The Jungle Book review

I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting much of this new remake of a classic cartoon.  I grew up on the cartoon Jungle Book, and I don’t think I liked it too terribly much.  I remember Kaa had always freaked me out but I honestly don't remember much about it.

So when I went to see Jungle Book in theaters today, it was kinda only because it was a new Disney movie.  You go see the new Disney movie, that’s just how it works. 


I was not prepared for how absolutely fantabulous this movie was going to be.


On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this film a 15!  It was AMAZING!!  And I knew that from the very first minute of the movie.  Usually you can’t say “Yup, this is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time” within the first two minutes, right?  Well not here. 

This was honestly one of the best Disney movies I’ve ever seen.  Besides the new Cinderella, that is.

So let’s talk about The Jungle Book, shall we?



(Spoilers ahead)

Pros: 

• It was flat-out gorgeous.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen such realistic CGI in a movie…ever!  The jungle and scenery was breathtaking, and the animals looked so real it was hard to remember that Mowgli was the only real actor in this movie! 

• Mowgli was fantabulous!  That kid was so adorable and perfect for the part, I can’t even.  And what’s more, he looked like the cartoon Mowgli!!  But in this version, he was a lot more lovable and easier to connect with.

look how cute this kid is

• The cast was amazing.  Sir Ben Kinglsey was perfect for Bagheera, absolutely perfect.  And Bill Murray was a fantastic Baloo!  This Baloo and Bagheera were more complex than their cartoon counterparts, which I liked. 
• The story was different….in the best way possible!  I loved the changes they made to this version, like the ending with Mowgli staying in the jungle, and the slight changes that made it unexpected and new.  It wasn’t like watching a remake of the old Jungle Book, this was a completely different story with the same main plotlines. 

• Sher Khan was a real baddie.  In the cartoon, he was more like a Scar from The Lion King.  He was an elegant, cultured, regal tiger.  In this version, he was a rough, tough, cruel tyrant who wanted to pick a fight and had a thirst for power and blood.  This was no Disney cartoon villain.  This Sher Khan was an ugly, evil brute who was truly scary. 

• The soundtrack was beautiful.  And what’s more, it was basically a twist on the soundtrack from the cartoon!  All the familiar themes were there and improved upon, and they brought a wave of nostalgia over me lol. 

Cons: 

• They included the songs “Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You”, and I didn’t like that.  They just didn’t FIT.  This was a dramatic, intense movie, and those old cartoon songs, as endearing as they may be, just had no place in it.

• The voice for Kaa was Scarlett Johansson.  Why do I have a problem with this?  I couldn’t take Kaa seriously.   I mean, the snake was freaking Black Widow!  She was huge, she was intimidating, she was scary, but her voice was just…I kept connecting it to the actress and her other roles in film, so it really put me off. 

• Some of it wasn’t quiiiite realistic, but it was the kind of things that movies stretch for the sake of drama.  Like, a small boy is NOT faster than a full grown tiger or a gigantic orangutan.  There were a lot of just escaping in the brink of time incidents, but that didn’t really bother me.  The fact that Kaa and Baloo and King Louie were almost ridiculously enormous sort of bothered me, but not too much so.  It is a movie, after all.  They can do stuff like that.

And that was all I could find wrong, and that was just nitpicking.  I loved it.  This movie really tugged at my feels and I loved the characters and Mowgli and the wolves and oh my word it was beautiful and intense and in my opinion, one of the best Disney movies I’ve ever seen. 

I’m going to be raving about this for a long time now.  If you haven’t seen it, you really need to.  Now I want to go rewatch the cartoon version because I can’t remember it very well. 


Also, I just found out that they're making a sequel, so that would explain why it ended the way it did.  I guess they're sticking more to the book, in which case, I believe Sher Khan may pull a Sherlock on us and not be dead after all...but that's just my speculation.

I love how Disney is going back and remaking the classic cartoon films, that’s just ingenious!  And they’re doing it so marvelously well, too!  Upcoming Disney live action remakes: Pete’s Dragon and Beauty and the Beast.  Oh my word yas.  CAN'T WAIT FOR BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  Especially after seeing the cast list…oh my word.

Also, I’m looking forward to this movie:  Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.




ALHGSDLKGH EDDIE IS A WIZARD

I haven’t seen any of the Harry Potter movies and I’ve only read the first book so far because I’m a sheltered little person, but I want to see and read them because of this movie. 

Okay, maybe it’s just because Eddie Gorgeous Redmayne is playing the main character and already just from the trailers he is an adorable puppy and HE’S GINGER AHHHHHH.  Shh.  Don’t judge me.




AWWWWW.

DOESN’T THIS LOOK AMAZING?????  Magic, the 1920’s, fantastical beasts, Eddie Redmayne….how can you get any better? 

This trailer came on before The Jungle Book and I was fangirling and flailing and squeaking in the theater and trying to be quiet about it but failing miserably. 

Anyway.  Yas.  I’m looking forward to this very much so. 

Go watch the Jungle Book.  Shoo. 

And if you have seen it, what did you think of it?