The Jungle Book Blu-ray

Disclosure: Disney provided me with a product to facilitate this post. The words and opinions expressed in this review are strictly of my own.

Disney’s epic adventure “The Jungle Book,” arrives on Blu-ray August 30^th! The beloved Walt Disney’s animated classic was directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), written by Justin Marks, and based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories. The wild adventure swung into theaters in 3D back in April 15, 2016 and earned more than $911 million at the global box office to date. Now fans have the opportunity to experience the epic movie again at select IMAX locations for a limited time now through September 1st.

About The Jungle Book Movie

If you have never seen The Jungle Book or read the book, it is about a young boy named Mowgli (Neel Sethi) who’s raised by the Indian wolf Raksha and her pack of wolves, led by Akela. As he grows older, the man-cub becomes unwelcome in the jungle and seen as a threat by Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), a fearsome Bengal tiger who suffers the scars of Man. Khan promises to eliminate the threat at the end of the drought when the truce is over. Fearing for the safety of the pack, Mowgli decides to leave the only home he has ever known and embark on a journey with Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), a plank panther through the jungle back to the nearby man village.

THE JUNGLE BOOK

During his adventure, Mowgli encounters several jungle creatures, such as a massive python named Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), a honey obsessed bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray), and a giant ape named King Louie (Christopher Walken) who tries to force Mowgli into giving up the secret to the deadly red flower – fire!

[field name= iframe]

[field name= iframe1]

[field name= iframe2]

Bonus features include

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:

“The Jungle Book” Reimagined – Favreau sits down with producer Brigham Taylor and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato to discuss “The Jungle Book” and reflect on the years they devoted to the reimagining of this timeless tale. Discover how Rudyard Kipling’s original stories and the classic animated film influenced their unique approach, witness the technical wizardry that enabled the team to create a believable and thrilling movie-going experience, and learn how they borrowed a page from Walt Disney’s innovation playbook to make it all happen. Lastly, meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score.

I Am Mowgli – Follow the extraordinary journey of 12-year-old Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of hopefuls worldwide to play Mowgli “alongside” some of today’s biggest movie stars. Get a glimpse of Neel’s life before Hollywood came calling, check out his audition that sealed the deal, and see how a close-working relationship with Favreau brought out his best. Plus, Neel shares how filming “The Jungle Book” was one wild ride, from working alongside imaginary animals to performing some super-fun stunts.

King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

Audio Commentary – Favreau delivers his scene-by-scene perspective on the live-action adventure “The Jungle Book” with all the candor and humor you’d expect from this multi-talented actor-writer-director-producer.

DVD

King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

*Bonus features may vary by retailer

Note: The 3D version of The Jungle Book will be available later this year.

A Jaw-dropping Adaption

thejunglebook

While growing up, I have seen Disney’s The Jungle Book movie countless times throughout the years and have always loved the story. The animated classic from 1967 crawled into my heart years ago. However, even though the story has been told for decades I have never seen a more jaw-dropping adaption than Favreau’s. ITS INCREDIBLE! The CGI in this film does not skip a beat with the animals and lush jungle scenes looking so life like you immerse yourself in the fantasy wholeheartedly. The talking animal look amazingly real you that you forget they aren’t and the jungle is nothing less than breathtaking. I didn’t want to look away for a moment in fear I might miss something.

thejunglebook

Ask anyone who has seen The Jungle Book and I am sure they can rattle of a favorite scene. After watching the epic live-action adaption I have many! Although, the one that is unforgettable is when Mowgli floats down the stream on Baloo’s stomach as they sing “The Bare Necessities.” It can’t help to put a joyous smile on your face for the day.

As for as the cast goes, newcomer Neel Sethi is an astonishing talent! He was selected from thousands of candidates following a worldwide search for the perfect man-cub and his performance in The Jungle Book blows you away. To think he was the ONLY live action character in the film is absolutely astounding. Other voice cast members such as Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Sir Ben Kingsley, Giancarlo Esposito, and Idris Elba make this adaption of the film my favorite.

The Jungle Book is truly a perfect film for the whole family and a must see no matter how many times you might have heard the story before! It is like watching what you always imagined it to be for the first time. As soon as the 3D version of The Jungle Book is available—I’m BUYING IT!