Macaroni Kid Reiview:
The classic children's story, The Jungle Book, comes to life in this newly Disney-inspired, live action movie! While I, as a "parent," will always remember the cartoon version of the book, I have to admit that this version was much more immersive and entertaining to watch even now (especially in 3D should you choose to splurge a little more...).
With the use of CGI and the latest technology, this version was both enthralling and adventurous. The story is timeless, and the cast of voices is amazing. Let your imagination run wild like Mowgli's as you experience how dangerous life for a little boy can be in the jungle...and yet you'll appreciate and see just how amazing and important "family" and "home" are no matter who you are...even against all odds.
One thing that is very noteworthy is they kept all the classic songs we love and know by heart ("The Bear Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You" are great examples). My kids and I loved the heart-felt ending and it was definitely a great way to introduce the story to them for the first time (an instant classic for them I hope...) All in all, it was a great movie adventure that made for an awesome memorable experience for the whole family.
Movie Details:
Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. “The Jungle Book” seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. The wild adventure swings into theaters in 3D on April 15, 2016. For more information, check out Disney.com/thejunglebook, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook, and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejunglebookand Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disneythejunglebook/.
