Jon Favreau’s enthralling live-action spin on Rudyard Kipling’s beloved novel is the latest in the line of Disney reinterpretations after recent hits Maleficent and Cinderella. Priding itself on heart-pumping dramatics and masterful visuals that recreate all on display, excluding Neel Sethi’s man-cub Mowgli, it manages to honour the old (both Kipling’s source material and the animated classic) while celebrating the cutting-edge in equal measure. The basics are the same, though the singing and dancing is replaced with striking realism; the CGI a breathtaking feat to behold, no less than when a herd of majestic elephants emerge from the mist of an endless forest. It’s rich with attention, and the script upholds the splendour with thrills, bursts of humour (Bill Murray is a treat as Baloo) and a real threat of danger from the villainous Shere Khan (Idris Elba), who’s out to make a meal of Mowgli. But while it’s that bit darker, it’s still a wonderful adventure for all ages that brings with it a real sense of awe.
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