Review of Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) by Jimmy R — 12 Dec 2018

I want to give this movie both 5 stars and zero stars simultaneously. It's a good movie, beautifully shot, people who say the animals are "too human" or something are being ridiculous. The kid is fantastic, with his enormous real-life Disney princess eyes.

However, there is one horrifying moment in the movie that is beyond traumatic, far more than just its momentary brutal shock value. **SPOILERS FOLLOW** I knew from reading other reviews that he was going to come across a taxidermied "friend," and I figured it would be one of the wolves, so I was prepared for that - I thought.

It's an awful scene in the movie but it's a pivotal moment that propels Mowgli's actions from then on, it's not extraneous. What makes it so unbearable is what happens to the little wolf before he is killed.

It's an albino, runty wolf who is bullied by all the other wolves and Mowgli is his only friend. He's the cutest most endearing character in the entire movie, he's absolutely precious. At one point Mowgli is very upset and Bjoot comes to play with him and try to cheer him up.

Bjoot tells Mowgli that he's his best friend, and he enthusiastically says that they are both special. Mowgli starts screaming at him about how he's not special, "that's just something your mother tells you so you'll feel better about yourself!" and other vicious things.

The poor little wolf crumbles and slips away, utterly broken. It's ok, they'll make up later, right? Uh, no. The next time we or Mowgli see Bjoot HIS HEAD IS MOUNTED ON A STICK. I cannot tell you how truly horrifying it all is.

There is no justification in doing that to us, Mowgli could have made up with Bjoot and they still could have used his death to propel the climax in exactly the same manner. I saw this movie last night and it's still really bothering me.