10 Spectacular Movies That Helped Redeem 2016
5. The Jungle Book
The
Jungle Book had no business being good. After all, the movie is a live-action remake
of an animated classic, taking numerous liberties with the source material.
Somehow – mainly thanks to some strong performances and an experienced director
– the film manages to succeed, innovating without demonstrating too much
estrangement from its roots.
Visually, The Jungle Book is unprecedented – in terms of cinematography and special effects – permitting a range of emotional expressiveness, meaning the animals come across convincingly, despite their sometimes cartoonish movements. That said, the visuals really are persuasive – almost everything rendered entirely digitally, apart from the protagonist – the characters seamlessly brought to life, portrayed with wonderful care and attention.
It’s nostalgic, yet its history is never allowed to interfere with the larger narrative. It’s indulgent, but not excessively – just enough to bridge the old with the new.