Full disclosure here, The Jungle Book animated film by Disney ranks not only my favorite Disney film, but quite possibly in my favorite films of all time. It was one of those movies and stories that captivated me as a child. In the pre-VHS days (or at least when a VCR cost $1000 in 1978 dollars), all I had was the lp (for you younger folks, lp mean long playing record. You now know them as "vinyl.") and I played it over and over again to be swept away with Mowgli, Bagheera and Baloo. So, it is with more than a touch of sentiment that I went to see this new film. I was really excited. After all, "real" animals talking with Mowgli? How awesome is that? Pretty awesome it turns out...
For those of you who have not seen or read The Jungle Book, (or have lived under a rock for over 100 years since its publication), Mowgli (great newcomer Neel Sethi) is a young orphan who was adopted by wolves in an Indian jungle. He grows in the jungle like a wolf, talking to and living amongst the wolf pack. When Shere Khan (Idris Elba) the tiger, who hates all men including Mowgli, threatens to kill him before he can grow to be a man, Bagheera the panther (Ben Kingsley) volunteers to take him to the man village for Mowgli's (and the rest of the jungle's) protection. What follows is a colorful series of adventures with different animals including Baloo the bear (Bill Murray), Kaa the boa constrictor (Scarlet Johansson) and King Louie the orangutan (Christopher Walken). Mowgli doesn't want to leave the comfort of the jungle and eventually must stand up to Shere Khan to protect the wolf pack and all of his friends.
The movie is an absolute delight. The effects are amazing and for the most part, pretty convincing. The story is a little more modern, with new takes on some old songs like "Trust In Me" and "The Bare Necessities." Neel Sethi is great as Mowgli. If he keeps up with this, he will become a great actor. It is so nice when a child actor can actually act and not just be a cute face. The movie walks a tightrope on being true to its source material (both the book AND the Disney movie) while staying relevant to today's audiences.
And that's where the movie goes off the rails. I had a big issue with the central theme of the movie. There are some stories that despite they were written in periods with different mores and ideas, the themes are universal across the ages. When you thrust modern ideas into very classical motifs, it causes a weird dissonance that doesn't ring true. So what do I mean? The Jungle Book is an allegory to growing into adulthood. The jungle is the carefree and sunny existence of childhood, filled with delights, discoveries and the occasional danger. We use these experiences to learn and grow. The man village is adulthood, the thing all people should eventually reach. In this movie, Mowgli's talents of reasoning and being able to do things other animals can't seems like an endorsement for, dare I say, a colonial mindset. While he may lack the strength or cunning of some of the animals, he is clearly superior to their limited faculties. He is already the "adult," so to speak. In addition, he eventually stays in the jungle, rather than continuing on to manhood. While this is clearly a wonderful message to children and stoners, the rest of us have to put aside those childish ways and assume the responsibility of being an adult. So, in essence, this movie totally misses the point of the original story in the first place. It endorses the idea of perpetual childhood, which, in the end, is a horrible message to send to kids.
But, the movie is quite fun and will be a great lark to take the kids. It has gusto, thrills and chills. Don't bother with the 3D. It is another money grab and doesn't really add anything to the experience.
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