The whole movie is buoyed by a hugely-talented cast with the likes of Idris Elba (Shere Khan), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), and Bill Murray (Baloo). Especially Murray, who seemed to relish going back to the carefree roles that made the likes of Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters) tick. His deadpan humor and irreverent streak alive once more after taking on more serious and introverted roles in recent years (Lost In Translation, Broken Flowers). Elba's masterful characterization of the notorious tiger made for a very effective and memorable villain who is a charming and calculating monster. Adept at making intimidating speeches and making short work of his victims, and making his desire to kill the man-cub adopted by the wolf-pack known to all. Ben Kingsley's Bagheera is the stern and protective guardian of Mowgli (Neel Sethi), always a cool and detached voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic environment.
It was a pleasant and surprisingly engaging movie considering most people have already seen the tale's incarnation in countless forms since it was published. The treatment of the production team made it a riveting adventure yarn updgraded to today's sensibilities. When you hear the bear do a one liner kiss-off ('Kid, that's not a song. That's propaganda.") everyone in the audience gets it. Despite the liberties in taking on a more contemporary approach to a classic story, its essence was undiluted. And that's what makes a lot of movies great.
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