The Jungle Book 

 Cast: Neel Sethi

Voices: Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Scartlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong’o

 Director: Jon Favreau

 105 mins

Jon Favreau’s live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, whilst visually stunning, offers real grit and ferocity, but these notions are kept in check by Justin Marks’ energetically scripted update of Rudyard Kipling’s iconic work. Mowgli’s new adventure is a stunning technical achievement in the field of animation, immersing the cinemagoer in lush, finely-detailed tropics full of animalistic showmanship and heartwarming Disney sentiments that are ideal for all age groups. This is the kind of dream-weaving cinema that childhoods are made of. In other words, the film is full of wondrous creativity with the power to challenge future filmmakers.

It all starts with the cute and loveable man-cub, which sees the young, unknown Neel Sethi morph with total ease into Mowgli, an orphaned jungle boy who was raised by wolves and his natural charisma provokes a tender, childish nostalgia. The young actor impressively interacts with his CGI counterparts without breaking momentum and it’s the kind of performance that hits on all the right experiences – family bonding, thrilling stunts and a social message about what it truly means to be an outsider. This young star breaks through a jarring big-screen barrier, and drags us into his world – one that’s beating with the courageous heart of a mighty lion. When I was a  youngster, the animated version of The Jungle Book was a real favourite and I loved King Louie’s “I Wan’na Be Like You” song.  Crazy characters sang and danced - and while Favreau’s film is an impressively tense journey into the heart of unleashed childhood, there’s no lack of bumbling comedy or fruit-snatching anecdotes.

In a matter of minutes, Mowgli gets into Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) with an inquisitive child-driven succession of questioning, which draws a smile of joyousness that never vanishes. Then Baloo enters, and the masterfully laid back Bill Murray steals scene after scene with his carefully timed top lines. Laughs are still plentiful here, despite a more focused roar of intensity – this is Disney, after all. Striking deeper, Murray’s performance is the epitome of what proper voice acting can do. Baloo isn’t just a talking bear – he’s a personified animal filled with emotional reactions and a presence all unto himself. Murray’s voice becomes one with Baloo, as he belts “The Bare Necessities” while floating down a shimmering, crystal-clear river. This is also true of Kingsley, who evokes a regal fatherhood in Bagheera. However I did feel slightly under-impressed by the less-clear diction of Idris Elba, whose attempts at a menacing scowl didn't quite succeed in achieving what could have been one of the scarier Disney villains in recent memory (Shere Khan). Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson and Giancarlo Esposito are all quite impressive as they disappeared under furry coats and got so lost in the dialogue they deliver that talking animals seem commonplace. The other performer who struggled a bit just so happens to have one of the most distinctive voices in Hollywood - Christopher Walken. Reading as King Louie, a gargantuan ape with a Brooklyn accent and mafioso tendencies, Walken doesn’t exactly match Louis Prima’s big-band swing. He more scat-reads “I Wanna Be Like You,” which is one of the film’s other slight stumbles.

While it takes a proper actor to grant scripted characters life, there’d be nothing to voice without a host of beautifully rendered animal creations. When I say there’s never been a more jaw-dropping beautification of pixelated zoo inhabitants than The Jungle Book, you must believe that films have never stunned prior to this with such exquisite looks. These are real, take-your-breath-away kind of graphics that make an overpriced iMax 3D ticket worthwhile. All that time spent meticulously texturing and shading, which graphic artists do remains unparalleled, as layered, flowing hairs sway freely when animals stand stoically behind gusting winds. Each dew drop, rustled leaf and porcupine quill shines with polished detail, leaving no moss-covered stone unturned. Animators built an entire world on imagination alone here, and it’s ten times more vivid than staged locations could have accomplished. Back to Favreau’s authentic work - the filmmaker goes the extra distance and more as far as recreating animal tendencies is concerned. Such as the little things, like Bagheera’s muscly leg dangling off a tree branch as he relaxes, or Shere Khan and Akela (Esposito) posing characteristically on a rock, even while entrenched in a game of verbal threats. Even in Avatar, James Cameron’s Pandora doesn’t hold a glowing blue tentacle to Favreau’s vine-covered red flower. The bar has been raised here, and it’s capped by a rousing third act engulfed in a blazing inferno, which bellows smoke and pits Mowgli against a ferocious Shere Khan in a white-knuckled defence of his individuality.

The Jungle Book is an epic, soulful adventure about finding your identity and defining what truly makes a family. Favreau does right by Disney in staying family-friendly, but that doesn’t stop a few breathlessly tense action sequences from elevating the stakes and speeding thumping hearts. Emotions run thick as blood, while Mowgli explores an astounding jungle setting that proves, once again, how magically transformative great cinema can truly be. Bears monkey around, monkeys square off against bears, and we find ourselves invested in every single step Mowgli takes. The Jungle Book is a love letter to wonder and an expression of the daydreams we once conceived as wide-eyed, world-conquering youngsters.