Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle Review - 5 Ups & 4 Downs

4. It's A Dark, Ambitious Adaptation

Though Mowgli doesn't always tow the line tonally as already mentioned, Serkis does deserve credit for creating a distinctly different film from Favreau's, leaning into the source material more faithfully, ditching the songs and generally being unafraid to depict the darker aspects of the story.

With a greater focus on jungle politics and refusing to smooth over the rough edges of its characters both human and animal, there's certainly a more visceral feel to this take, which embraces ambiguity rather than opting for the broader characterisations of the 2016 movie.

There's one especially shocking moment in the film's third act that's likely to take kids and adults alike wildly off-guard, and honestly, if you're planning to watch this with your own children, you might want to see it yourself first to decide whether they can handle it or not.

This movie gets intense, and Serkis mostly makes these sequences work, even if some may find it a little too tough-going for its own good (especially when contrasted with those jarring lighter moments).