The Jungle Book – A Story Retold With Much Finesse

Image Courtesy: michaelbarrier.com/comingsoon.net

The number of times I have watched Disney’s Jungle Book as a child is countless. That was a time when it seemed like I had befriended Bagheera and Baloo. I felt Mowgli was the luckiest boy on earth.  Who would dare harm a kid who had a panther, a bear and elephants for friends? Shere Khan and Kaa were scary but the cartoon made me fall in love with them too. I used to try waking up Bagheera to throw Kaa down the tree and wait for Shere Khan’s screen space with Kaa. Why? I even loved the vultures!

In an effort to get my son to enjoy this magic, I got him the Diamond Edition of this legendary cartoon. Watching it with him was like reliving my golden childhood. With so much of love for the cartoon version, you can imagine the kind of excitement I felt when Disney announced their 2016 movie version of this age-old cartoon. To my relief and amazement it was a pleasure to see my son even more excited when he saw the promos during his TV time.

And so it happened this Sunday – two generations sat in front of the big screen, all set with 3D glasses; equally excited to watch something very close to their heart. For us elders, it was like watching some of their role model celebrities come back to life and for the kids it was all awe!

The makers have brushed up the characters to give them a more realistic touch. The elephants, for instance, have been altered to be majestic rather than comic. There are many characters, which are not included and yet many have been added. I don’t know if you will or will not miss the ones, which have been omitted. But, I promise you one thing. Jon Favreau has ensured you get a great expedition through this jungle.

I loved the way Justin Marks has remodeled the story for the movie. It works well even for those who do not know anything about the past versions of Jungle Book – the book or the cartoon. Most importantly, the story is remolded for us adults. Though the older version is complete in itself, you get a greater sense of completion when you watch the movie. This time they dwell into Mowgli’s flashback and do I love the way they’ve used Kaa’s character to relate that part, or what! The climax is also something I just can’t stop raving about. It captures the zeal of a little boy who decides to do something with no one to turn to for advice. Most importantly, they succeed in including the flaws he can end up making in the process, simply because he is unaware of what he is going to experiment.

I caught some comments once we were out of the movies. Some people wanted more of Shere Khan, while others thought there should have been more of Kaa. That, in itself, is the hallmark of a movie well-made.

The Jungle Book turns out to be a movie exceeding expectations - a movie strong in story line, brilliant in direction, wonderful in cast and crew, superb in dialogue delivery and precise in editing!

I am still in awe of Bagheera, Baloo and the elephants. King Louis, the orangutan, is larger than I imagined. I really didn’t expect the movie picturing the monkeys taking away Mowgli just the way it is shown in the cartoon. In fact, it is done with added zing. Shere Khan is intense, in gesture and dialogue delivery; even the threats are so feline in nature – subtle and intense. You wish you could see more of Kaa; and Rakhsa - she is so very endearing – my heart went out to her. From the porcupine to Mowgli to the mighty Shere Khan everybody gave a scintillating performance.

Get your children to taste this fantastic sense of wonder. The U/A certification is only to ensure that you need to be beside them. There are many scenes, which they may want to watch sitting on your lap or holding you close. However, their eyes are sure to be glued to the screen.

The messages are a plenty in this movie. Watch it to find out about how rules are adhered to in the jungle – you have law breakers everywhere. Watch it to remind yourself that your fears will continue to haunt you unless you decide to face it. Watch it to believe in yourself and accept yourself for what you are.

Watch it even if you do not have children of your own – relive your childhood!

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