The Jungle Book

— I wasn’t sure why “The Jungle Book” was being remade until I saw it. I’ve never seen the 1994 version where none of the animals speak so my only point of reference is the original musical version. The current version is nothing like it. Instead of being transported to a jungle of animated, giddy, singing and dancing critters, we’re in a much more threatening environment among believable computer-devised wolves, cats, monkeys, and other creatures of the wild. A few of the songs are still there but this isn’t a musical by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, it’s a well-done, tight, clear tale raising all the right questions about family, environment, loyalty, the animal world, and the nature of man. It’s the kind of film Disney does well, holding our attention while tugging at our heartstrings. All the star power behind the animals’ voices pays off and Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, and Christopher Walken are particularly noteworthy. This really was fun, even if I was teary-eyed in the end.

---

[2016. 105 min. Directed by Jon Favreau. Starring Neel Sethi. Featuring the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, and Garry Shandling.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-jungle-book-2016