ReelBob: ‘Mowgli’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Mowgli” is a darker and bloodier version of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book,” which, under the direction of Andy Serkis, has more action and is less kid friendly.

Unlike the earlier Disney versions of the movie — animated and live-action — no singing nor dancing is performed in Serkis’ jungle. In fact, his is a dangerous and deadly environment, where it is hunt or be hunted and kill or be killed.

Serkis’ motion-capture movie features an all-star cast of vocal talents, including Christian Bale as Bagheera, the panther; Cate Blanchett as Kaa, the python; Serkis as Baloo, the bear; and Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, the evil and deadly tiger.

Young Rohan Chand plays Mowgli, who was raised in the jungle by a family of wolves after his parents were killed by Shere Khan.

Serkis and his writing team have put their own spin on the classic story, diluting some of the elements by making his tale a bit too serious.

It’s a more mature approach that adults may appreciate.

Some preteen youngsters, however, may be put off by the cold brutality of the jungle, where survival of the fittest is more than an adage — it’s a fact.

The movie is receiving a limited theatrical run before it is streamed on Netflix ,starting Friday, Dec. 7.

One of the nice touches used by Serkis is the lack of communication when Mowgli winds up in the man village. The boy and the villagers used hand signals, body language and gestures to communicate, which fits right in the actor-director’s wheelhouse.

The film’s pace seems erratic, making its 104-minute run time feel longer.

The motion-capture work is excellent, and you fall under its spell, almost believing that Chand’s Mowgli is actually interacting with the animals.

The jungle settings and the cinematography compensate for a few of the movie’s drawbacks, including the introduction of a white hunter hired by the Indian villagers to hunt and kill Shere Khan.

Instead, it seems he kills and collects several other animals instead of doing the task for which he was hired.

“Mowgli” is a solid feature mostly because of its technical acumen. Otherwise, it really adds nothing worthwhile to a story that has been filmed many times before.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

MOWGLI
2½ stars out of 4
(PG-13), intense sequences of violence, bloody images, mature thematic elements