Reboots are a curious thing. They can make a good series bad or a bad series good depending on the way the filmmaking dice roll,or can sometimes draw an entire generation of hate for ruining the old-school charm of a classic. And with the recent outbursts over the new Ghostbusters film, with feminists declaring war on people who have decided against seeing the film (I'm staying out of this one), I figured the only way to counter one reboot is with another. This is what led me into the theater to see the new remake of The Jungle Book- and I have to admit, I was surprised. Not only was it a newer, darker version of the classic story, but it was a well-made one.
I know I'm going to get hate for this,but it needs to be said: I wasn't a huge fan of The Jungle Book growing up (I was more into cartoons like Teen Titans), and
looking back on it now, it just doesn't seem to hold up. The characters are fun,sure, the Bear Necessities is catchy, but the plot can get dull and shaky at times and the villain is nothing but a cocky brat. I realize it was made in a different time- but keep in mind Fantasia was made even earlier. Regardless,it's a fun and harmless filmto keep your little one occupied. The reboot is nothing like it.
Watching this in a theater with small children, I was admittedly humored by the reactions of the angry parents who expected it to be a simple live-action remake of the happy-go-lucky story. But, times have changed. We live in a time where people are more interested in conflict and fright. And so, as pop culture adapted, the classic story had to as well- and the best way to do that was to reinvent the jungle using the wonders of CGI.
I absolutely love the computer-generated animations in this film: every little thing is alive and humming. You can see the foliage rustling and the breath of every animal in the scene. Every character has been wonderfully redesigned to fit the modern ideals of them: Bageera the black panther takes on a more mysterious presence, Baloo the Bear now looks like a real bear, and even former whiny tiger Shere Khan has developed an intimidating presence and voice. My personal favorite change is that of the snake, Kaa (please dont look him up on Google Images), who has not only grown several feet in size, but has received gender reassignment surgery and is now voiced by the strikingly attractive Scarlet Johannson. King Louie, too, is affected by this change, and has grown from being a mere orangutan to a massive Gigantopithecus, now so large that smaller monkeys can use his shoulders as landings. Even Shere Khan, admittedly a bad villain in the original, takes on a more cunning and ruthless nature when given a touch of CGI and the incredible voice of Idris Elba.
There's a lot to enjoy in the film- from the darker new characters to the fast-paced and tense action scenes (when King Louie does get off his throne, he's a massive and imposing figure, capable of causing rockfalls with his massive size). Young mancub Mowgli (who's child actor isn't bad, honestly) uses his human instinct and trickery to emerge victorious from troublesome situations (he creates an admittedly impressive pulley system to gather honey from a cliffside beehive) on his way to follow Bageera's orders and reach the man villiage. But now that the tiger is a genuine threat, can he make it in time? And does he even want to go back? See foryourself in this dark reboot of a classic story, that captures the jungle of the original with it's own unique twists.
OVERALL RATING: 7/10
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