– I’ve never seen (that I can remember) the original animated Jungle Book movie that Disney is remaking with this live-action version. 90% of my exposure to it comes from the 90’s Disney-spinoff-cartoon “Tailspin”, which featured Baloo the bear as a cargo freight pilot and only Shere Khan and King Louie returning. That was a fun show, with a catchy theme song (as many 90’s cartoons had).
– It’s amazing how realistic this mostly blue-screen/CGI version turned out. Some of them dang animals look pretty doggone real. Did the same team work on this that worked on Beauty & the Beast? The CGI in that WAS NOT good at all (see our review to that movie here).
– Bill Pope is THE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER working right now. His team creates incredible compositions. What’s a cinematographer you ask?
“sinəməˈtäɡrəfər”/noun:
1. a person who oversees or directs photography and camerawork in movie-making, especially one who operates the camera.
“the film has been shot by an award-winning cinematographer”
Who’s Bill Pope you still ask? Just the cinematographer behind:
The Matrix, Army of Darkness, Spider-Man 2, Scott Pilgrim vs the World and some pretty awesome music videos like Metallica’s “One”.
– Jon Favreau has a very nice resume BUT also please see “Chef”. That movie is great.
– The movie really hooked me with Bill Murray’s Baloo (Bill Murray has that effect on movies) but I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT during their rendition of the classic “Bare Necessities” song. SO GREAT.
– Shere Khan is a very menacing, intimidating villain and Idris Elba has a very menacing, intimidating voice, which makes them a match made in heaven (or a jungle).
– (insert Jose’s usual rant about lazy screenwriters recycling the same dialog from other movies over and over and over again comment here).
– This movie actually made me want to read the book, which I’ve never wanted to read. Books, check ’em out.
– Final Letter Grade: A-
Jose Zuazua is editor-in-chief of Quick Lunch Break Reviews. He has an associates degree in film production. He’s on twitter (twitter.com/josezuazua) and instagram (instagram.com/josezuazua).
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