Okay, so I watched it today, and I have very mixed feelings about it. There highs are definitely high, there aren't that many lows, but a lot of it is just plain dull, if I had to put it bluntly. While the CGI is incredible, I never thought the film looked particularly stunning apart from the animals, which do look fantastic. Perhaps, the art direction wasn't to my taste. Or I suppose they were going for a more grounded look for the jungle, which I can totally understand.
Now, for the story. There were some moments that were quite thrilling, especially the ones involving
. He's the perfect mix of graceful, regal, and downright menacing. Every scene he's in there's immense amounts of tension and suspense. But most of all, his motivations are understandable. I enjoyed his character a lot and Idris Elba did a fine job with the character.
are really fun supporting characters who provide the story with the right amount of humor and seriousness respectively. Solid performances by both Bill Murray and Ben Kingsley. However, these are the only parts of the film I felt were truly enjoyable. I'm not familiar with the original Jungle Book that much, so I'm not sure what's supposed to be in there and what's not, but a lot of the subplots felt unnecessary, especially the one involving
. It was kinda just there just for the sake of being there, and I didn't care for any of it. To me, the dull parts far outweighed the fun parts. While Neel Sethi's performance was pretty good, I never felt like I cared for the character, and it frustrates me because I can't put a finger on why not.
The film has a heart, but it felt like there were a lot of unexciting moments that always kept me at an arm's distance from the fun parts. I saw Zootopia when it came out, and I was blown away by how thoughtful, engaging, fun, and full of heart and soul it was, and this being another Disney film, I was totally expecting something similar. I was giddy with excitement when I walked into the theater, but when I walked out, I couldn't find a single reason to watch it again. I guess I'm just disappointed because the film didn't live up to my weeks of hype.
Anyway, that's what I felt, but it seems like a lot of people are enjoying it, and there's no reason you can't. Have fun, everyone who has plans to watch it this weekend!
is da baws.