The Jungle Book (2016)
★★★★ — The Jungle Book (2016)
Jon Favreau came to this project off the back of the Iron Man films and Cowboys & Aliens (2011), a career arc that had made him a safe pair of hands for large-scale studio work rather than a directorial auteur in any obvious sense. The film is a loose remake of Disney's own 1967 animated classic, itself adapted from Rudyard Kipling's 1894 collection of stories, and was produced almost entirely on a soundstage in Los Angeles, with young Neel Sethi (in his feature debut) performing against green screen for the vast majority of his scenes. At a $175 million budget it was a considerable bet on performance-capture and photorealistic CGI at a scale the technology had not previously been asked to carry, and the near-billion-dollar global gross made it one of the more profitable Disney live-action remakes of the 2010s revival cycle.
Jon Favreau’s live-action (well, CGI-everything) remake of The Jungle Book is a technical marvel. A film so visually polished that the jungle feels real even though almost nothing on screen actually exists. The animals are rendered with astonishing detail, the environments lush and immersive, and the action sequences, like Mowgli’s flight from Shere Khan or the python hypnotism scene, are genuinely gripping. It’s a showcase of modern filmmaking, no doubt. And the voice cast (Bill Murray as a laid-back Baloo, Idris Elba as a terrifyingly intense Shere Khan) brings real personality to their roles, even within the limits of animation. The film sticks close to the spirit of the original animated classic, while borrowing more from Kipling’s darker tone. It moves well, looks incredible, and retains a few of the beloved songs in clever, organic ways. Murray’s rendition of “The Bare Necessities” is a highlight, relaxed, warm, and perfectly cast. But the magic stops there. The emotional core feels thin, Mowgli’s journey a little too clean and streamlined, stripped of the whimsy and heart that made the original resonate. The balance between spectacle and soul is off. We’re constantly reminded how impressive it is, but not often why we should care. It’s not a bad film, just a safe, soulless remake that prioritises visual fidelity over genuine wonder. It looks like a masterpiece, but plays like a very expensive cover version. Good, not great. And nowhere near the charm of the cartoon. Still, if you’re after a visually stunning, inoffensive adventure with some solid voice work, it gets the job done. Just don’t expect it to swing as high as it thinks it does.
Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 2016 | Watched: 2025-08-13
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Jon Favreau: The Lion King (2019) · Iron Man 2 (2010) · Iron Man (2008)
More from United Kingdom: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) · Blue (1993)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More family: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Wonder (2017) · Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anastasia (1997)
More adventure: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · The Eagle (1925) · Louisiana Story (1948) · The General (1926)
