DIRECTOR:
Jon Favreau LEAD CAST: Bill
Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson,
Giarncarlo Esposito, Christopher
Walken, Neel Sethi PRODUCERS: Jon Favreau, Brigham Taylor SCREENWRITER: Justin Marks EDITOR: Mark Livolsi CINEMATOGRAPHER:
Bill Pope MUSIC: John Debney GENRE: Fantasy Adventure BASED ON: Disney’s The Jungle Book by
Rudyard Kipling PRODUCTION
COMPANY: Walt Disney Pictures, Fairview Entertainment DISTRIBUTOR: Walt
Disney Studios, Motion Pictures LOCATION:
United States RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes
Technical
assessment: 4
Moral
assessment: 3.5
CINEMA
rating: VA (Viewers of All Ages)
As a baby, Mowgli (voiced by Neel Sethi) is rescued by Bagheera (Ben Kingsley),
a black panther. He is brought to
the wolves Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) and Akela (Giancarlo Esposito), and is
raised by them. When Mowgli grows
to become a young boy, the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) threatens to kill him
as humans are not allowed in the jungle.
Mowgli flees his jungle home and sets on an action-packed adventure and
self-discovery into the deep forest where he is hypnotized by the python Kaa
(Scarlett Johansson). He is
rescued by and becomes friends with Baloo (Bill Murray), a bear, and kidnapped
by King Louie (Christopher Walken), an orangutan. A note of caution to parents: some scenes may be too violent
for very young children. (Full review to
follow).
