Movie Review: Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle 0 1690

Where do you go with a new“live-action” version of The Jungle Book after Disney’s 2016 box-office busting incarnation? The answer, actor-turned-director Andy Serkis evidently gives, is to go dark. Really dark. So much so that it barely feels connected to what the house of mouse ever did with the story and results in an unbalanced but striking take on the story.

Serkis’ version very much takes things back to Rudyard Kipling’s seminal source material about an Indian boy eventually named Mowgli (Rohan Chand) found by the panther Bagheera (voiced by Christian Bale) and taken to the depths of the jungle where he’s raised amongst a pack of wolves, led by Akela (Peter Mullan) and Nisha (Naomie Harris), and trained by the ruthless Baloo (Serkis himself).

As the dreaded and formidable tiger Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) makes an appearance to exert his power and seek control over their lush habitat, Mowgli also must confront his own origins, namely the fact that he’s not actually a wolf and really belongs with his own human kind.

The decision to take things down the darker path less travelled is an interesting though not altogether successful one. It’s rougher around the edges, bearing the clawed scratches of a less sharply defined narrative that sometimes lags in pace. And for the first half at least the uncanny valley effect of the CGI (in addition to voicing the characters, the actors are motion-captured to blend with what the real animals would look like) tends to distract more than immerse you in the world.

Nevertheless there’s a sincerity to Serkis’ interpretation of the legendary story, as well as a boldness in how it flies in the face of what we think we know about it. The cutesiness of Disney (both the 1967 animation and the 2016 CGI-live-action hybrid) feels violently pushed aside by design – there’s no catchy musical numbers, for example, as Serkis ups the danger and tension, mounting genuinely impressive and thrilling horrors of nature sequences that if it weren’t for the CGI could almost come straight out of a David Attenborough documentary.

It’s straight-up frightening at times, not least how it utilizes the giant snake Kaa (Cate Blanchett), whose coiling, poisonous menace looms large as just one of the threats the jungle poses – however much that may overwhelm the heart of the story at times, it’s commendable how much Serkis makes the jungle feeling like a living, breathing and perilous place as much as it is the irreplaceable home of these diverse creatures.

It takes a tougher stance on just about everything, from the dangers Mowgli faces to its treatment of the usually loveable big bear Baloo as a kind of world-weary, no-nonsense drill-sergeant to the way it examines the idea of Mowgli’s human origins.

It’s a game of two halves,taking a while to settle into its particular interpretation of the world before becoming much more compelling in the second half as it explores where the beloved “man cub” came from, both physically and metaphorically.

Does his human nature define him or is his unorthodox upbringing the key to who he really is? However uneven the overall result may be, Serkis wrestles with that idea with gusto, a rewarding feeling of genuine reverence for the source material and a commitment to going for it, tooth and claws ferociously out.

The simple bare necessities here is to have bite and grit to spare, sometimes to the expense of making it all hang together, but it’s refreshing to see a version of the story stare meaningfully into the void.

6.2 out of 10
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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Tolkien Biopic to Be Released in May 0 6386

10th May, 2019 is when Tolkien will be released to the world, an autobiographical film that will revolve around the early days of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien before he became the literary giant that he is today.

Here on Thoughts on Film we are big fans of his work and the recent films made by Peter Jackson. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), are responsible for originating a universe that has gone on to inspire movies, animation, fiction, and modern media interpretations.



This is why Tolkien is regarded by many as the greatest fantasy author of all time. His creative stamp can be seen nearly everywhere in modern media. There’s the direct reinterpretation of his work in the recently released action roleplaying game Middle Earth: Shadow of War, where players are thrust into a major role in Tolkien’s literary canon. George R.R. Martin, who originated the now globally-popular Game of Thrones series on HBO, openly reveres LOTR as the inspiration for his work, citing the early death of Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring as having a profound effect on his “own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.” On the web, more Tolkien-inspired work can be found on leading slot portal Slingo and its many online titles dedicated to the fantasy genre, including Amazon Queen, Fae Legend Warrior, and Magic Castle, all of which feature elements that can be traced back to the author’s massive body of work. Technically speaking, the same can be said of nearly every major fantasy brand out there today, from Dungeons & Dragons to Magic: the Gathering. In short, almost every type of entertainment that features western fantasy can be traced back to the works of Tolkien.

In the upcoming Tolkien movie, the man will be played by Nicholas Hoult, whom is best known for Mad Max: Fury Road and Hank McCoy in the most recent X-Men movies. And now, the actor’s versatility will be tested as he steps into the shoes of the most iconic fantasy writer of all time. Starring alongside Hoult will be the actress Lily Collins as Edith Bratt – the woman whom Tolkien loved above all and is reportedly the inspiration for all “elven princess characters” in the LOTR series.

Helming the film is director Dome Karukoski whose CV includes 2017’s Tom of Finland, a critically acclaimed chronicle of the life and works of the controversial artist of the same name. And while media outlets haven’t yet heard from either the cast, director, or crew of the film, an official synopsis of the movie has been released via Collider. “Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “Fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.” It sounds like a real treat for film, literature, and Middle Earth fans.

Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4097

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!