Disney's live action film adaptation of The Jungle Book is a visually appealing and very entertaining movie with a surprising amount of heart.
It's absolutely astonishing that all areas of the film were CGI (Computer Generated Images) with the exception of the boy who plays Mowgli. The way Mowgli blends into the artificial environment is seamless. These are some of the finest visual effects I have seen in years and it makes for an immersive experience. All technical aspects of the movie are top notch.
Neel Sethi, a child actor in his first movie surrounded entirely by green screens, is quite good given the circumstances. He plays Mowgli, and even if he isn’t great, he had a very difficult task to accomplish and sufficiently played the hero. The voice cast is outstanding, the biggest highlights being Bill Murray as Baloo and Christopher Walken as King Louie.
The pacing is consistent; there is never a dull moment to be found in the briskly moving 106 minutes of runtime. There is enough substance to the movie to appeal to adults and enough light hearted fun and colorful imagery for kids.
On the flip side, there are some story elements that feel out of place due to the little amount of time spent on them. There is one three minute scene with a menacing serpent that only exists to provide some background to the developing story. The creature then disappears from the film entirely. Also, the upbringing of the hero Mowgli is glossed over to dive right into the thick of the plot.
The story has a fair share of plot conveniences in which characters arrive at a place at just the right moment to save the day. This is a very predictable movie; it provides very few surprises in its story. The music is quite good, though the movie seems unsure if it wants to be a musical or not.
Overall, The Jungle Book is a well-directed and eye popping blockbuster with some emotionally effective scenes. It's a fast moving and fun adventure with a little something for everybody.
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