"The Jungle Book" Goes Against Everything the Original Set Out to Be
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| The Jungle Book (2016) |
This article will delve into the ending of both Disney's animated Jungle Book and the new live-action adaptation, so if you have not seen either of these films yet and would like to avoid spoilers I advise that you don't read this article.
If you recall, the original Jungle Book ended with protagonist Mowgli finally resolving his dilemma of searching for his true identity by joining the village of men. Initially he resists, longing to stay with his animal friends because he's convinced that this is where he belongs and loathes the idea of essentially growing up and finding his rightful place as a man. He's persuaded, however, when he sees a young girl who he longs to meet and speak with, someone who he can't be with if he's opts to continue playing and hiding in the woods rather than taking a leap of faith and finally embracing adulthood.
The original Jungle Book's ending is inspirational, it's a story to children about the fears of growing up and about how despite how terrifying it can be to stumble awkwardly into adulthood it's overall a very rewarding decision which offers new and exciting experiences unlike anything childhood can provide. It's a powerful metaphor which shows the joy of both being a carefree kid and the excitement of deciding to finally be an adult, which are both rewarding and exciting experiences in their own right.
Then, the new Jungle Book came along.
The new Jungle Book begins promisingly enough, the animation is breathtakingly beautiful and initially it succeeded in convincing me that it was simply going to be an updated and wonderful new version of the original movie. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. As the movie carries on the notion of Mowgli eventually needing to return to the village of men is brought up time and time again, and Mowgli is incredibly upset and resists, fighting and struggling against the idea of inevitably embracing adulthood. Of course, this was perfectly fine, and I still clung to the hope that the film was going to depict his evolution and growth into being a man who decides that joining the village of men is what's best for him.
Unfortunately, that's not what happens. Instead, Mowgli decides that he wants to remain in the jungle, and that's it. There's no conflict about it which is resolved with him opting to even give adulthood a chance, instead the film rejoices in his decision to essentially stay a child forever, and frankly it was exhausting to watch. The ending to Jungle Book impacted me greatly when I was little, I remember being in awe of Mowgli making the decision he made while knowing how difficult it was for him, and I remember admiring him for having the courage to essentially journey into the unknown that was the village of men. The new Jungle Book goes completely against depicting this journey into adulthood, and instead seems to communicate, "it's okay to be a kid forever!" I loved seeing the bittersweet struggle of Mowgli saying goodbye to his old friends but hello to the future that he was embracing, and this movie neglected to provide that experience and instead opted for something safe, something disappointing.
Aside from this ending, the new Jungle Book was decent. I enjoyed the visuals and the new adaptations of the old music were fun and catchy, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in seeing how beautiful CGI can be. So, if you're fine with the beautiful ending being cast aside in favor of something safe and bland, then don't hesitate to check it out.
If you recall, the original Jungle Book ended with protagonist Mowgli finally resolving his dilemma of searching for his true identity by joining the village of men. Initially he resists, longing to stay with his animal friends because he's convinced that this is where he belongs and loathes the idea of essentially growing up and finding his rightful place as a man. He's persuaded, however, when he sees a young girl who he longs to meet and speak with, someone who he can't be with if he's opts to continue playing and hiding in the woods rather than taking a leap of faith and finally embracing adulthood.
The original Jungle Book's ending is inspirational, it's a story to children about the fears of growing up and about how despite how terrifying it can be to stumble awkwardly into adulthood it's overall a very rewarding decision which offers new and exciting experiences unlike anything childhood can provide. It's a powerful metaphor which shows the joy of both being a carefree kid and the excitement of deciding to finally be an adult, which are both rewarding and exciting experiences in their own right.
Then, the new Jungle Book came along.
The new Jungle Book begins promisingly enough, the animation is breathtakingly beautiful and initially it succeeded in convincing me that it was simply going to be an updated and wonderful new version of the original movie. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. As the movie carries on the notion of Mowgli eventually needing to return to the village of men is brought up time and time again, and Mowgli is incredibly upset and resists, fighting and struggling against the idea of inevitably embracing adulthood. Of course, this was perfectly fine, and I still clung to the hope that the film was going to depict his evolution and growth into being a man who decides that joining the village of men is what's best for him.
Unfortunately, that's not what happens. Instead, Mowgli decides that he wants to remain in the jungle, and that's it. There's no conflict about it which is resolved with him opting to even give adulthood a chance, instead the film rejoices in his decision to essentially stay a child forever, and frankly it was exhausting to watch. The ending to Jungle Book impacted me greatly when I was little, I remember being in awe of Mowgli making the decision he made while knowing how difficult it was for him, and I remember admiring him for having the courage to essentially journey into the unknown that was the village of men. The new Jungle Book goes completely against depicting this journey into adulthood, and instead seems to communicate, "it's okay to be a kid forever!" I loved seeing the bittersweet struggle of Mowgli saying goodbye to his old friends but hello to the future that he was embracing, and this movie neglected to provide that experience and instead opted for something safe, something disappointing.
Aside from this ending, the new Jungle Book was decent. I enjoyed the visuals and the new adaptations of the old music were fun and catchy, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in seeing how beautiful CGI can be. So, if you're fine with the beautiful ending being cast aside in favor of something safe and bland, then don't hesitate to check it out.
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