We learn more about his family history, specifically from Kaa’s hypnosis. This is enhanced further by the scratches on his body and his tousled appearance.įurthermore, the 1967 animation didn’t reflect on Mowgli’s background, but the 2016 film does. The 2016 Mowgli comes across as much more innocent and endangered as we follow him through the jungle and fear for his safety. In 1967, Mowgli comes across as innocent, but is primarily characterized by his goofiness. We see more of her mothering nature, granting audiences additional sympathy for Mowgli.
The updated film develops Raksha’s character more than the 1967 version. Mowgli finds a mother figure in Raksha, who treats him like her own kin. Though the pack is led by Akela (Giancarlo Esposito), Mowgli was raised primarily by Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) along with her cubs. This is true of the protagonist, Mowgli, who was raised in the jungle by a pack of wolves. The filmmakers also took care to explore the characters’ background and, in some cases, focus on their individual physicality. The live-action film’s serious, more realistic tone isn’t just a product of the animals’ CGI appearance. In this respect, the live-action film has a more serious tone with a greater emphasis on survival. Even minor details of these characters, such as Baloo’s toothy grins and raised eyebrows, make them identifiable as human within an animal’s body. While the the 1967 counterparts are undoubtedly animal in their movements, they were desiged to have the physical features of both human and animals. Growls, snarls, and exposed teeth lend a greater sense of danger than the cartoonish gestures of their predecessors. The mannerisms and features of the CGI creatures are more, for lack of a better word, animalistic. Though the filmmakers used CGI technology to create the chatty, anthropomorphized animals, their naturalistic representation helps to capture the essence of how animals truly live in the jungle. By choosing a live-action route over animation, beloved characters like Baloo and Bagheera are rendered in a much more realistic light. It’s the treatment of the animals in particular that sets the updated Jungle Book apart from the 1967 animation. The film’s lightheartedness is amplified by the use of musical numbers, a straightforward plot that’s easy for youngsters to understand, and a cast of animals that act more silly than wild.īagheera, Baloo, Neel Sethi as Mowgli, and Raksha That is to say, it’s a true Disney creation. Despite this life-threatening circumstance, the 1967 animation is a child-friendly, goofy interpretation of Kipling’s novel. Mowgli’s adventures truly begin when he learns that Shere Khan (Idris Elba), a man-eating tiger, has returned to the jungle. Some of these animals include Baloo (Bill Murray), Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) and King Louie (Christopher Walken). The Jungle Book follows Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a man-cub who calls the jungle home and lives among its wild creatures. As such, the film manages to develop its characters and craft a more serious tone while still maintaining the fantasy and musicality that make it such a beloved story.
What makes the 2016 film so successful is its balance of alterations and respect for nostalgia. The newest film, however, is much more ambitious in scope it seems to have grasped the technological scale of contemporary cinema while also being faithful to both Rudyard Kipling’s original book and the 1967 animated film. It is not the first live-action remake of The Jungle Book, as one was released in 1994. The Jungle Book (2016) is the sixth iteration of the 1967 animated film. Instead of competing with the original animated versions, though, Disney often offers live-action adaptations that simultaneously reinterpret and pay homage to their predecessors. Considering that the vast majority became overwhelming successes, it’s unsurprising that Disney would want to revisit their classic, award-winning stories. The result is a film that feels fresh and exciting while simultanously pulling at the viewers’ heartstrings.Īs of 2016, Disney (excluding its subsidiary Pixar films) has released an astounding 55 animated features. While its not the first remake of The Jungle Book, the latest iteration is the most ambitious in scope it seems to have grasped the technological scale of contemporary cinema while also being faithful to both Rudyard Kipling’s original book and the 1967 animated film. One such film is The Jungle Book (2016), a live-action interpretation of the 1967 classic. Quick Answer: With 55 animated features under its belt, Disney hasn’t shied away from revisiting films from its repertoire.