungle Book - uneven
4 Alice in Wonderland - uninspired
5 Maleficent - put it in the trash can and kill it with fire. NOW.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Goffe

[Goffe]

Two other things

 

I rolled my eyes pretty super fucking hard when the snake started to tell the story why the tiger hates Mowgli. It was so much better when the tiger's reason was left for imagination.

 

I have a problem with them showing the elephants in two other scenes before when they come to the rescue in the end, I mean, the film tries to make of them some kind of mighty, mythical beings of the jungle, wouldn't it be much more effective if they were only referenced throughout the film, only showing up in that last scene?

Edited April 21, 2016 by Goffe

[Spidey Freak]

6 hours ago, Goffe said:

Two other things

 

I rolled my eyes pretty super fucking hard when the snake started to tell the story why the tiger hates Mowgli. It was so much better when the tiger's reason was left for imagination.

 

I have a problem with them showing the elephants in two other scenes before when they come to the rescue in the end, I mean, the film tries to make of them some kind of mighty, mythical beings of the jungle, wouldn't it be much more effective if they were only referenced throughout the film, only showing up in that last scene?

 

Most of the other complaints on the matter are the other way around i.e. even Kaa's explanation wasn't enough to clarify Shere Khan's animosity towards Mowgli. Goes to show there is no pleasing everyone either way.

 

Regarding the elephants, I guess it was staying culturally authentic for a story set in India. Some of the beings/elements (fire, river, elephant, cow etc.) that are considered holy and mighty aren't just invisible, mythic legends but very visible and common parts of everyday life. The other animals revered the elephants because of what they were capable of and paid their respects whenever they came across them in daily life. And Mowgli's single act of personal kindness was the reason the elephants diverted the natural course of the river to stop the fire from destroying Mowgli's part of the jungle.

 

That and the first scene also worked as a neat little nod to the Colonel Hathi sequence from the original movie.

[Goffe]

3 hours ago, Spidey Freak said:

And Mowgli's single act of personal kindness was the reason the elephants diverted the natural course of the river to stop the fire from destroying Mowgli's part of the jungle.

So, the elephants wouldn't have saved the forest if Mowgli hadn't saved the baby elephant?

[AniNate]

Whatever my problems with the movie, those two things weren't part of them. The snake scene was literally hypnotizing.