Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, a Diamond in the Overgrown Rough
Directed by Andy Serkis
Starring Rohan Chand, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Andy Serkis
Disney’s 2016 CGI-fueled, “live action” remake of The Jungle Book blew audiences away with its gorgeous visuals and its realistic take on what Kipling’s novel would be like if it actually happened. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is a decidedly more personal and intimate portrayal of this, focusing more on Mowgli’s character development, and rather than trying to be another retelling of the 2D-animated Disney classic, it takes more inspiration from Kipling’s novel and director Andy Serkis’s vision. From a technical standpoint, it doesn’t quite measure up to the spectacle and production value of Disney’s film, but it arguably has more soul and passion behind the camera that permeates the cinematic experience earnestly through the course of the film.
The main initially noticeable difference between this film and its Disney counterpart lies in the fact that this film’s animal animations are vastly more mature. The animals get bloodied, their fur is matted, and flies and animal injuries adorn even the toughest of the characters. This definitely earns its PG-13 rating and is not for extremely young kids, I would not let any child younger than possibly 4th or 5th grade level view this film. The film is much darker in tone. Additionally, the motion capture for the animals provides much more human-like faces, which some critics have found jarring, but I found enduring and effective. A scene between Mowgli (Rohan Chand) and Bagheera (Christian Bale) in the third act of the film really displays the advantages of giving the animals more human-like faces, as that scene alone portrayed more emotion and heart than Disney’s 2016 film. While the film is messier from a pacing standpoint and much more physically gritty, it has a greater emotional core due to its earnestness with its display, and with less of a focus on being a straight remake and more focus on the characters in the film themselves. The second act does drag and the tonal shifts in the plot don’t always fit the events happening on screen, but overall, I feel these complaints didn’t detract from the viewing experience too much.
By far the acting is this film’s greatest strength, as for all its technical shortcomings and its tonal and narrative shifts, the acting remains particularly great throughout. Rohan Chand is a far better child actor than Disney’s kid, and his range is far greater throughout more emotionally driven scenes and set pieces. Christian Bale as Bagheera and Andy Serkis as Baloo are also standouts, as they provide different but equally valid interpretations of their characters. Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan is also great, as he along with Serkis prove to be some of the best mocap actors working today. I much prefer Cumberbatch’s Khan to Elba’s, as Cumberbatch is able to better manipulate his voice and his facial tics to become the character, along with Serkis’s directing of the facial expressions for the animals. The cinematography and score, while servicable for an early directorial effort, were nothing special, even if the CGI varied from pretty good to a little messy. I just cannot help but appreciate the passion behind the camera with this effort. I am able to overlook some pretty glaring flaws with Mowgli, as this film feels far less like a corporate product and much more like a vision and passion project that Serkis has helped create.
While the universal core story and message of this film is relatively the same as past incarnations, the film itself is a much more nuanced and smaller scope affair. As such, Mowgli will probably be remembered more along the lines of cult adaptations like Lord of the Flies or Watership Down due to its more mature content and its more stylized take of Kipling’s classic source material. Time will tell if the animation ages well, but frankly, the same can be said about the 2016 The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and the smorgasbord of CGI “live action” film efforts Disney will be churning out over the next several years. At least this one relays its inherent compassion and integrity throughout without sacrificing its character. I commend and recommend it despite the slower pace, inconsistent animation quality, and the wandering second act. It’s on Netflix to watch now, so give it a go if this sounds like something you would appreciate and enjoy like I did.
Verdict: Stream It
Disclaimer: I review movies based on a 5-tier scale: See in Theaters-Full Price, See in Theaters-Matinee, Rental, Wait for Streaming, and Skip It. If a film is released straight to VOD or streaming, the rating will simply change to either Stream It or Skip It. If you disagree with this review, I encourage you to watch the film and as always, make up your own mind about it. Am I wrong? Am I spot on? Let me know in the comments below!
