A lot of film fans have grown somewhat tired of Hollywood’s love of sequels and remakes. Indeed, the notion that Hollywood is out of original ideas, while never actually true, does get a boost with each passing spring and summer full of rehashed concepts or continuations aimed primarily at making money. At a glance, The Jungle Book, a new movie due out on April 15, looks like just another project that falls into this vaguely annoying category. Looking a little more closely, however, there are several reasons to think this might be more than just a box office ploy.
It’s Been 20 Years
The title “The Jungle Book” will always be iconic thanks to Rudyard Kipling’s book of the same name. But it’s actually been over 20 years since we saw a live action adaptation of the book. The 1994 film (officially titled Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book) actually did quite well, earning a strong score at Rotten Tomatoes and presenting an adventure that children and adults alike could enjoy. But when it’s been so long, and filmmakers can do so much more with effects, a remake doesn’t seem so bad. In all likelihood, the 2016 movie will only vaguely resemble the 1994 edition.
The Cast Is Wonderful
While this is a live action film, it’s also one that involves talking animals. As such, it’s taken the approach of many animated projects and roped in a who’s who of recognizable Hollywood voices to give life to the animals. The film’s IMDB page has the full cast listed, but the major names include Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, and Lupita Nyong’o, among others. If the same cast were doing more than voice acting, we’d be talking about Oscar expectations.
Jon Favreau Has Become A Reliable Director
Every regularly employed film director has a few whiffs to his credit. In the case of Jon Favreau, those would be Cowboys & Aliens and, in some people’s eyes, Iron Man 2. But Favreau is also responsible for the likes of Elf and Iron Man, as well as the vastly underrated 2014 indie film Chef. He’s proven his talents with comedy, action, adventure, and basic human emotion, and all of these elements will be vital to The Jungle Book. It certainly looks like the right man is at the helm.
Jungle Entertainment Is In Style
Not many movies are set in the jungle these days, but if you look at other realms of entertainment – most notably gaming – you’ll quickly realize that jungle adventures are enormously popular these days. In recent years we’ve seen memorable jungle levels in adventurous console games ranging from Uncharted 4 to Call Of Duty. In the mobile market, the jungle-based Temple Run app has been among the most popular games for years now. Even Gala’s bingo site online offers a haven for fans of jungle adventures. Among various themed bingo rooms, an “Amazon” option plays into the wild nature of jungle settings. Put simply, people still love the idea of stories of jungle fiction, which gives The Jungle Book a lot to build on.
The Latest Trailer Is A Wonder
Anyone who’s annoyed by even the most realistic CGI animals should perhaps stay away from The Jungle Book. But as long as that doesn’t bother you, it’s hard to view the recent trailer as anything other than spectacular. The detail of the animals and the richness of the jungle scenery are breathtaking, while the action calls to mind everything you loved from multiple childhood adventure stories. That’s because in a way there’s as much Lion King as there is Jungle Book in the trailer.
All in all, it looks like a fascinating project that should appeal to a lot of moviegoers, whether because they loved the 1994 film, they like the components of this one, or even because they still enjoy jungle fiction in general.
