EVER since my parents bought for us siblings a VHS tape of “The Jungle Book,” the animated feature stuck with me ever since.
King Louie’s theatrics, Kaa singing “Trusthhh in meee,” Baloo the Bear getting his back scratched while singing “Bare Necessities” etc.
My recent exposure to Netflix and the company’s upcoming projects has led me to learn about “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.” And while the Andy Serkis-directed cinematic take on Rudyard Kipling’s literary work is lacking with sing-song soundtracks, I still think it’s done the spirit of “The Jungle Book” great justice.
Here are some reasons why “Mowgli” is a must-watch.
Visual feast
The film looks absolutely stunning. While there’s a lot of debate over CGI-animals these days, that’s something I’d leave out because, really, are we expecting to hire real, live animals in shoots anytime in the near future?
The better kind of dark
I remember watching Disney’s take on “The Jungle Book” a few years back in the theater. I had to squint at certain scenes, especially when they were set during the night. The lighting in “Mowgli” is just right.
The right kind of dark
The 1967 release made viewers feel good, but it somehow carried a theme of despair all thoughout the film. Mowgli, the man-cub, was learning to survive in the wild, and remember—there was this gang of vultures just keeping close, waiting when the next meal would be served, courtesy of Shere Khan’s leftovers. The recently released Netflix version trades “feel good” for “grit”—and it just works.
Coming-of-age tale
The film is more of a drama than an adventure epic. The jungle, the animals—they’re all part of a backdrop for Mowgli’s journey in discovering more about himself. That said, it’s highly relatable, drawing from themes and issues like belonging and bullying.
If there are some things I wished the 2018 version could’ve done differently, maybe less musical scoring and a better story flow and character building during its latter part. But still, Serkis’ work of art is a definite must-watch. Oh, yes. Maybe it’s best for the little children to skip this one until they’re in their teens.
Catch “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” on Netflix.