Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
2018 · Directed by Andy Serkis
Original language: English
- adventure
- drama
The story
A human child raised by wolves, must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins.
What it’s like
Dense, humid greens and rich golden-brown earth dominate this live-action retelling, with the jungle rendered as a tangle of vines, mist and shafts of hard sunlight that break through the canopy in long, dappled slants. The camerawork moves with the animals: sweeping low tracking shots through undergrowth, swooping aerial passages over treetops, and tight, watchful close-ups on the faces of the wolves and tiger, which are photoreal rather than cartoonish. The score is orchestral and percussive, swelling with drums and strings during chases and dropping to quiet woodwind and wind-through-leaves in the calmer stretches. The pacing is brisk and episodic, building tension through stalking sequences and a steady run of chases, with the emotional register earnest and a little melancholy as a boy wrestles with belonging between two worlds. Intensity is moderate to high: there are frightening animal attacks, a few bloody wounds, a hunt and a tense standoff, but no gore for its own sake and little gratuitous cruelty. It suits a weekend afternoon with family or teenagers, or an adventure-minded viewer who likes sweeping nature photography and a dark-tinged coming-of-age story, but it is not gentle enough for very young children or anyone seeking a soft, low-stakes watch.
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