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| The Jungle Book (2016) |
Run Time: 1h 46min.
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Family
Links: Amazon | iTunes | Google Play | Best Buy
"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack." -Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book
Raised by wolves in the jungle, man-cub Mowgli must flee the place he calls home when a tiger, Shere Khan, threatens to kill him. With the help of his friends - panther Bagheera and bear Baloo - Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find where he belongs.
Based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling, this story tells of the bond between humans and animals. It takes that very real bond and gives it more of a fantastical twist because although human-wild animal bonds are not unheard of, they're not something we often see. And plus, the animals talk. I'd say that adds to the fantasy a little too.
The acting and voice acting were great. Neel Sethi as Mowgli is a great match as he portrays the carefree, determined, resourceful character so well. Honestly, at the beginning I wasn't sure how I felt about the voice-to-CGI animal situation - I think because the 1967 animated feature is one of my favourite Disney movies, I was kind of stuck on THOSE being the voices of the characters. But once I got into the story, which didn't take long, I was able to appreciate how good the acting was. The standout voice actor in my opinion was Idris Elba as Shere Khan. He's able to be so menacing and as much as I love his accent, it's perfect for a villain like this tiger.
One of my favourite things about The Jungle Book is the soundtrack. The music is so beautiful. Going into this movie, I wasn't sure I'd be hearing the songs I love so much from the 1967 classic - but I was so glad when the iconic lyrics of "Bare Necessities" started up that I immediately broke into song with Baloo. And much to my brother's chagrin, I haven't stopped humming or singing the songs since. Fun fact: according to IMDB, Richard M. Sherman, who wrote songs for the 1967 Disney feature, wrote an extra verse for "Wanna Be Like You", which is here sung by Christopher Walken, who plays King Louie.
The visuals in this film are stunning. Being a story with a lot of talking animals, most of the film is CGI - but it's so much more than just that. The entire jungle comes alive in this movie and in any given scene, you can look around in wonder at the beauty and detail. It looks awesome. And watch through the credits because there's a really cool sequence that you won't want to miss.
Another thing I want to mention is that the action scenes are so well done. While our characters run through the jungle facing different adversaries, I found myself practically on the edge of my seat, heart racing.
All in all, The Jungle Book is a great movie that's fun for the whole family.
The Jungle Book is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Check out the trailer here:
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And now for the giveaway! ThinkJam is very kindly providing a Blu-ray & Digital HD copy of The Jungle Book to give away.
Rules for this giveaway:
1. You must be following this blog - this is for you, my reader!
2. It is open to residents of Canada and the US.
3. If selected as the winner, you must be willing to provide me with your address, which I will then send to ThinkJam so that they can send you your prize.
4. I will email you if you're selected as the winner, and you must respond within 48 hours, or I'll have to choose another winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Review and giveaway copies were kindly provided by ThinkJam in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite movie involving animals is The Lion King. Thanks for the giveaway. I hope that I win. Bernie W BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com
ReplyDeleteThe Lion King is definitely one of my favourites too! Thanks for entering and best of luck!
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