REEL DEAL: The Jungle Book REVIEW

I believe many of us have seen/heard/read about The Jungle Book which was one of the most loved stories. I was able to watch the cartoon and it did leave a mark on me about the jungle life, but this year I the experience of the jungles comes closer to reality with the live action adaptation of The Jungle Book.

This time the real look of animals and a real boy Mowgli, presents the story in a unique experience. We do know that they things becomes scarier in real life and that what the film shows. Though the story is still the same, interestingly the characters have built their own unique charisma.

The film was almost completely made from Computer graphics, with Mowgli (Neel Sethi) the only real person to act in the film. Though the voices behind them are impressive which gave them a sense of mystery and familiarity.

The thing I like about the movie is giving characters their own time to shine, powerful lines among the animals which shows humanity. And also the role of nature that unites everyone.

Neel Sethi, Wild Child Mowgli in "The Jungle Book"

The only live-action actor among an all-star cast in Disney's “The Jungle Book,” child performer Neel Sethi was chosen by director Jon Favreau after considering about 2000 kids who auditioned for the lead role of Mowgli.

The now 12-year-old Sethi is a natural athlete, enjoys playing all sports—especially basketball and football. He is working towards earning his black belt in Taekwondo and underwent parkour training to help him prepare him for his role in the film.

Scarlett Johansson Tempts as Python, Kaa in "The Jungle Book"‏

With only her voice, Scarlett Johansson made people madly fall in love with their computer's operating system in the futuristic drama “Her.” Now, Johansson once again uses her voice to capture hearts in Disney's new family adventure “The Jungle Book,” based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film.

Johansson provides the voice of Kaa sets her sights on Mowgli when she discovers him all alone in the jungle. The massive python uses her seductive voice and hypnotic gaze to entrance the man-cub, and Mowgli finds himself unable to resist her captivating embrace.

Says director Jon Favreau, “Mowgli is exploring different regions of the jungle—mistier, darker, more mysterious parts of the jungle. That’s where Kaa lives. That’s where she gets ahold of him—till Baloo rescues him and brings him back to his cave.”

Idris Elba Speaks for Tiger, Shere Khan in "The Jungle Book"‏

Bengal tiger Shere Khan bears the scars of Man, which fuel his intense hatred of humans. Powerful and menacing, the fearsome tiger makes no secret of his feelings about man-cub Mowgli and his presence in the jungle. Shere Khan’s mission, above all else, is to ensure Mowgli—and the fire he knows Man wields—pose no future threat. Deep down, Shere Khan seeks revenge upon Man, and it’s Mowgli who will pay the price.

Recently winning the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Supporting Actor (“Beasts of No Nation”), Idris Elba brings the tiger Shere Khan to life, in Disney's new family adventure “The Jungle Book.” Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), the new movie is based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film.

Lupita Nyong'o Lends Voice to Wolf, Raksha, in "The Jungle Book"‏

Raksha, a loving and fiercely protective mother wolf, cares deeply for all of her pups—including man-cub Mowgli (Neel Sethi), whom she adopts as one of her own when he’s abandoned in the jungle as an infant.

Oscar® winner Lupita Nyong’o (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) was called on to help bring Raksha to life, in Disney's new family adventure “The Jungle Book,” based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film.

“We relied a little more on Kipling when it came to Raksha,” says director Jon Favreau. “The wolves have a much greater significance in his stories, which was important to me.”

“I just love my character,” says Nyong’o. “She is the protector, the eternal mother. The word Raksha actually means protection in Hindi. I felt really connected to that, wanting to protect a son that isn’t originally hers but one she’s taken for her own.

Bill Murray Breathes Life to Baloo in "The Jungle Book"‏

Academy Award-nominee Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”) breathes life to Baloo, a free-spirited bear who meets Mowgli (Neel Sethi) after the man-cub has been banished from the jungle, in Disney's new family adventure “The Jungle Book,” based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film.

“Baloo is a huge bear, bigger than life,” says director Jon Favreau. “He’s that teacher that you have in high school that encourages you to read the books that maybe you weren't allowed to read, and opens your eyes to what the world is really all about. He’s a subversive thinker. He is not a guy who exactly fits into jungle society. He plays by his own rules and he encourages Mowgli to do the same.”

Ben Kingsley is the Voice of Panther, Bagheera, in "The Jungle Book"‏

Bagheera is a sleek and stunning panther who rescued Mowgli when he was abandoned in the jungle as an infant. The effort bonded the big cat to the man-cub—indeed, Bagheera has a bit of a soft spot for the boy. As Mowgli’s mentor, Bagheera guides him to faithfully follow the laws of the jungle. And when it comes time for Mowgli to leave his jungle home, Bagheera feels it’s his duty to help the man-cub depart with dignity.

Academy Award® winner Ben Kingsley brings his noble voice to Bagheera in Disney's new family adventure “The Jungle Book.” “He just brought this elegance and refinement to the character, yet with great firmness,” says director Jon Favreau. “He’s an interesting dude with crazy range.”

"Gravity," "Avatar" Artists Tap Latest Tech for Disney's "The Jungle Book"‏

Filmmakers explored the best way to immerse audiences in the world they’d imagined in their new version of Walt Disney Pictures' reimagined “The Jungle Book.”

Says director Jon Favreau, “We asked ourselves, ‘How can we create a world? How can we use this technology, these storytelling tools to their fullest potential?’ Ideally, we wanted the audience to forget that it’s technology—they’ll just get transported.”

Filmmakers assembled a team of experts with movies like “Life of Pi,” “Gravity” and “Avatar” under their belts. Visual effects supervisor Rob Legato boarded the project very early on to design a workflow, a system and VFX pipeline, employing the very latest iteration of movie magic, which would allow his director the freedom to push the limits of what’s possible in filmmaking. “It’s a photo-real film grounded in the real world,” says Legato. “There's something very interesting about that.”

"Iron Man's" Jon Favreau Directs Disney's "The Jungle Book"‏

Acclaimed director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”) takes audiences on a wild ride back to the jungle, in Walt Disney Pictures' all-new live-action epic adventure, “The Jungle Book.”

Based on Rudyard Kipling's classic novel, “The Jungle Book” tells the story of Mowgli, a man-cub who’s been 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.

Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" to Touch New Generation‏

Disney’s “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli, a man-cub who’s been 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.

Based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories, “The Jungle Book” is inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, with an approach all its own. “We embrace the mythic qualities of Kipling in the more intense tonal aspects of the film,” says director Jon Favreau,“but we left room for what we remember from the ’67 film, and sought to maintain those charming Disneyesque aspects.”

“Kipling’s stories follow Joseph Campbell’s ‘hero with a thousand faces’ view of mythic storytelling,” adds Favreau. “You have the rise of the hero—a young boy coming of age in the jungle in this environment with all of these archetypal characters. As a filmmaker I find this as very fertile soil.”

Kipling’s stories have been adapted several times in the 12 decades that followed their publication. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated movie, “The Jungle Book,” was overhauled when Walt Disney felt that early drafts, which retained the darker tone of Kipling’s stories, were too serious. Released on Oct. 18, 1967, a year after Disney’s death, the film became a beloved classic. 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. Disney’s “The Jungle Book” was released theatrically two more times, as well as in-home video, DVD and Blu-ray releases, earning fans across generations and rooting Mowgli and his animal friends and foes in hearts around the world.

“The bond between Mowgli and Baloo made a very strong impression on me as a kid,” says Favreau. “It reminded me of my own relationship with my grandfather, who was a big part of my life. I really like that Mowgli is rambunctious, always getting into trouble. He isn’t the standard well-behaved kid, but a bit precocious—a ‘Dennis the Menace’ type. He isn’t intimidated by these big wild animals, in fact, he’s completely at home among them. He’s a tough kid but also very vulnerable emotionally, especially with Baloo.

“There was a fun quality to Disney’s classic animated version of ‘The Jungle Book,’” continues Favreau. “I loved the music and I remember having vivid dreams about the characters. The scenes that made a big visual impression on me—that I am carrying over to this version of film—are images of Mowgli going down the river on the belly of Baloo, the python Kaa with its hypnotic eyes, and the majesty of those elephants marching by.”

The wild adventure swings into Philippine theaters in 3D on April 06, 2016. “The Jungle Book” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow the official social media accounts of Disney in the Philippines, namely, (FB) WaltDisneyStudiosPH, (Twitter) @disneystudiosph and (Instagram) @waltdisneystudiosph and use the hashtag #JungleBookPH.

Main Trailer of Disney's "Jungle Book" Roars with Action‏

The main trailer of Walt Disney Pictures' new, imaginative take on the classic children’s adventure “The Jungle Book” roars online and may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCJ8HQiRIow.

Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves.

"Zootopia," "Captain America: Civil War" Usher In Disney's 2016 Campaign‏

Coming off an undisputed blockbuster 2015 – when practically every movie it released was a box-office hit -- Walt Disney Studios Philippines has just announced that will roll out ten films in 2016, led by the charming animated feature “Zootopia,” Marvel's super hero collision “Captain America: Civil War,” Pixar's eagerly awaited sequel, “Finding Dory” and Lucasfilm's first anthology entry, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

Triptych Poster Revealed for Disney's "The Jungle Book"‏

Walt Disney Pictures has unveiled the triptych poster of its new, imaginative take on the classic children’s adventure “The Jungle Book.” The triptych features lead star Neel Sethi who plays Mowgli together with talking animal characters on either side, in a sprawling and extended horizontal shot.

Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves.

Disney's "The Jungle Book" Trailer Dazzles the Eyes‏

Walt Disney Pictures has just launched the teaser trailer of its new, imaginative take on the classic children’s adventure “The Jungle Book” which may be viewed here at https://youtu.be/B337Hg0gs0A.

The new film blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world.

Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm Showcase Upcoming Live-Action Slate‏

Disney, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm presented their live action film slates recently at the D23 EXPO 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. The presentations, which revealed exclusive news and details about the upcoming live action films, were aided by live and video appearances from talent and filmmakers. Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn hosted the highly anticipated biennial event.

“It’s quite something to be able to have Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm all on the same stage, and it’s tremendously gratifying to unveil our upcoming projects to our most dedicated fans first,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “We always have an incredible time at the D23 EXPO.”

After welcoming the crowd to D23 EXPO 2015, Horn introduced Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, and Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, to present overviews of the Marvel Studios and Disney live action slates. Later Horn returned to the stage to present the Lucasfilm film slate to the enthusiastic audience.

A recap of the presentation follows:

Kevin Feige led off with a glimpse into the world of Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” featuring a video greeting by Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars as the title character, followed by a pre-production piece that offered fans a taste of the look and feel of the upcoming film, opening in U.S. theaters on October 26, 2016.

Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” marched into D23 EXPO with an introduction by its producer, Kevin Feige. To the delight of the audience, Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie showed up on stage to help Feige show never-seen-before footage from the movie. Before the footage rolled, Feige revealed that there was a special “Easter egg” for fans to find: it was aptly a nod to D23 EXPO.

Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain. Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” opens in the U.S. on May 6, 2016.

REEL DEAL: “AVENGERS” Sequel, “CINDERELLA” Lead Disney's 2015 Line-Up

Walt Disney Studios Philippines will release nine movies in 2015, led by Marvel's “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the live-action “Cinderella” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the first Star Wars installment since 2005.

Disney's opening film for the new year will be Rob Marshall's “Into the Woods,” already a December blockbuster in the U.S. and stars Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine and Emily Blunt. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel — all tied together by an original story.

In March, “Cinderella” will get the live-action treatment, the way Disney brought fantasy characters like “Maleficent” and “Alice in Wonderland” to the bigscreen. “Cinderella” is directed by Kenneth Branagh and features Lily James (“Downton Abbey”) and Cate Blanchett.

REEL DEAL: Cumberbatch, Blanchett, Bale Head Cast of Warner's “JUNGLE BOOK: ORIGINS”

Warner Bros. Pictures has assembled an impressive roster of stars for “Jungle Book: Origins,” its new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis.

The action adventure, which will blend motion capture and live action, will be released worldwide beginning October 21, 2016. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

REEL DEAL: Disney Casts Newcomer For Mowgli Role in “THE JUNGLE BOOK”

After an extensive worldwide search ranging from New York to New Zealand, London to Canada, and all throughout the United States and India, The Walt Disney Studios is pleased to announce that 10-year-old Neel Sethi will play the part of Mowgli in Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”

Neel is a newcomer from New York picked from among thousands of auditions, and his role in “The Jungle Book” marks his first foray into acting.

“Casting is the most important element of any film and finding the right kid to play Mowgli was imperative,” said director Jon Favreau. “Neel has tremendous talent and charisma. There is a lot riding on his little shoulders and I’m confident he can handle it.”