Review of Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) by Marshall W — 28 Dec 2018

MOWGLI: LEGEND OF THE JUNGLE Is not your mothers Jungle Book. Naturally, when I heard that two jungle books movies were being released in live action, I was skeptical to which or if either would do justice to the source material.

The Jungle Book (2016) was a live-action remake of the cartoon classic. Andy Serkis's take uses the true source material which comes from the novel the Jungle Book and embraces it fully. The dark tone provides a unique take on the story of Mowgli.

The overall theme of the film is identity and understanding one's place in the world. The theme is explored nicely throughout the film. The motion capture performances were fantastic, creating animals that embodied the faces of the main characters allowed for a sense of connection between the audience and the on-screen animals.

The film progresses naturally as Mowgli explores his identity but becomes predictable and stale. The final confrontation was bland and fell flat, my investment with the story is practically gone. The freshness of the film is seen in most of the performances and the dark tone.

The tone of the film was ultimately its demise as it seemed to rely heavily on the concept in order to differentiate itself and not imitate the films that came before it.