A live-action epic  adventure about Mowgli who is  raised by a family of wolves. But he is no longer welcome in the jungle by the fearsome tiger Shere Khan .Torn between his animal compatriots and his true home,  Shere Khan’s reign of terror demands a confrontation between boy and tiger.

Building on the structure of Rudyard Kipling’s timeless classic and the power of the 1967 animation film, director Jon Favreau has given a new vision to “The Jungle Book” backed by cutting-edge technology. Exceptionally beautiful to behold and bolstered by a stellar vocal cast, this umpteenth film rendition of Rudyard Kipling’s tales of young Mowgli’s adventures amongst the creatures of the Indian jungle proves entirely engaging, even if it’s ultimately lacking in subtext and thematic heft.

Discovered abandoned in the jungle by the sage black panther Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley, all exasperated officiousness), Mowgli has been raised by wolf couple Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) and Akela (Giancarlo Esposito), but his development is lagging behind that of his lupine siblings, and Bagheera admonishes him for using human “tricks” like tool building, instead of learning the ways of the pack. Bagheera tries to take Mowgli to the man-village, but along the way, the boy falls in with friendly, hedonistic bear Baloo (Bill Murray), who must team up with Bagheera to save their human charge from ape king Louie (Christopher Walken), who wants that “red flower” for himself so that he can climb the evolutionary ladder.  When a dry season forces predators and prey into a brief “water truce,” the rest of the jungle gets a look at the wolf pack’s unusual new charge. The despotic Bengal tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) takes exception, having lost his left eye to an encounter with mankind’s “red flower,” fire, and demands the boy be surrendered to him. Akela stares down the tiger, but the conflict is enough to convince Mowgli to travel with Bagheera to rejoin human civilization; on their way, Shere Khan springs a surprise attack, and Mowgli flees off into the deep jungle alone. Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera , and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie, who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.

More like a family-friendly version of The Revenant, with Mowgli (Neel Sethi), the young foundling, surviving on his wits in the wilderness – foraging for fruit, scrambling over rocks, and in one astonishing sequence, skittering down a mudslide with a herd of water buffalo.  The Jungle Book seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. The real star of Disney’s new adaptation of The Jungle Book is a computer-generated talking tiger. Shere Khan, is a wholly computer-animated creation. But he’s realised in such extraordinarily hair-perfect detail, and moves with such persuasive physicality and weight, he might as well be the real, red-in-tooth-and-claw deal.  The spell even holds when he starts to speak, to the extent that you might find yourself wondering if a few years ago, the director, Jon Favreau, sat a real tiger down with a dialogue coach and a Luther box set, and it just worked out surprisingly well.

Tackling his first feature-film role not only as the lead, but also as the only flesh-and-blood character on screen, young Sethi acquits himself well under what must have been challenging circumstances. His line readings don’t always fully pop, but he possesses a loose-limbed naturalness on camera, and perhaps most importantly for a film like this, he genuinely seems to be having fun. Voice work is excellent all around, from Nyong’o’s maternal warmth to Elba’s arrogant malevolence, and the late Garry Shandling has his moments as Ikki, the skittish porcupine. Composer John Debney offers a lush symphonic score, and the 3D work is impressive enough to justify the ticket price.

The Jungle Book is an outstanding achievement. The songs jar slightly perhaps, as audiences are so familiar with the originals. Grizzly bears swimming  down river on their back, as both child and bear sing joyously, is thoroughly effective and infectiously filled with laughter and fun. But it’s not without its bite. As Shere Khan smashes through branches and leaps out of the screen, you’ll be holding a hand up to shield your face. This phase of adaptation in the Disney canon reeks of desperate barrel-scraping, but The Jungle Book not only proves how innovative it can be but also sets the bar for future!

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