Rudyard Kipling..Re imagined.

Part 2

Raksha/Lupita Nyong'o

The choice has been so right with this character's voice over that I can almost feel her motherhood seeping through that screen.

Her bellowing sound resounds through various shots of the movie as she downright disagrees to let Mowgli out of the jungle.She claims"Mowgli is my child,and will always be".Though of other blood and origin,and from the creators of the "Red Flower"(that's what they called fire) that destroys everything and everyone even without a second glance, that instills fear in small and fearsome animals alike,Raksha stays adamant saying that Mowgli would turn out nothing like those horrible beasts as she had raised him as one of her own.And taking him away was no one's right,not even Akela's.You may know Lupita Nyong'o from the oscar winning gem "12 Years A Slave" which was the very defining step that propelled Chiwetel Ejifor to the walk of fame. Lupita was a very dominating presence in that socially awakening project making her a beautiful choice for this role.Even though her role is sparse,it's no less effective and her love for Mowgli shines on screen.

Kaa/Scarlett Johansson

Scar Jo is one of the hottest actresses there is. And I cannot think of anyone else who can pull off Kaa's sensuous and seductive voice so flawlessly. Johansson's off-screen presence was dominantly proved in "Her", the 2015 Oscar nominated movie where a man,falls in love with an AI(Artificial Intelligence System), the system being played by Scarlett. Her vocal styling holds the whole movie together..making it a very unique and impressive experience.

As Kaa, with the character's signature emerald green eyes and hypnotizing voice, as she reaches out to Mowgli by emotionally manipulating him to believe that she would understand his need to stay in the jungle while all the way thinking how well he would serve as a meal is nail biting to watch.
One of the only flaws in the movie was the absence of Kaa's role.Both the cartoon and the book indulge more into Kaa's character and acknowledge her presence as more than a simple vamp, the depth of her evil being shown in more clarity.

I would have liked to have seen more of this character, and the directors could have easily fulfilled my desire by cutting off some extra scenes of Mowgli climbing trees.Yeah...we know he's from the jungle..enough already!(am I right?).Nevertheless,though negligent at least she was there.

Finally,

I've saved the best for last!

Idris Elba. Shere Khan. Need I say more?

As if his roles in The Avengers and The Thor series wasn't enough,he smashed this one out of the park! The evil..the seething cruelty that emerges from the soul. The hunger of human flesh,the revenge that stems from the rage of being attacked and deformed by the "Red Flower" all was transparently visible through this guy's voice. I will applaud Pixar for matching the body language of the tiger so well with Elba's voice.It was as if, that all the tigers..ever to exist spoke like that. The weight of Shere Khan's superiority was so dominant as he ran after that man cub...seeking his end with this intense need was indeed a great cat and mouse sequence. For whatever it's worth, Shere Khan had his reasons to be pissed at Mowgli, with a)him.being an unnatural addition to the forest and b)his father kind of disfigured Khan's face with fire.I get you Shere Khan,I feel the hate.One of the best scenes in the whole movie(for me) was when Shere Khan, still hot in pursuit after Mowgli fell when a branch broke due to his weight into the fire, the one thing, he was scared of most. His expression was exemplary making me almost relate to him at a human level.

All in all,an astounding treat to the eyes. And I believe, for every kid or adult who loved the book or the cartoon..this recreation was the best in terms of special effects and character-voice placements and frankly for me, it was a way back to my childhood where cartoons actually made sense(yeah..Roll No. 21..pshtt).

I apologize for this MASSIVE post.But, wanted to finish this movie in a sequel.

Camera..Rolling..Action!

Rudyard Kipling..Re imagined.

I have been visiting the theaters a lot lately being completely freed from the shingles that is "School".On my most recent visit I decided to go for a lighter choice but traditional all the same."The Jungle Book'.One of the most admired creations of Rudyard Kipling recreated in various diasporas ranging from animation to semi as well as real time dramas and human interpretations all of which have been more or less popular.

The song "Chaddi Pehen Ke Phool Khila Hai" became no less than iconic after it was released on Cartoon Network as the theme song of The Jungle Book series.I'll admit,my introduction to this classic and all it's types started from this beloved cartoon.Mowgli..being the "man cub" in the jungle was an epitome of adaption and portrayed the capability of homo sapiens to truly fit in almost anywhere.Those who have seen "Tarzan"(as I hope most of you have) will notice a very common plot emerging from both these stories,but as we follow through they take completely different turns making both of these delights equally mesmerizing to watch.

To those who haven't heard this monumental song,here is the first official video.

"The Jungle Book" having a plethora of different characters ranging from the ever protecting Raksha(Mowgli's Wolf mother) to Baloo(The carefree bear who becomes an unlikely friend) provides Mowgli's life with just enough ups and downs to make this story a pleasure to watch or read.

This particular movie took that animation to another level.

Even though the english version missed the famous song that made this book a classic among the little ones, the voice overs of all the characters filled the gap.

The animation of the jungle and especially the amount of detail on that monkey temple left me absolutely spell bound!It is no surprise though as Pixar puts a huge quantity of hard work in all their animation projects.Takes almost 4 years to complete an animation movie,and that is precisely why they are so immaculate.

The Cast

Bagheera/Ben Kingsley-:

This is why,Hollywood,even after having a much shallower hold of literature than ours truly will forever have a much higher seniority in professing their ideas on the silver screen.

Who can be better for Bagheera,the epitome of protection and father like kindness, the bad ass of the jungle than our very own Charles Xavier?His booming and very intimidating voice brought more than Mowgli in line and his presence was no less elegant on screen.

Holding the no-nonsense flag high,Bagheera is everything that you imagined him to be,to both the book lovers and followers of the cartoon.His chemistry with Mowgli is almost effortless.From when he found him as a man cub to when he became a beautiful boy under the care of Raksha and Akela,Bagheera has always been a constant.

Not one for the limelight,he is seen as the master of shadows, overlooking Mowgli's every step and picking him back up whenever he made mistakes and accidentally showed his "Human tendencies".A flawless job by Kingsley, as he brought an almost fluid like depth to the character,immortalizing Bagheera for adults and kids alike.

This is a HUGE post.More in part 2 where I cover all the other characters that stood out for me.

Camera..Rolling..Action!