Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)

Watching the first half of Mowgli, one would be hard pressed to understand why the film makers bothered making a film which is so close to another film, Disney's "live action" Jungle Book. The first part of Mowgli hits many of the same beats,only differentiating itself by being "darker" if you count being slightly more violent and having less songs being "darker." I understand this wasn't set out to be a remake of that film, that both were developing at the same time and the other just happened to get out first. Being second does bring on what may be unfair comparisons. But regardless the first half of this film doesn't offer anything new.

But once you get to the second half you begin to see what may have been motivating director Andy Serkis to take on this very familiar story. I would argue both Disney's attempts to adapt the Mowgli stories are valid interpretations and very entertaining. But as the film finds it groove Serkis does find something else interesting to say about this narrative.

All interpretations use Mowgli's status as outsider and his humaness as his strengths. Serkis' take gives Mowgli new struggles as he wrestles with what it means to be a person  in light of both the good and bad that people exhibit. In Mowgli we get to see the good and bad in all his aspects, as a member of the jungle community and as an emerging human. Serkis' Mowgli becomes a hero through embracing it all and striving for the best of all of it.

So perhaps this second take does offer us something interesting

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Starring: Rohan Chand, Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis, Kate Blanchett, Naomi Harris, Frida Pinto
Director: Andy Serkis
Writer: Callie Kloves