'The Jungle Book' visually dazzles

Fri, Apr 22nd 2016, 11:14 AM

The Jungle Book (Rated A)
Cast: Neel Sethi, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Dwight's Rating: 3.5 Stars

No-limit filmmaking is officially here!

We've been getting closer and closer to this with each passing year. But we can now say without any doubt that computer technology has ascended to a level at which nothing in the human imagination is impossible.

For proof, witness the new live-action version of "The Jungle Book". It is a technological marvel. Essentially a remake on the 1967 animated Walt Disney film of the same name -- which was based on the 1894 collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling -- the new film adheres to the previous works' themes of important moral lessons coming from anthropomorphic animals in the Indian jungle.

The story follows Mowgli (Neel Sethi), who is raised by a family of wolves since birth. He is forced to leave the only home he's ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar. Guided by a no-nonsense panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and a free-spirited bear, Baloo (Bill Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals, including a slithery python, Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) and a smooth-talking ape, King Louie (Christopher Walken). Along the way, Mowgli learns valuable life lessons as his epic journey of self-discovery leads to fun and adventure.

There was a time when a live-action version of a film like this would have had to be shot at least in part on location, especially if the goal was realism -- as opposed to the painted background fakery common of the Technicolor era.

Just over 20 years ago, Disney did another live-action version of "The Jungle Book". And even in that 1994 edition (starring a nearly 30-years old Jason Scott Lee!) filming actually took place in India and other parts of rural North America. Additionally, trained animals were used. Notably, they did not speak.

But here we are in 2016, and this new "The Jungle Book" was apparently shot entirely in studios in Los Angeles. Everything -- the jungles scenes, and every solitary wolf, panther, elephant, bear, tiger -- all of them, computer-generated images! The only thing not CGI is Mowgli himself.

With only a few exaggerated exceptions, your eyes won't believe this is CGI. You just can't believe it! Not when the wind gently blows the hair or fur on that creature, or as his ears move in such a subtle but natural way, or as the wind rustles through the leaves on that giant tree. Everything is so real and life-like. If this isn't India, then surely this was filmed in a jungle somewhere on the planet.

And we're not even getting the 3-D version here. (We continue to wonder how much longer our 3-D deprivation will continue in The Bahamas.) But even in standard definition, this is an amazing visual achievement.

Unlike some other recent movies that have almost entirely relied on technological gee-wizardry -- often at the expense of a truly dynamic or captivating plot (ahem, "Avatar") -- "The Jungle Book" is thrilling and touching, providing numerous edge-of-the-seat (and possibly, for some, even scary moments), for the young and young-at-heart.

Director Jon Favreau, who has given us such diverse and enjoyable films as "Elf" and the original "Iron Man", gives us something here more in line with both Disney's original animated version, and with the darker themes presented in the book. The animated movie was a musical, and there are actually a couple of songs here too. But for the most part, they are seamlessly and sensibly integrated. (One with Christopher Walken's monkey king character is a tad awkward, however). Don't fear, though! This in no way could be classified as a "musical".

The voice work for the animals is done by a stellar cast, including Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson and Lupita Nyong'o. The biggest voice standout is the truly amazing Idris Elba as the evil Shere Khan. Elba imbues the tiger with an imposing gravitas that is subtle and mature, but also frightening yet never cartoonish.

The only human, newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli, is a revelation. In his first full-length feature, the 12-year old seems like an old pro, with none of the over-acting that afflicts so many child actors. And for Mowgli to appear so natural in such a CGI-heavy production, Sethi deserves even more credit (apparently puppets were used to as stand ins for the animals).

I remember James Cameron claiming it took him years to produce "Avatar" as he waited for 3-D technology at the time to catch up with his vision. That film was released in 2009. Since then, we've seen movies like the beautiful "Life of Pi" (2012), which also featured life-like CGI animals. But the advancements between 2009 (and even 2012) and now have been remarkable. Can you imagine what will come in the next few years?

We are clearly on the cusp of a most exciting new technological golden age for film. And when we are lucky enough to have a well-acted, well-directed, technological masterpiece, in one film, as we do with "The Jungle Book", we have a gift that should not be missed by anyone of any age.

o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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