The Jungle Book

Eine famose Präsentation der technischen Möglichkeiten von Hollywood mit so einem tollen CGI, dass der lebendige Mogli das uninteressanteste Wesen im Film ist. Und es sind wirklich viele von ihnen da. (27.04.2016)

You watch this technological marvel and the thought flies through your mind that "The future is now" and the reassurance of the significance of the giant leap forward filmmakers have made in the development of CGI animation and effects of the last two decades, something that filmmakers in the "pre-Jurassic" period could only dream of. This is undoubtedly the pinnacle of contemporary Hollywood's technical capabilities, and I can smell some technical Oscars. And please, I write this as a viewer who’s not at all fond of the digital coloring books that abound in movies today and prefers practical effects. But here there are no digital orgies that would look out of place, everything looks very believable and alive. When I realize that all the natural surroundings were created in a computer, it just blows my mind. The experience is enhanced by the wonderful book, and if its story teaches at least a few child viewers to love animals, this film is worthwhile. (30.09.2016)

I do admit that at first I didn’t really feel like watching this flick. It was somehow getting under my skin that animals in a real, non-animated world could speak and that they spoke English. But after about ten minutes and several nice shots, I decided to bear with the film to see what would come out of it. I mean the book itself, written by Rudyard Kipling, had a very clever plot. And well, what eventually came out of it was one of the most beautiful digital films that I have ever seen. I don’t think you will be able to see such beautiful shots of the jungle anywhere else. It might be because of the digital effects. But it is a treat to watch it and once you’ve watched it, you will realize that you will never see a better adaptation of Kipling’s book in your lifetime. (01.11.2016)

Jon Favreau never really appealed to me as a director. Iron Man is a retrospectively weaker Marvel movie that stands and falls mostly on Robert Downey Jr. (and don’t get me started on the second one), Cowboys & Aliens is awful and Zathura is pretty good. Nothing more. So when he took a swipe at The Jungle Book, which everyone knows, I didn't particularly care for it. Which makes the result all the more enjoyable. It's not that it's a perfect film, at times it's quite choppy in terms of story (the part with monkeys could have been shorter), but as a film with ambitions to entertain young and old viewers alike, this journey among digital animals simply works. Favreau handles the action scenes, the suspenseful moments and the humour, and he also keeps an eye on the visuals. The Jungle Book is gorgeous, and the wilderness can even bear comparison to Avatar's Pandora. There's plenty to look at and I imagine the little ones will stare at the screen with utter delight, whether it's Baloo cackling, Sher Khan terrifying or Scarlett Johansson hissing. This is not a cinematic revolution or a film that will go down in history, but it’s a very proper genre film where almost everything works as it should. Well done. And I wouldn't mind seeing it a second time. (15.05.2017)

Nostalgischer Eskapismus ad ultimo. Zwei Drittel sind reines Vergnügen am Erschaffen der Welt und der Rückkehr zu den Werten, die mich als Kind definiert haben, das letzte Drittel beinhaltet wiederum eine etwas unvermeidliche Erkenntnis, dass Favreau kein Magier ist, und wenn er eben gute Karten in der Hand hat, spielt er einfach eine solide Partie. Technisch gesehen ist dies unbezweifelt ein regelrechtes Massaker, vom Aufbau sowie der Steigerung her wirds etwas peinlich. Doch es gibt hier ein paar Momente, in denen gut und gerne Elefantentränen vergossen werden dürfen. (01.05.2016)

A beautiful rendition of The Jungle Book. Probably the most successful one I've seen so far. The kid who played Mowgli was excellent, but the animals keep up with him nicely too. Always something to look at. The only thing I thought was a little unnecessary was the monkey segment. I could have done without the singing monkey in particular. And those few minutes are the reason why I’m not giving it full marks. Still, I recommend it and will gladly watch it again. 4.5 stars. (24.07.2016)

The story is the good and never too old Kipling’s classic enriched with a couple of contemporary metaphors, but when it comes to special effects it is a fantastic joyride through the Indian jungle, almost identical to Avatar. The action in the temple is big and thrilling. Kids will dread monkeys. Which is good. Walken as Louis slightly copies Brando in Apocalypse Now. Even the classic songs and scenes work well and the scenes with Baloo are just overflowing with optimism. (27.05.2018)

If they can’t do it through the comics, they will do it with visually impressive animal almost-animated adventures? No way. That's where the cool vibe of the book is. There's a lot of frolicking, and if it weren't for all the technical niceties and the incredibly elaborate digital animation of the animals, it would hardly be mediocre, because the few witty comments can't save the hugely short, desperately underwrought story and uneven pacing. Avatar remains unsurpassed in technical opulence and the effort here was felt all the way across the screen! (03.05.2016)

Eine prima Unterhaltung zum Entspannen mit einer fantastischen Ausstattung. Leider muss ich aber einige Dinge kritisieren, z. B. das Lied von King Louie, das zu der Szene nicht besonders passt, dann Kaa, der wenig Raum bekommen hat, und das Finale, das überraschenderweise märchenhafter als im ursprünglichen Zeichentrickfilm ist. Sonst hat mir The Jungle Book gefallen und ich bin froh, dass Jon Favreau nach der allgemeinen Unzufriedenheit mit Cowboys & Aliens Geld für diesen Film bekommen hat und dass er gute Arbeit leistete. Die Musik von John Debney ist auch gelungen. Sie arbeitet mit gut bekannten Motiven, hat aber auch ein paar eigene Ideen. Die beste Figur ist natürlich Balu mit der Mimik von Bill Murray. (20.04.2016)

The 1967 animated film was more entertaining, but this is such a visually bombastic and convincing adaptation of Kipling's novel that it has given it readership and an audience sheen for years to come. There are no emotional fireworks and Favreau orchestrates the narrative concept on the levels of a safe family flick, but the amazing CGI at times perhaps surpasses anything we've seen so far, the unconventionality and majesty of the setting and characters radiate from every frame, and the fantastic original voice acting is the cherry on top. It's been a long time since I was so sorry I missed a movie at the cinema. (21.06.2016)

Ein großartiger, beeindruckender Abenteuerfilm für die ganze Familie, der seinem Genre alle Ehre macht und eine große Chance hat, ein Kinderklassiker zu werden, der in ein paar Jahren einen ähnlichen Status wie zum Beispiel Die unendliche Geschichte hat. Beeindruckende visuelle und tricktechnische Umsetzung, spannende, bewegende und mit Emotionen gefüllte Geschichte und eine Reihe von köstlichen, dynamisch inszenierten Passagen. Ausführliche Rezension HIER. (14.04.2016)

I love the Disney’s The Jungle Book from 1967, mostly because of the songs, the cute atmosphere and the character of Baloo. As for this new version by Jon Favreau, it, like Life of Pi or the new Planet of the Apes films, pushes the boundary on the realism of digital animals that look almost life-like (in my opinion, Ang Lee pushed that boundary the furthest so far). It’s a beautiful film indeed, with a nice soundtrack, beautiful visuals and lots of characters, each with something to offer, with Baloo the bear once again leading the way. In short, a pleasantly spent hundred minutes in the cinema with a film in which every generation will find something to enjoy, and which certainly doesn't put its animated predecessor to shame. (28.06.2016)

I almost didn't make it to the cinema for that movie, but in the end, we decided to go. And I absolutely don't regret it. Jon Favreau convinced me that he is a creator of family movies. He beautifully managed to transform the Disney classic into a live-action film, which is visually absolutely enchanting. The movements and rendering of the animals are breathtaking. Form prevails, but the story still captivates me. (23.05.2016)