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The Jungle Book backdrop
8 April 2016English106 min

The Jungle Book

7.228 reviews
CriticsRecommended

Bayesian avg · 28 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

7.832 ratings
UsersRecommended

User Score · avg of 32 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

Jon Favreau DirectorJustin Marks WriterJohn Debney MusicBill Pope Cinematography

An orphan boy is raised in the Jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear and a black panther.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Jon Favreau's live-action adaptation is overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers broadly recommending it to audiences of all ages. The most consistent praise centers on the film's visual effects and photorealistic animal rendering, with multiple critics highlighting the seamless integration of real footage and animation as a technical achievement. Neel Sethi's performance as Mowgli and the voice cast also drew frequent commendation. The few reservations raised include the film's reliance on its source material's legacy rather than standing fully on its own, a conventionally structured narrative, and a missed opportunity to deepen Mowgli's character arc.

28 reviews · 17 positive

Praised: photorealistic VFX and visual craftCriticised: over-reliance on source material legacy

AI-generated summary of 28 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (28)

Rajeev MasandTop Critic· IBNLive
8.0
"It's a stunning visual achievement, and one that reminds you why you fell in love with these characters all those years ago. Don't miss it."
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Raja SenTop Critic· Rediff
8.0
"Take the kids you know (and the kid within you) and go watch The Jungle Book. Trust in me."
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Aseem Chhabra· Rediff
9.0
"The characters drawn for the 2016 live action film have an edge that was not present in the 1967 animated film..."
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9.0
"The Jungle Book is a film that has something for everyone. It defines the phrase 'feels like coming home'. You have to watch, to believe it so don't miss this one!"
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Sreeju Sudhakaran· Bollywood Life
9.0
"This is one of the best Jungle Book adaptions on screen and also one of the best live action motion-capture films I have seen in years. Just wondering how Warner Bros will top this with their version of the book that will come next year. The summer holidays just started off with a bang!"
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Aleesha Matharu· CatchNews
8.0
"The Jungle Book is a film that has something for everyone. It truly feels like a home coming of sorts, driving you right back into the charms of childhood wonder."
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Reagan Gavin Rasquinha· Times Of India
8.0
"...the intricate landscaping, masterful camerawork and environment (actually filmed in Downtown Los Angeles) create a delightfully immersive experience. Heartwarming and enjoyable."
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Shalini Langer· Indian Express
8.0
"It's a little more reminiscent of the jungle and the book than the 1967 Disney classic, a lot, lot darker, and yet, ultimately as exuberant, with a surprisingly strong and novel message at the heart of it, in a story that already didn't lack for them."
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"It is a film for children and adults alike. Not to be missed..."
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Subhash K Jha· SKJBollywoodNews
8.0
"Don't wait. Just go out this weekend with the kids and re-live one of the most cherished children's stories told from an adult perspective and yet miraculously maintaining an artless innocence that makes this film entirely winsome experience. And so what if Priyanka doesn't sing in the Hind version. The film is suffused in the music of the soul."
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Jyoti Sharma Bawa· Hindustan Times
8.0
"The Jungle Book is no longer cute and cuddly but a tale of survival. This time, it really is a jungle out there. But I can guarantee one thing, once you and your children do enter it, you would not want to leave."
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Bryan Durham· DNA India
8.0
"...you're going to love Mowgli, this film, the voice cast, the photo-realism of the animals surrounding Mowgli and an inherent innocence that just shines through and through. It's a spectacular film and one you shouldn't miss. Just go watch it!"
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Raghav Jaitly· Zee News
8.0
"'The Jungle Book' is a visual masterpiece that will entice the audiences of all groups. If you are looking for a break from the modern film culture, then don't waste a moment and grab tickets immediately!"
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Johnson Thomas· Mid-Day
7.0
"The drama and treatment may border on conventional but the animal renditions are definitely not. Cinematographer Bill Pope and the VFX team led by Robert Legato and Adam Valdez integrate real time sequences with animation so brilliantly that it's difficult to pinpoint the differences. It's seamless, proportionate and way above anything that has come before. A must-see for all - irrespective of species, age or gender!"
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Bollywood Hungama News Network· Bollywood Hungama
7.0
"...a shining example of phenomenal filmmaking, transporting the viewer to a different world. Complete with a riveting plot combined with VFX and 3D that makes you jump, THE JUNGLE BOOK is definitely a must watch."
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Kunal Guha· Mumbai Mirror
7.0
"While the original story has little mystery and would even seem like a lame fantasy today, this adaptation, thanks to its visual bravado, makes it a contemporary classic."
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Ananya Bhattacharya· India Today
7.0
"Jon Favreau's live-action re-imagining of the 1967 film, The Jungle Book, is a visual treat. Along with Neel Sethi's Mowgli and a superb voice-cast, this adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book is a winner on many fronts."
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Sudarshan Ramani· Deccan Chronicle
6.0
". This version of The Jungle Book is a brilliant and beautiful evocation of the time when everything was bigger than us, when the natural world seemed to be full of wonders and where almost every new animal species, whose picture and presence we glimpsed, was an adventure in and of itself. This film is a brilliant fantasy for the whole family to see, reviving one of the great classics for a new generation."
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Samrat Choudhury· Deccan Chronicle
5.0
"The film is very well produced. The effects are spectacular and the performances are good. It is entirely worth watching, but its implicit politics is as troubling as Kipling's was."
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Mihir Fadnavis· Firstpost
"Apart from being a great movie The Jungle Book is also another big triumph for Disney. It seems whatever Disney touches turns to gold. It's hard to think of another studio that has had so much universal acclaim and financial success for such a long stretch of time. With Moana and Rogue One coming later this year it certainly seems like Disney has made sure we're in for a ton of fun."
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Rachit Gupta· Filmfare
"In India, The Jungle Book will always be compared to the version that was aired on Doordarshan. In comparison, this movie is every bit as brilliant as it seemed 20 years ago on 21-inch television sets. The 3D and the IMAX goodness add depth not just to the visuals but the impact of the story and the experience. Kids, young adults and adults will all enjoy this thrill-a-minute ride in the jungles of India, where animals can talk and where human beings and their creations are a part of enigma. Do not miss this at any cost."
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Sankhayan Ghosh· The Hindu
"What makes The Jungle Book enduring in our collective consciousness is that it is an outlet to our eternal fantasy to live in the wild. The film, painted in mystical shades, succeeds in invoking this deep, primal core present in all of us."
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"The Jungle Book of today is fantastic as a movie-going experience, and somewhat less as a cathartic one. As blockbuster entertainment, it is complete in every way; as a standalone work, it is a little too dependent on its staggering legacy."
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Nandini Ramnath· Scroll.in
"The Jungle Book is always stunning to look at, and its economical 105-minute running time adequately showcases Mowgli's first steps towards realising his inner potential and coming closer to his human self. But the film misses out on the opportunity to provide a compelling reason for Mowgli's resurrection."
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Biprorshee Das· BookMyShow
"The Jungle Book will be a nice weekend watch merely for the nostalgia at play and how incredible the movie looks. The story has long stayed with us and will for a while to come. Every return to the jungle must be welcomed."
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R.M. Vijayakar· IndiaWest
"What is magnificent is the way a wondrous and real-looking jungle world is crafted with care through frame computer animation, performance capture and a bit of motion capture by Moving Picture Company and Weta Digital. This shows how much diligence and thought went into making this lovely saga that principally looks at straight emotions minus any "subtexts" that Hollywood cinema is often prone to have."
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"The Jungle Book, for its all its surface vim and vigour, is essentially cast in the classic mould that the story demands. It is enlivened with the standard emotional tropes related to family, friendship and the virtues of staying together in the face of adversity. It is a children's tale all right, but Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks ensure that there is enough in the mix for everyone. Thanks to the way it balances epic scale with sustained emotional traction, The Jungle Book is an irresistible fare."
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Uday Bhatia· LiveMint
"It may sound like a backhanded compliment, but this Jungle Book is a fine children's film that's happy to be just that. It's scarier than the original, of course, but I'd imagine kids nowadays will take a 3D tiger leaping out from the screen in their stride."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
8 April 2016
Runtime
106 min
Language
English

User Ratings & Reviews

Users7.832 ratings

32 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (9)

NEApr 2016

Must watch to revisit childhood memories in a spectacular way.

ANApr 2016

The Jungle Book is an illustrious jungle glitzy tale to watch on a big screen. Based on Rudyard Kipling's famous book 'The Jungle Book', the film is about a boy named Mowgli and his adventurous vitality in the jungle. It is a Disney film. And all of us can imagine that what a Disney film is like. A film with high bright 3D animation effects and the dream light abstract backgrounds and the high opulence of the sets. This film has it all in a more advanced manner. It is shot well and yes the boy who plays Mowgli is very good too. The acting and the vigorousness exhibited by him is commendable. He is completely engrossing himself as the prominent Mowgli. Animals of the jungle too are worthy of fulfilling one's expectations. They are all crafted equally at their best. Shere khan is perilously very dangerous but fails to satisfy his gut with Mowgli's soul. The Baloo Bear and the Panther Bagheera are very bright and helpful to Mowgli. Both always save him from the Lion by their artificial intelligence and physical strong strengths. Other animals' viz. monkeys, snake, foxes, wolves are fairly satisfying and are well polished. The voices are vocalized by Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson. They are all successful in doing their job. Kudos to the Director and the graphic designers for the sumptuous spiriting animated effects and the frightening jungle of India and Mowgli and also the real looking animals. The film is currently hitting the theatres. And is on a very big stride to set new Box office trends on Bollywood. It is wholly replete with wonder and ecstasy. Do watch it. I am going with a solid 8.

MAApr 2016

The movie I watched was in Hindi and it was one of the best I have seen! Storytelling, Visuals, dialogues by legendary actors were among the things that made it beyond the word!

This was one of the longest awaited release in my watchlist. Watched it, loved the effects in 3D. So stunning, when compared to other such releases of same genre. But, what lacked was story. i thought the story could have been stretched a little bit more. After building SherKhan as most dangerous and villainous animal in the whole jungle, he was killed off so quickly. And also, I don't know how are they going to move the story forward with other squeals that are going to come. Because when i used to watch The Jungle Book in my childhood as a TV series, the whole plot revolved around Maugli and ShrkKhan. But this are just my thoughts. As I said, loved the movie and effects, but the story could have been a little better.

SAMay 2016

A Pleasant Visual Experience For All That Nostalgic Feels On Whatever Little One Have Watched 'The Jungle Book' Animations In Childhood.Better To Watch It In Hindi As Nana Patekar, Irrfan Khan ,Om Puri & Others Have Done Great Job With Their Dialogues.Neel Sethi As Mowgli Have Done Great Job Too.No Surprise That It Has Became Highest Grossing Hollywood Movie In India, A Record Which Will Be Unbroken For Many Years.

If I had to ask all those people who had grown up watching Doordarshan in the 1990s as to which was their favourite animation series, what do you think their answer would be??? Well I am kinda sure that most of their responses will be the same as mine as it would be "Jungle Book" even if many wouldn't have seen the animation movie released in 1967. So when I heard that Walt Disney Pictures was remaking the film with live CGI effects, I was naturally thrilled. The excitement further escalated when I saw the trailer, as it was jaw dropping realistic. Hopefully the film in itself is an extension of the magnificent trailer. Well I dont think there is need to elaborate on the plot as there would be hardly anyone who hasn't read Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" or atleast watched the animation series. Anywaz Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a boy who was raised by the wolves Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o) & Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) after he was brought to them as an infant by the black panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley). However, his life was in danger as the fearsome Bengal tiger Sher Khan (Idris Elba) had made his intentions clear. So he was left with no option but to leave the jungle before the tiger unleashed harm on his family. But little did he realize that Sher Khan wasn't the sole problem that lay in front of him. Frankly speaking, I knew Jon Favreau as an actor but wasn't aware that he had decent directorial credentials as well until I checked wikipedia & saw movies like "Elf", "Iron Man 1 & 2" etc to his credit. He has done a wonderful job in re-creating this timeless classic taking advantage of all the latest advancements in technology available on offer. The screenplay by Justin Marks was more or less true to the original with a couple of changes towards the climax. At just over 1.5 h, the movie is an absolute visual treat & the credit for that goes to Bill Pope's cinematography as well as Mark Livolsi's editing. Apart from this, the one thing which had mesmerized me was John Debney's music be it "The Bare Necessities" included in the movie & also the tracks "I Wanna be Like you" & "Trust In Me" which appear in the end credits. There was an extensive audition for the role of the protagonist before Neel Sethi was zeroed in & it was well worth the effort as he was wonderful exuding innocence & vulnerability along with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Even though the only character which appears in flesh & blood in the movie is Neel, Favreau needs to be applauded for his apt choice of brilliant artists to do the voice over for the CGI generated characters. Bill Murray as Baloo was my personal favourite for his wise cracking jokes while Ben Kingsley & Lupita was impressive as well. Idris Elba was able to convey the sinisterness convincingly while Scarlett Johansson as Kaa was fantastic & you guys need to stay back to check out her excellent rendition of "Trust in Me" in the end. Verdict: It's an absolute visual treat & in all likelihood going to rake in some serious ground breaking box office collections. The makers have enlisted the services of Om Puri, Nana Patekar, Priyanka Chopra etc for the Hindi version which will further increase the collection from the Indian subcontinent, not to mention it is released here a week prior to the US market. In short, if you have been a fan of the animation series, you can rest assured you would love this movie!!! Rating: 3.75/5 Regards...Ben

ROOct 2016

The Jungle Book master work of vfx and CGI,must watch.

SHJan 2017

A hundred and twenty-two years ago, Rudyard Kipling wrote a wonderful novel that was not only a game-changer in its genre but radically influenced contemporary society's perception of the ever-altering dynamics between Man and Nature. Adapting the aforementioned book to the big screen was always going to be a daunting task, but then Jon Favreau is not considered one of the most exciting American filmmaking talents of his generation for nothing. Favreau merges the emotional core of Rudyard's classic with the most advanced digital trickery that modern CGI can facilitate. Needless to say, the upshot is nothing short of magnificent. The film highly benefits from the casting of young Neel Sethi as Mowgli, the main protagonist in this rollicking adventure. Sethi has a certain wisdom beyond his years and a rather disarming lack of self-awareness which, in many ways, makes him the ideal fit for the role. Perhaps the film's most astonishing achievement lies in how it imbues each animal from Rudyard's tale with a distinct flesh-and-blood personality of its own, a task that is accomplished largely because of its first-rate voiceover cast. From the peerless Sir Ben Kingsley as the black panther Bagheera to the ravishing Scarlett Johannson as the slithery serpent Kaa; from the effervesent Bill Murray as the highly adorable Baloo the Bear to Idris Elba as the menacing Sher Khan – each one of them is in ridiculously good form. Favreau's film is a highly sensory experience and one that leaves you with a wide grin on your face long after the end credits have rolled. This is indeed one of the best live-action films to have come out in recent memory. Because a film that blurs the line between human and animal existence so seamlessly is inevitably one that merits the highest of praise.

AJJul 2017

every dept of dis movie should feel proud for dng excellent job,al r done good job

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