The
classic Disney film of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is rebooted by
director John Favreau in this visually stunning film about a young boy’s
journey through the jungles of India.
We Said: “It's hard to
imagine a film that can do justice to Kipling's story better than Favreau's The
Jungle Book has done. Others will try, of course, […] but they'll find it hard
to improve upon anything that Favreau has already accomplished.” Rating: 4 out of 5
The Good: My god are the
visuals beautiful. This movie has some of the most breathtaking animation I
have ever seen. In terms of technical filmmaking, Director Favreau knocked it
out of the park. The story is considerably tighter than the original Disney
animated film, while still staying true to the heart of the story. The majority
of the vocal performances are spot on excellent and serve to enhance their
character’s personalities, and their character designs are so jaw droppingly
realistic you’d think they were real. This is the rare remake that is in many
ways better than the original.
The Bad: While the visuals
are amazing, unfortunately, to me the story is not. Many audiences were
absolutely blown away by The Jungle Book, where as I just
kind of thought it was… fine. Perhaps it was the all the hype leading up to my
seeing the film that lead to my disappointment, but nonetheless, I left the
theater impressed with nothing but the visual effects of a movie that did not
captivate or excite me. Like I said, this is in many ways a better film than
the 1967 one was, but that’s not to say the animated movie is without its
charm. In fact, this Jungle Book in several places seemed
to feel trapped by the moments in that original film that do work, and felt the
need to squeeze them in to an adaptation where they are now out of place (For
example, Christopher Walken’s character singing). Rarely did this movie bother
me, but it also did little to wrap me up in anything other than its look. I
come away from it impressed, but honestly, kind of bored.
Overall: Though I thought
the storytelling left much to be desired, The Junlge Book is undeniably
beautiful to watch nonetheless.
Special Features: Audio Commentary with
director John Favreau, Deleted Scenes, Making of Featuretes
A
very sad romantic movie adapted from the sad romantic book of the same name, Me
Before You stars Emilia Clarke as a naïve young woman hired by an
incredibly wealthy family to watch after their morbidly depressed, paralyzed son, played by Sam Claflin, who teaches her to “broaden her horizons” and learn
about the world around her, as the two fall in love.
We Said: “It’s not that Me
Before You is bad, but it’s such a product of our modern idea of
romance—shaped by the likes of Nicholas Sparks and Fifty Shades of Grey, with
the presentation of male dominance as heartwarming affection—that it’s almost
exhausting to watch” Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Special Features: Deleted Scenes, Outtakes,
“Me Before You: From Page to Screen”
A
bit polarizing, the fourth season of Arrow has a slightly more
light-hearted tone than the previous three in the series, as our titular hero
returns to the newly renamed Star City to fight a whole mes of comic book bad
guys.
Special Features: “Star Crossed
Hawks: The Hunt for Vandal Savage” Footage of the Arrow 2015 Comic-Con Panel, 6
Bonus Episodes of DC Comics' Vixen Villains, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel
Also Available: Star Wars Rebels:Season Two, The Night Manager, Shameless: The Complete Sixth Season
