The Jungle Book - 2016

It’s barely necessary to do this review, but here goes anyway.  From Sabu to relative newcomer, Neel Sethi, Rudyard Kipling’s classic Jungle Book has taken on a new feel.  This is a drop-dead gorgeous film.  It captures the beauty of the landscape and the lushness of the jungles of India.  The animals are CGI and so real, you’d swear they can speak English.  Shere Khan is one heck of a scary tiger and Mowgli is one heck of a plucky man-cub/wolf, who’s also part panther, bear, monkey, and antelope.  The voice actors are simply wonderful—Sir Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Bill Murray as Baloo, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Lupita Nyong’o as Raskshi, Christopher Walken as King Louie (he lives up to the title), and Idris Elba as Shere Khan.  Of note, a prickly little porcupine is on hand to start off the action and is voiced by the late Garry Shandling.  Not as “cartoony”, but still has the basic feel of the animated Disney version enjoyed by my niece and I so many years ago.  We couldn’t stop singing the songs on the way home.  The songs are incorporated subtly and a flood of memories come to the surface.  There are really great ending credits, so I’d suggest you stick around before the logo comes on and you’re at the blue screen.  As far as age group….I’d recommend a range starting at around 8 and older.  There are some scenes that will make you jump and for a little kid, a good scare lasts a long time.  Unless you’re ready to forgo sleep because somebody has regular nightmares that don’t include Mike Wachowski…I suggest you view this gem first to determine if your little ones will need to wait a few years.  I, for one, will watch this again, and again, because I believe a well-made film really is one of the bare necessities of life. Rating:  a bunch of bananas, a temple full of monkeys, a swing through the trees, and a ride on the back of an elephant.