Disney’s THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) The Blu Review

Review by Brandon Krzysztof

Tuesday is finally here. August 30th, 2016 marks the last blu-ray Tuesday of the month and again it is a strong release day. I am bought a few of them and it’s safe to say that The Jungle Book is the cream of the crop. A couple more Criterions and some TV season released were also released. Me Before You and The Night Manager came out as well and I purchased both – Reviews coming soon.

With that being said, Jon Favreau’s live adaption of the 1967 classic The Jungle Book was released and what a stacked blu-ray we have here. But before we get into the featurettes, let’s talk about the movie. I got to see The Jungle Book in IMAX on April 14, 2016 and it was extremely captivating. I left loving the voice work and the special effects. It was very cool to see Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli in first movie ever, knock it out of the park. I knew that this was going to be a day one blu-ray purchase after leaving the theater.

THE SYNOPSIS
After receiving a threat from the tiger, Shere Khan, man-cub Mowgli with the help of Bagheera and Baloo goes on a journey to flee the jungle and as well as self-discovery.

THE REVIEW
As I mentioned before, I left the theater amazed. For me, it was an easy 4 ½ out of 5 and after watching the blu-ray I must say it goes down a half. I enjoyed the film very much, but when watching at home I’m afraid to say I wasn’t feeling the same excitement and wonder as I did on the big screen. The special effects were some of the best of the year. The fact that Neel Sethi was acting without being in a jungle or anything is astonishing. Besides the special effects, the huge stand out was the voice cast, specifically Idris Elba as Shere Khan. Every moment he was on screen he owned the scene with his powerful voice. I just didn’t feel the rewatchability factor for the film. The pacing was very slow and found myself bored with in some scenes. The songs were great, the cast was awesome, and the special effects help create this awesome world that didn’t seem cheesy which it easily could have been.

4/5

THE QUALITY

The picture quality on my 4K TV is separated by day and night. Disney has not made the commitment to 4K blu-rays, which is disappointing because movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, and this could look stellar on 4K. Let’s hope the addition of 4K blu-rays from Disney happens sooner rather than later. The movie almost upscales to the full size of the TV leaving about three quarters of an inch of black trim on the top and bottom of the screen. The day scenes look better than the night ones to me. The grain is more noticeable on the darker scenes but its not distracting. I listened to the audio on above moderate sound level and it was content. To me, Shere Khan voice seems muddled and I felt like his roar could have been done better but the bass is great, especially during stampede scenes and John Debney’s score was absolutely great.

THE FEATURES

The blu-ray is loaded with features, which I am happy about because it makes me feel like my money was well spent.

The first featurette, The Jungle Book Reimagined, is a great 35-minute featurette that is part round table with director Jon Favreau, producer Brigham Taylor, and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato and then part behind the scenes. The three reflect on the film after it’s theater run and talk about challenges and how the project got started. It is very interesting and well worth the watch. The behind the scenes clip are very in-depth and entertaining. It was an easy watch.

The second featurette, I Am Mowgli, is an 8-minute featurette about Neel Sethi and how he became casted in the role of Mowgli and show clips of him on set acting. It was very charming.

The third featurette, King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer, is just over three minutes and is pretty much King Louie’s introduction through his song. While this is happening it shows the different stages of production intertwined. For example, one moment it is blue screen, and then it will seamlessly switch to the final product with including stages in-between.

The audio commentary with director Jon Favreau is very interesting. Even though he repeats things we heard in the before mentioned first feature, it still is entertaining. He talks about how certain scenes were made and some of his favorite little scenes that meant so much to him. Even though it was just him in the commentary, it is one of the better ones I’ve listened to because hearing the stories of how a film is made really grabs my attention and Jon Favreau seems like a normal guy which helps me relate.

THE VERDICT

The Jungle Book is an interesting film from beginning to end. Jon Favreau does a great job a bringing in moments from the 1967 original and the Kipling novel. Although I feel the rewatchability factor is moderate, it is still entertaining and has thrills. The picture on my 4K tv is pretty good and the sound is above average. The blu-ray is loaded with features that are easy and interesting watches. I’d definitely recommend that collectors, Disney fans, and special effects enthusiasts pick this one up.

Keep an eye out for reviews of Me Before You and The Night Manager.

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