Release date:
|
April 8, 2015
|
Director:
|
Jon Favreau
|
Cast:
Language:
|
Neel Sethi, Voices:
Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong’o, Giancarlo
Esposito
English
|
In a sense, Gulzar and
Vishal Bhardwaj have spoilt The Jungle
Book for me. It is impossible for at least some of us Indians to watch any screen
visitation of Rudyard Kipling’s 19th century literary classics of
that name without being filled with nostalgia for the old Japanese animated TV
serial that has been dubbed in multiple Indian languages. The Hindi version telecast
on Doordarshan in the early 1990s featured that
song as its title track.
Remember Jungle jungle baat chali hai with
original music by Vishal – back when the nation barely knew his name – and
lyrics by Gulzarsaab?
This is a Catch-22
situation for any non-Indian viewer because you cannot possibly appreciate the rambunctiousness of the number without
understanding the un-understandable: lyrics that say nothing more than, “It has become known across
all jungles that a flower has blossomed wearing underwear… A little bird is
embarrassed, because it is naked. It was better off inside the egg and so it’s
wondering why it bothered to emerge… A flower has blossomed wearing underwear.”
(For complete Hindi lyrics, see footnote.)
It is with such
formidable competition etched in our collective memories that this new Disney
live-action-plus-CGI film comes to India. Jon Favreau’s retelling of the story
of a human child brought up by wolves in an Indian forest is grimmer, less
frothy and more adult than the aforementioned, much-loved TV series and
Disney’s own animated 1967 version. Still, this Jungle Book has its own allure.
Mowgli (played here by
Indian American debutant Neel Sethi) was found in the jungle as a baby by the
kind panther Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley). He has been raised by the loving
wolf Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o) in a pack headed by the wise Akela (Giancarlo
Esposito). Mowgli’s nemesis in the jungle is the human-eating tiger Shere Khan
(Idris Elba) who hates him for reasons yet unknown until the second half of the
film.
An unexpected turn of
events takes Mowgli to another part of the forest where he meets the giant
python Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), befriends the lazy sloth bear Baloo (Bill
Murray) and clashes with the devious, power-hungry, orangutan-like
Gigantopithecus, King Louie (Christopher Walken).
Like the original story,
this film too is choc-a-bloc with lessons about life, the law of the jungle,
peaceful co-existence with nature, mutual respect, teamwork, the inventiveness born
of human imagination and basic decency. It is not overtly didactic though, and allows
viewers to swim along with the narrative, gathering whatever messages we may
choose to pick by the way without having any of them stuffed down our throats. Such
as the oft-repeated mantra, “…The strength of the pack is the wolf and the
strength of the wolf is the pack,” and so much else.
The plot has been pared
down considerably from the 1967 version, with a very – interestingly – different
ending.
The primary selling
point of The Jungle Book is its dazzling
CGI, which is used to lend amazing depth and detailing to the depiction of the
jungle and the beasts. The elephants are a majestic presence, completely
justifying Bagheera’s awe-inspired reverence towards them. Bagheera himself is suitably
intimidating while Baloo is absolutely loveable. Shere Khan and Kaa are terrifying,
and Louie is a nightmare-inducing yet not repulsive fellow.
Parents please be
warned: This is a sombre film and some of the fight scenes could be genuinely
frightening for under-10s, which should explain the much-criticised UA rating
awarded to it by India’s Central Board of Film Certification. (For my column on the subject on Firstpost,
click here.)
Another note of caution:
While the 3D is worth every paisa paid for your ticket, much of the action
takes place in the night, which puts a bit of a strain on the eyes since most
Indian screens seem dim and dark, in any case, in 3D. That being said, the
film’s impeccably timed, edge-of-the-seat action makes it as much a
nail-biting, chilling thriller as it is a fantasy adventure.
All the special effects
would have come to nought though if it weren’t for the voice cast who are brilliant
while delivering their dialogues. Lupita Nyong’o brings great emotional depth
to the role of a surrogate mother torn between wanting her child by her side
and wanting what is best for him. As for Christopher Walken as Louie, he is
pure genius here. The voice cast’s speaking portions are so well done, that
they can almost be forgiven for some of their indifferent singing.
Almost.
The film not just falters
in the music department, it trips, falls and is badly bruised. While Bare necessities – resurrected from the
1967 film – is used very effectively here in the background score, its tepid
rendition by Neel Sethi and Bill Murray made me weep in remembrance of the
up-tempo, full-bodied singing from that earlier film.
Ditto Louie’s I wanna be like you: dull here, so
lively and memorable back then.
Scarlett Johansson saves
the day with her jazzy, sensuous, ruminative take on Trust in me – don’t walk out when the credits start rolling, or you
will miss it. It is one of the nicest parts of the film.
Twelve-year-old Neel
bears the burden of being the only live human actor on screen in this film. He
is a mixed bag: a competent actor, sweet, likeable, yet not take-your-breath-away
charming. He lacks clarity in speech as a result of which I found myself
struggling to figure out his words, especially the proper nouns, in the film’s
initial 15minutes.
It is hard to write
about a child actor, because you worry as a critic that the kid might be
reading you. Hopefully, his parents have been sensible enough to keep him away
from reviews.
One question: why are
Indian characters in Hollywood films still saying Indian names with a
colonial-era pronunciation? Hollywood has evolved beyond the stage when white
actors used to play Indians because producers could not be bothered to cast
Indian actors in those roles (sample: Peter Sellers as Dr Kabir in the 1960
film The Millionairess). In a more
enlightened world, the most widely viewed film industry on the globe is making
a concerted effort towards better representation, #OscarsSoWhite was a widely
discussed campaign and actors of different races are being sought out to play
characters of those races (such as our very own Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan).
In this scenario, it is
hard to understand why actors could not have made the effort to say Sheir Khan
(rather than Share Caan), Akeyla (not Akeela) and Baaloo/Bhaaloo (not Berloo). What
next? A contemporary British film in which characters say Cashmere instead of
Kashmir, Mirat for Meerut and Cawnpore for Kanpur? C’mon Disney, it’s 2016! You
should do better than that.
This is possibly more troubling
because writer Justin Marks and director Jon Favreau’s take on The Jungle Book is pointedly about
inclusiveness and acceptance, especially with its choice of ending. It also emphasises
the need for all creatures to be non-judgemental towards other species. Note, for
instance, the wolves’ finely nuanced condemnation of Sher
Khan – not for eating flesh, but specifically for killing as mere sport.
Such subtlety, among
other reasons, is what makes this an appealing film.
The Jungle Book is too flawed to be among Disney’s best works of
animation or live action set in the animal kingdom. That crown, when sparingly
given out by this blog, must go to The
Lion King (1994). Still, this film is thoughtful, thought-provoking,
visually spectacular and features some A-grade voice work. It is also a
significant part of Disney’s journey if you consider the lightness of the 1967
film and how much heavier this one is. The two interpretations are as different
as night and day. That does not make this a lesser film. Just different in an
interesting way.
Rating (out of five): ***
Related column on Firstpost by Anna MM Vetticad: “It’s tempting to mock
Pahlaj Nihalani over The Jungle Book,
but let’s mock the film censorship system instead”
http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/its-tempting-to-mock-pahlaj-nihalani-over-the-jungle-book-but-lets-mock-the-film-censorship-system-instead-2720998.html
FOOTNOTE:
Here are the complete lyrics of Jungle jungle baat chali hai by Vishal and Gulzar:
Jungle jungle baat chali hai
Pata chala hai
Jungle jungle baat chali hai
Pata chala hai
Arrey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai, phool khila hai.
Arrey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai, phool khila hai.
Jungle jungle pata chala hai
Chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai.
Jungle jungle pata chala hai
Chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai.
Ek parinda ho sharminda
Thha who nanga.
Bhai isse toh ande ke andar
Thha who changa.
Soch raha hai bahar aakhir kyun nikla hai.
Arrey chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai, phool khila hai.
Jungle jungle pata chala hai
Chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai.
Jungle jungle pata chala hai
Chaddi pehen ke phool khila hai.
For a further wave of nostalgia, listen to the original song
here:
And this is a redone
2016 version of the song for the Hindi trailer of Disney’s The Jungle Book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnO1usyMyEo
Not quite as nice as the original but, well, in addition to the child singers,
this new video also features Vishal and Gulzar. Oh my poor heart, it just
skipped a beat!
CBFC Rating (India):
|
U/A
|
Running time:
MPAA Rating (US):
|
106 minutes
PG (Rated
PG for some sequences of scary action and peril)
|
Release date in US:
|
April 8, 2016
|
Hindi
trailer courtesy: Disney India
No comments:
Post a Comment