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| By Disney [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
The newly released movie, The Jungle Book, is the best new movie of 2016!
The combination of a fabulous book, excellent actors, and spectacular animation techniques makes The Jungle Book one of the best movies ever released.
I sat in amazement as I watched the new movie version of The Jungle Book unfold on the big theater screen. The characters were so realistic it was seriously hard to believe that they were not real live animals.
I have read the book by Rudyard Kipling several times, I've seen the original Disney The Jungle Book many times, but the new Jungle Book movie starring Bill Murray as Baloo literally breathed new life into the old beloved story.
Bill Murray as Baloo
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| By Paul Sherwood from Welland & Toronto, Canada (Bill Murray Uploaded by Diaa_abdelmoneim) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
I didn't initially want to see the new Jungle Book movie because I didn't want my mental image of the beloved bear to be ruined. Once I found out Bill Murray was Baloo, I decided it might be okay. It was better than okay!
Bill Murray is Baloo! There could be no better choice to play that part. Since Bill Murray has always been part comedian and part serious actor, he was perfect for the part!!! Baloo the Bear is fun-loving, easy going and yet very powerful in the jungle. All of those descriptions apply as well to Bill Murray.
Oh, and yes! He does sing "The Bare Necessities" with Mowgli. They were so precious together.
Christoper Walken as King Louie
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| John Harrison [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons |
Christoper Walken, as King Louie, was magnificent! The man actually made me like the orangutan. So much of Christoper Walken's personality showed though that the orangutan made me laugh.
The really crazy thing, there was a part of me that wanted Mowgli to give this King Louie the desired red flower (fire).
Exceptional Animation in Jungle Book 2016
I've seen a lot of animated movies in my lifetime, but the new Jungle Book animation is truly beyond spectacular. You can see the real human actors in the facial features of the animals. Their voices were not simply dubbed in. When I looked at the face of Baloo, I could see Bill Murray's expressions. The same thing was true for King Louie. Those eyes are so very recognizable especially when the voice matches.
Each of the animals were exceptional! I dearly loved Mowgli's wolf mother, Raksha in the new movie. She is gorgeous, expressive and very believable. Prior to seeing this new adaptation of The Jungle Book, I would not have even remembered her name. Now, her image and her protective strength will come to mind when I define motherhood.
It is truly hard to believe that this movie, this story that I was previously so familiar with, had such a powerful impact of me. I largely attribute that affect to the realistic animals and their interaction with what appears to be a real human boy.
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You can see for yourself in the photos above how very realistic the animals look and how beautiful they each are. The little wolf cub sitting next to Mowgli is his little wolf brother, Grey. The stunning beauty in the lower right photo is Mowgli's wolf mother, Raksha.
The Two Big Cats in the The Jungle Book
Shere Khan, the tiger, is so gorgeous that at first he is really hard to dislike. Just in case you are not familiar with the story, Shere Khan desires to take revenge on Mowgli for the injuries he suffered when he killed Mowgli's human father. His hatred of the man-cub is palpable and sadly diminishes his outward beauty.
I saved one of the best til last. As the story goes, after Shere Khan kills Mowgli's father, Bagheera finds him and gives him to the wolves to raise because of their strong, protective family pack. Bagheera, who is so profoundly well played by Ben Kingsley, is beautiful inside and out. I have always thought black panthers were pretty, but Bagheera's beauty goes beyond the fur. He is wise, protective, intelligent, loyal and above all else, good.
More Notable Actors in The Jungle Book 2016
Simply stated, all of the actors are exceptional and deserve a standing ovation for their performance.Here are a list of the main actors in Jungle Book (2016)
- Neel Sethi - Mowgli
- Bill Murray - Baloo the Bear
- Ben Kingsley - Bagheera the Panther
- Idris Elba - Shere Khan the Bengal Tiger
- Lupita Nyong'o - Raksha, Mowgli's Wolf Mother
- Christopher Walken - King Louie the Orangatan
- Scarlett Johansson - Kaa the Snake
- Giancarlo Esposito - Akela the Wolf Pack Leader
All of these actors, and more, worked together to make The Jungle Book film of 2016 the best movie of the decade! You will not want to miss it. While quite suitable for kids, this movie is not just for children.
The Jungle Book (2016) Movie Review by:
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