The Jungle Book is a must-have for anyone with a heart
The Jungle Book is now available on Blu-Ray in a super-fantastic double-disc edition that includes the 3D and 2D discs, as well as a load of fun features, including an entertaining and insightful audio commentary by multi-talented director Jon Favreau, who delivers a candid and humourous scene-by-scene perspective on this magical, larger-than-live, live-action epic adventure that showcases the art of animation, storytelling and filmmaking, blending live-action performances with stunning CG environments and extraordinary photo-real animal characters.
This is a film the world has been waiting for and it exceeds expectations, giving fervent fans more than they could ever have wished for, and newcomers an introduction that will lead to explorations of its rich history and the animated classics on DVD and Blu-Ray, earning fans across generations and rooting Mowgli and his animal friends and foes in hearts around the world.
With iconic songs like Terry Gilkyson’s “The Bare Necessities” and the Sherman Brothers’ “I Wanna Be Like You,” the film’s soundtrack still inspires instantaneous humming and toe tapping today, and has been reworked for the new version.
Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Chef) directed The Jungle Book from a screenplay by Justin Marks (Top Gun 2, TV’s Rewind) that was based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and was inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, with an approach all its own. It was the last film that Walt Disney oversaw. He passed away in 1966, the year before the film’s release.
The Jungle Book is an unforgettable epic adventure about Mowgli, a man-cub raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan, who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera, and the free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa, 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.
Bonus features:
- The delightful Jungle Book Reimagined features director Jon Favreau, producer Brigham Taylor and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato talking about the years they devoted to reimagining this timeless tale, it looks at how Rudyard Kipling’s original stories and the classic animated film influenced their unique approach, how the technical wizardry enabled the team to create a believable and thrilling movie experience, and how they borrowed a page from Walt Disney’s innovative playbook to make it all happen. It also looks at the all-star voice cast who helped to bring the colourful character’s to life, as well as the musicians who underscored the emotional journey with a magical score.
- I Am Mowgli follows 12-year-old Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousand of hopefuls worldwide to play Mowgli; it looks at Neel’s life before Hollywood came calling, his audition that sealed the deal, and his working relationship with Favreau. Neel also shares how filming Jungle Book was one wild ride, working alongside imaginary animals and performing some super stunts.
- King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer reveals how the musical number was created featuring one man-cub, a gigantic and legendary ape, and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle. It’s fun watching Christopher Walken having fun during the recording session bringing the big ape to life in the I Wann’a Be Like You sequence.