The Jungle Book Movie Review

I was invited as press to cover this event. All opinions are my own.

Once “The Bare Necessities” gets into your head, it’s hard to stop singing the upbeat tune. When my boys saw the original animated film not to long ago, they were hooked on the playful songs from The Jungle Book.

We were excited to hear that a remake was in the works from Disney. This real-life version really brings the story to life in a new way. I was lucky enough to see the film while in LA last week for press coverage of Captain America: Civil War. As the story unfolded on the screen, I was amazed at the artistry and updates to this classic tale. It’s pretty awesome!

About The Jungle Book:

Based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories, “The Jungle Book” is inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, with an approach all its own. “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli, a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, who embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery when he’s forced to abandon the only home he’s ever known.

The all-star cast includes Bill Murray as the voice of Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, and Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of mother wolf Raksha. Scarlett Johansson gives life to Kaa, Giancarlo Esposito provides the voice of alpha-male wolf Akela, and Christopher Walken lends his iconic voice to King Louie. Newcomer Neel Sethi stars as the film’s only human character, Mowgli.

This is one of my favorite scenes from the film. Check it out below. And find the full movie trailer here.

Fun Facts about The Jungle Book:

• Mother wolf Raksha is aptly named. In Hindi, Raksha means protector.
• Artists at WETA took some creative license when it came to King Louie, borrowing a legendary character—Gigantopithecus—and exaggerating his size. King Louie stands 12 feet tall.
• At full stretch, Baloo can reach nearly 15 feet high. The free-spirited bear is so heavy and sports so much fur, he took nearly five hours per frame to render.
• INSPIRED BY WALT – Disney’s 1967 animated film, “The Jungle Book,” was the last film that Walt Disney oversaw. He passed away in 1966, the year before the film’s release. Director Jon Favreau was inspired by more than the 1967 movie. “When I think about Disney’s legacy, I relate to Walt’s original dream,” he says. “Walt Disney’s work has influenced my work. He was considered high tech for the time. He was the first person who locked soundtrack with picture, so the characters were perfectly choreographed to the musical score—something that absolutely blew people’s minds. Disney was on the cutting edge of technology.”
• According to actor Ben Kinglsey, author Rudyard Kipling’s characters are part of being young in the U.K. “Before a boy in the U.K. joins the Boy Scouts, he joins the Cubs,” says Kingsley. “And our Cub Chief was always called Akela. In fact, all the Scouts’ names come from Kipling’s writings.”

Disney’s The Jungle Book opens in theaters everywhere April 15th! Because the newest edition has live-action versions of the animals, I recommend this film for mature children 8 and up. The actors who voiced characters in the film are outstanding!! You will love this new film. Buy tickets today!