Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Dir: Andy Serkis
2018
****
After one animated version and two theatrical versions, one could say that the cinema has seen quite enough of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book but it is also fair to say that his book still hadn’t quite had an authentic adaptation. The big problem now though is the association people have with Disney’s 1968 classic. As soon as you hear the words ‘The Jungle Book’ most people either hum ‘The Bear Necessities’ or ‘I’m the King of the Swingers’, two infamous songs in modern culture that have nothing to do with Kipling or his Jungle stories. Warner Bros. Pictures wanted to break away from the Disney version of the story and tell the true tale of Kipling’s original without any songs of sugar-coating. Unfortunately, the film has had development problems since its conception. Directors Steve Kloves, Ron Howard and Alejandro González Iñárritu have all been attached to the project since 2012, but one by one each had to leave for other commitments. I think Warner Bros did very well in finally getting Andy Serkis involved and he himself admitted that “after creating Caesar and Gollum, this is what I was most drawn to". He brought with him the motion capture techniques he has now become famous for and a list of great actors who I’m sure only signed on because he was involved. The project took a blow when Disney made their ‘live action’ version of their 1968 adaptation in 2016 but I feel that the film can still stand on its own merits and the idea behind it. Thankfully they ditched the ‘Jungle Book Origins’ title although I’m not sure Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is that much better. The story begins strong as we see Kaa (voiced by Cate Blanchett) watching as Shere Khan (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), a crippled Bengal tiger, break jungle law by killing a family of humans, with only the child escaping. Bagheera (voiced by Christian Bale), drawn to the scene, rescues the man-cub, Mowgli (played by young Rohan Chand), and takes him to a family of wolves being raised by Nisha and Vihaan (Naomie Harris and Eddie Marsan), only for Tabaqui (Tom Hollander), Shere Khan's hyena follower, to discover the boy before he is chased off. They take the infant Mowgli before the wolf council and Akela (Peter Mullan), the pack leader, to decide his fate, with Bagheera buying his life with a kill and Baloo (Andy Serkis) strong-armed into agreeing. Shere Khan arrives to kill Mowgli, but Akela stops him, saying the boy is now a member of the pack and forces Shere Khan to leave, but not before the tiger vows to return. For many years after, Mowgli lives among the wolf pack. One day, Mowgli goes swimming alone and encounters Shere Khan. He manages to escape the tiger after falling into a pit and was saved by Hathi, an elephant missing a tusk. Bagheera finds Mowgli and takes him home. Though Bagheera reveals to Mowgli that he is a human and he will be safe if he goes to the Man-Village, Mowgli states that he wishes to be a wolf. He declares that he will only go if he fails the pack's trial, which would determine if he can become a full member of the pack. During the trial, Bagheera, acting as hunter to chase the young wolves and test their strength, continually chases Mowgli and causes him to fail when he would have come in first. As Baloo confronts Bagheera over the issue, Mowgli is kidnapped by the Bandar-log, the jungle monkeys, on Tabaqui's orders for Shere Khan. Shere Khan attempts to eat Mowgli while he is unconscious, but is stopped by Baloo and Bagheera. However, during their battle with Shere Khan's minions, they are overwhelmed and it is only the intervention of Kaa herself that saves Mowgli. Mowgli learns that Kaa has been watching him and that she believes that he has the power to change the jungle. She then directs him to face Shere Khan, who is again challenging Akela for Mowgli. Mowgli stops the tiger and Akela's challengers with fire taken from the Man-Village, but shames himself in Akela's eyes for using men’s weapon and is forced to leave for the Man-Village. Mowgli is captured by the villagers, including the colonial hunter, John Lockwood (played by Matthew Rhys), and placed in a cage. Bagheera visits him and tells him to stay, encouraging the boy to gain their trust, as Bagheera once did to escape captivity when he was young. Mowgli slowly comes to enjoy village life, being raised by the kindly Messua (played by Freida Pinto) and learning hunting and life skills from Lockwood. Mowgli later meets his oldest wolf brother who pleaded Mowgli to return to the jungle as Shere Khan had been terrorizing the jungle but Mowgli refused. Mowgli also learns that it was Lockwood who shot the tusk off of Hathi. However, Mowgli's attitude towards Lockwood changes when he sees that Lockwood hunts for sport and has killed Bhoot, a wolf cub friend of Mowgli. Mowgli enters Lockwood’s hut with the intent to kill him, and it is shown that Lockwood bears a scar from Shere Khan, suggesting he might be Mowgli’s father. Mowgli then goes back to the jungle with the tusk Lockwood shot off and returns it to Hathi. He then meets with Baloo, Bagheera and the wolf pack, declaring that Shere Khan must die. The animals feel obligated to remain out of the conflict as it would break jungle law to fight Shere Khan. Regardless, Mowgli proceeds with his plan and lures Shere Khan to the edge of the village, where with the help of Hathi and other bull elephants, he mortally wounds the tiger. However, Lockwood accidentally grazes Mowgli with a bullet while trying to kill the tiger and accidentally shoots Akela when the wolf saves Mowgli from Shere Khan. Lockwood is killed by Hathi before he can do more harm, and the other animals rally to Mowgli upon seeing his resolve. Akela gives Mowgli his blessing to lead the jungle's creatures and the wolf pack before he dies, and Mowgli decides to leave the village behind, returning to the jungle, where he slays the dying Shere Khan. Mowgli is re-accepted as a member of the jungle. Kaa goes on to say that Mowgli gave the jungle a voice, and that as long as he lived and watched over it, there was lasting peace. It is a far darker and more interesting piece then either of the Disney films and it will divide audiences. For me it highlighted a lot of what I liked and disliked about the original novels. I believe there is a code in all walks of life but it was a shame in many respects that an entire Jungle of animals still relied on man to save them. Also, as much as I hate how Disney has re-written classic literature over the years and is now content in making ‘live action’ remakes of their original animations (all laughable when they are just as animated), I do still love their unfaithful 1968 adaptation. When compering Kipling’s written Baloo with Andy Serkis’, Phil Harris’ and Bill Murray’s, then I will, like most people, pick Harris first, followed by Murray. It is terrible how a classic character has been changed so much but in many respects it is too late, it is what most of us have grown up with and you can’t beat the lovable and care-free bear from one of the world’s favorite cartoons. However, all that aside, and putting aside how unlucky Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle has been with its release, it is still a great film. I’m not sure how much I love Serkis’ motion capture effects and I did miss King Louie – even though he never appeared in the novel – but all in all, this is a fine film. It has everything you want from an adaptation, if what you want is a more faithful adaptation. If you want singing and cuteness then I’m afraid you wont like it, but then there are two perfectly good versions made for you, you do not need another.