Why is it that Disney seems to be the only company releasing movies that I want to see these days? Star Wars 7, Zootopia, and the new Jungle Book have made up the entirety of my enjoyable theater-going experience this year (and with almost a third of the year gone, that is not a good sign for the rest of the industry). Captain America 3, Doctor Strange, BFG, and Rogue One will probably be the remainder of my silver screen experience this year, because heaven knows nothing else looks good.
So The Jungle Book. Its always a worrying sign when you see a child actor having to interact with CGI creations in the trailer, but this kid pulled it off like a regular Haley Joel Osment. The animals all looked really good, the story was tight and coherent, the pacing was spot-on, the humor was well placed and funny, and the celebrity voices actually did a great job bringing their characters to life. The one I was the most critical of was Bill Murray, because Phil Harris as Baloo in Disney's first adaptation of the book is basically a cinematic legend. I still prefer Harris, but Murray was good, too. See, was this Bill Murray actually TRYING (...for once). It goes without saying Idris Elba was brilliant as Shere Kahn, because Elba. The film got pretty dark in a few moments, but that is to be expected of the material. Overall, its a fun, funny, and heart-warming experience. The House of Mouse knocked it out of the ballpark again.
