The Jungle Book transports you into a beautiful world filled with incredible set-pieces. If director Jon Favreau's intent was to have each location create a shift in mood, he wildly succeeds. The rocky stomping grounds of the wolfpack creates an air of lightheartedness. Once Mowgli sets foot on the watering hole or trudges through the open plains of high-grass, you instantly get a feeling of uneasiness, like something bad is about to happen. Go further into the jungle depths and it will make your skin crawl as you await the dangers that are seemingly lurking around every corner. All of these set-pieces are not only distinct, but succeed independently of animal interaction. I was nervous for young Mowgli's safety inside the Monkey Temple long before King Louie showed up.
The characters make up the other half of the movie's successful equation. Each animal, originally done in their own right, dominate their respective scenes while advancing the story. Even the smallest parts, like the giant squirrel played by Sam Raimi, are completely unique and help flesh out the jungle world. My favorite character, Ikki the porcupine (played by Garry Shandling) had a minute role but made me smile the entire time he was on screen.
Mowgli the "man-cub" has been raised in the wild by a family of wolves. While the wild is all he has ever known, his parents know that eventually he is going to have to insert himself into human life. Bagheera the panther, Mowgli's mentor, decides now is as good a time as ever to take Mowgli to human society as the man-cub suddenly finds himself being hunted by Shere Kan the vicious tiger. While the film is plenty enjoyable, it definitely isn't without its faults.
Disney's movies, Pixar in particular, are particularly good at stirring up emotion within the audience but there were moments in The Jungle Book that missed the mark for me. There is one particular pivotal moment in the film that occurs that should have been a very moving moment, but it happens...and nothing. I'm not sure if emotional conveyance is the proper terminology, but if it is, this film could have used more of it.
I was also a bit thrown off by the motive of the antagonist Shere Khan. Shere Khan wants Mowgli gone from the jungle because he is a man-cub and men only bring danger and destruction to the life around them. I get that part. What I didn't understand, however (spoiler alert?), is why Shere Khan continued to be so persistent after Mowgli tried to leave the wild. Why not, I don't know, just let it go? Most animals, when threatened, move on once the threat has seemingly been eliminated. While I did appreciate Khan's bad-assness, I wasn't quite sold on his necessity of pursuit.
Finally, I want to take a moment to bring up Neel Sethi's performance as Mowgli. Though nothing stellar by any means, I thought it was a decent performance. I actually liken his performance to that of Jake Lloyd when he played young Anakin in Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace. I find it a bit funny that, while Sethi's performance was lauded, critics came down extremely hard on Lloyd's acting. At the end of the day, they're kids and they shouldn't be expected to have the same chops as Sean Connery or Liam Neeson. Lloyd wasn't the problem in The Phantom Menace just as Sethi's ok performance in The Jungle Book doesn't make the movie any less enjoyable.
The Jungle Book is a good family movie that's just as much beautiful as it is fun. I give it an 80.
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