Saturday, August 12, 2017

The Jungle Book


The Jungle Book, released last year, is my first foray into Disney's live-action reboots of their classic cartoons.  Combining elements of the cartoon and Rudyard Kipling story, it follows the story of Mowgli, the man-cub raised by wolves after his father is killed by the tiger Shere Khan.  When Khan comes looking for the boy years later, Mowgli sets out to find a man's village.  On the journey, he'll meet a snake (Kaa), panther (Bagheera), bear (Baloo), ape (King Louis), and other creatures who will help or hinder him.  Ultimately, Mowgli must decide: where is his true home?

This film was universally lauded . . . and I didn't care for it.  Ultimately, I didn't understand what the film was trying to be.  It's a bit scary (several scenes were more intense than its PG rating), a bit funny (but not much), a bit lighthearted, and bit musical (but not nearly like its cartoon predecessor).  In trying to be everything, it falls flat.  The visuals are certainly stunning . . . but I was disappointed.

Rating: B-

1 comment:

  1. You mean, you didn't like Christopher Walken's rendition of "I want to be like you"? I thought it was fair but he's a hoofer, not a singer.

    ReplyDelete