8 Reasons The Jungle Book Remake Is Better Than The Original Animation

7. Mowgli Is A Stronger Character

The Jungle Book may be all about the animals we meet, but it really hinges on its man cub hero, Mowgli. Even though he's feral (illusion shattered), by pure speciesism he's our eye into the world of the film and thus needs to be relatable yet believable without making too many objectionable mistakes.

You'd think this would be a real advantage point to the animation - there the filmmakers have much better control over how the child is presented and don't have to deal with a child actor. And yet, partly because of the era of Disney it came from, he's a little too blank, not quite lacking in personality as Alice (she of Wonderland), but a little too much out of the events.

Now here's where Jon Favreau knocks it out of the park. Neel Sethi is a find on a par with Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Natalie Portman in Léon, balancing childish wonder and unearned maturity to be able to successfully to carry a major blockbuster without a crutch. As written Mowgli has more emotional range - struggling when leaving the Wolf Pack and at points actually, gasp, fearful - but it's down to Sethi (and the guiding hand of his adult co-stars) that sells it.