By Paul Hall
The Jungle Book is back in theaters and this time it is a mixture of stunning visuals, great voice talent and a brand new actor to bring Mowgli to life like you’ve never seen him before.
As a child I grew up with the animated version of The Jungle Book. I sang along in my head to songs like “The Bare Necessities” and marveled at the life of the man-cub named Mowgli. For those who never sang along, here’s the quick overview. As a baby, Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is found by a panther named Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley) and brought into the jungle to be raised by a pack of wolves. When Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), a vicious beast with an agenda, finds Mowgli, he is intent on eliminating him from the jungle forever. Bagheera and Mowgli set out to find the man-village in an attempt to spare Mowgli from death.
Along the way, the man-cub encounters a fun-loving bear named Baloo (voice of Bill Murray), a slithering snake named Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson) and an ape named King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken). Each of these animals possesses a different agenda for Mowgli.
Director Jon Favreau sticks to the basics of the Rudyard Kipling tale in terms of storytelling, but visually he creates an atmosphere that truly blew me away. Seeing the film in 3-D only enhanced the experience and is the preferred way to see this iteration of The Jungle Book. Every aspect, from chases to quiet close-ups, features intricate graphics and amazing colors. It is truly breathtaking.
The voice talent is spot-on and becomes a part of the film. I never viewed Baloo as Bill Murray; the bear was simply Baloo — and the same goes for all of the other great cast members who made their characters come to life.
But the real star of the film is Neel Sethi as Mowgli. This actor, only 12 years old, is able to carry the film as the only human present. He offers up amazing images of fear, anger and success, and every emotion feels genuine. As adults it’s easy to forget how genuine kids are with their emotions and their imaginations. Favreau puts Sethi into a magical environment and fills in the gaps with an amazing film.
A soundtrack full of the songs we love never overpowers the story, and The Jungle Book is a truly stunning film that deserves to be seen. You jump at some of the really frightening moments, cheer for the triumphs and just may break into song when “The Bare Necessities” starts to play. Most of all, you will agree that The Jungle Book never looked quite this good.
The Jungle Book
Rated: PG
Stars: Neel Sethi; voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley
Director: Jon Favreau
Grade: A-
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Costner Finds Redemption in ‘Criminal’
By David Lange
In Criminal, Kevin Costner is excellent as Jericho, a death-row inmate selected to assist the CIA in stopping a diabolical plot. The film has some plot holes — a standard for action dramas — but Costner’s take on a gritty, reluctant hero is a must-see.
Jericho is a lifelong criminal who can’t be disciplined because he doesn’t know right from wrong. When a CIA agent with critical information is murdered, Jericho is selected to get the agent’s memories implanted into his brain. Jericho is a prime candidate because of a childhood brain injury. I know, it sounds weird to transfer classified CIA information to a criminal’s brain. But Dr. Franks[-enstein?] (Tommy Lee Jones) has been working on the method for years and it’s worked … in mice. That’s one of the holes in the plot; why would Jericho agree to work with the CIA after unwillingly donating his brain to them?
Sometimes action movies don’t make sense. Criminal does a good job in suspending disbelief. Gary Oldman, playing the head of the CIA, Quaker Wells, helps in making the story work. Quaker is a good guy with an evil way about him. He believes that Jericho is expendable and only worth what he can do for the CIA. Oldman does mildly evil characters well.
For Costner, this is a breakthrough performance from someone who hasn’t done anything memorable for more than 25 years. He has a lengthy resumé of mediocre movies since the release of Field of Dreams in 1989, arguably his signature movie. Since then, his films have been mainly trite stories about nostalgia, sports and the ever-complicated process of bonding with another human being. As Jericho, Costner was able to break that Everyman character, transforming into something completely different.
Tommy Lee Jones is also a nice addition to the cast. Closing in on 70 years old, Jones is relegated to a supporting role in this fast-paced action flick. However, that lovable old crustiness that we enjoyed in No Country for Old Men, Men in Black and Double Jeopardy shines through as Dr. Franks mentors Jericho while he has the CIA agent’s thoughts trapped in his brain.
Criminal may not be Oscar-worthy, but it is worth seeing in the theater. The action is right on. Costner is believable in a sometimes unbelievable story. Oldman, Jones, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) deliver solid performances. Costner may even be forgiven for The Postman, Waterworld, For Love of the Game … well, maybe not Waterworld.
Criminal
Rated: R
Stars: Kevin Costner, Ryan Reynolds, Tommy Lee Jones
Director: Ariel Vromen
Grade: B+
NEW THIS WEEK
Elvis & Nixon
Rated: R
Stars: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, Alex Pettyfer
Director: Liza Johnson
Sometimes identified as the most requested photo in the National Archives, just what was the story surrounding the shot of Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon at the White House? It was a December morning in 1970 when Elvis showed up on the White House lawn in search of a meeting with the president. This is the untold true story behind that meeting and how the image came to be.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
We know the story of Snow White, but what about the story that came about before that tale? The evil Queen Ravenna betrays her sister Freya, who retreats to a kingdom far to the north, where she raises an army of Huntsmen to protect her. The war for domination has only one potential hero: Freya’s most elite Huntsman, Eric.
