By Julia Conforti, staff writer
Decades following the release of the original Disney animated feature, The Jungle Book has followed other Disney classics and become a live action film. Much like other Disney live action films, The Jungle Book deviates from the animated classic’s plot significantly. Filmgoers who expect to see the film they saw as a child will be quite confused to see this new adaptation, though pleasantly so.
The Jungle Book is quite fantastic. The plot is a new way to look at the classic tale and teaches a new lesson of teamwork, which the original lacked. Mowgli’s wolf family is in this film much more than the animated classic which adds to the emotion of Mowgli’s adventure.
While the plot is moving and enthralling, the main topic of conversation surrounding the film is the outstanding special effects. The animals generated by CGI are gorgeous, and the settings are breathtaking. Everything is very realistic, which makes it very easy to get immersed in the film.
The familiar characters are present, and even the film is going for realism, Disney did include classic songs such as The Bare Necessities and I Wanna Be Like You during the film and Trust In Me in the credits.
The acting was marvelous from everybody. The child lead Neel Sethi surprised everybody with his miraculous performance. The voice acting is very intense, which also helps bring a sense of realism to the animals in the jungle.
The overwhelming success of the The Jungle Book is measured by the total amount brought in at the box office, at press time $684.8 million.
The film is shot beautifully, and the effects are a huge step for productions which rely on CGI. The film has a sense of wonder that Mowgli embodies, which makes it easy for viewers to relate to him. The Jungle Book is a solid 4 out of 5 stars.