CLIPS MOVIE REVIEW
by Roger Tennis

RATED PG (some sequences of scary action and peril)

RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau

STARS:
Neel Sethi - Mowgli

VOICE CAST:
Ben Kingsley - Bagheera
Bill Murray - Baloo
Idris Elba - Shere Khan
Lupita Nyong'o - Raksha
Scarlett Johansson - Kaa
Christopher Walken - King Louie
Giancarlo Esposito - Akela
Garry Shandling - Ikki

SYNOPSIS:
Mowgli is a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan, who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera and the free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa, a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie, who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. - Walt Disney Pictures

ROG'S VIEWPOINT: 4 CAMS
Visually spectacular is modest praise for this grand adventure. Based on Walt Disney's 1967 animated charmer, which itself was loosely based on Rudyard Kipling's novel, this eye-popping cinematic journey is a wonder to behold. All of the animals and realistic background locations are computer generated. If the creatures weren't talking, this film could easily pass as part of the live-action Disneynature series. But they do talk and sing songs from the original like "The Bare Necessities" - raising the comfort level for this family epic. A word of warning: the realism in the action sequences, especially in 3D, may frighten younger children. Luckily, director Jon Favreau knows when to pull back on the action and lighten up. Most of the lighter moments are provided by Bill Murray's Baloo the bear. While the stellar voice cast breathes life into the jungle animals, it's Neel Sethi who steals the show. His energetic performance as Mowgli is impressive. He's the only non-CGI character and it's his theatrical feature film debut. Like the best of Disney, this movie triggers all of our emotions. Swinging into theaters, "The Jungle Book" is almost as lively and animated as Walt's cartoon classic.