Producer: Jon Favreau & Brigham Taylor
Director: Jon Favreau
Star Cast: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Alba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Gary Shandling, Brighton Rose, Sam Raimi & Russell Peters
Genre: Adventure
Verdict: Very Good
Plot: Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a human boy raised by the Indian wolves Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) & Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) ever since he was brought to them as a baby by Bagheera the Black Panther (Ben Kingsley). When the fearsome scarred Bengal Tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) threatens his life since man isn’t allowed in the jungle, Mowgli leaves his jungle home. Guided by Bagheera & Baloo the bear (Bill Murray), he sets out on a journey of self – discovery while evading the man – hunting Shere Khan. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who do not exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), the Indian python, and the smooth – talking Bornean orangutan -resembling Gigantopithecus.
King Louie (Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive & deadly “red flower”.
Aces: Director Jon Favreau deserves a standing ovation for making a delightfully entertaining movie for kids, in fact one which will be definitely enjoyed by one & all. Performance wise Neel Sethi, the debutante child actor, is the scene stealer. The film also has an overall technical finesse. That apart all the voice over artiste too, deserves a special mention.
Minuses: The inappropriate use of the songs which does not jell well with the adventurous mood of the film.
Last Word: The previous Jungle Book movie made in 1997 was an animated version of Rudyard Kipling’s novella and the latest version of The Jungle Book is the live – action movie based on the same novella which has surpassed even the previous attempt. And the 2016 movie The Jungle Book made in 3 dimensional is like an added bonanza.
