The Jungle Book (2016)

The Jungle Book (2016)

Review Written By: Adolph Vega

3D

The Jungle Book (2016) looks wonderful in 3D.  The movie looks sharp, bright and vivid and seems to be made for 3D. Many of the animals within this movie use 3D to make themselves more intimidating and pop out of the screen. The 3D made the animals look more realistic and gave them a real presence on screen.  The 3D makes for an immersive visual experience as you feel like you are in the jungle with tree limbs and foliage popping out and giving you multiple layers of 3D.  Without a doubt The Jungle Book (2016) is easily the best use of 3D in a movie that I have seen so far in 2016. 

Final Verdict: Great 3D

Movie

I walked into this movie with hesitation but left the theater with a huge smile. The movie is essentially a live-action remake of the classic 1967 Disney animated Jungle Book movie, with a few twists and turns and a darker more realistic tone. The story revolves around a young boy who lives in the jungle named Mowgli. The jungle animals raise Mowgli and he can communicate with them. Considering this movie is live-action with computer-generated animals I was worried that seeing realistic looking talking animals would be strange to see. I worried for nothing, because this movie works beautifully and the trailers totally fail to demonstrate the quality filmmaking of this movie.  I had no problems suspending my disbelief and enjoying this movie for what it is. This is possibly one the best voiced movies I have ever seen, everyone is simply perfect in their roles and even sound like the animals they represent. My favorite voice actor was Bill Murray as Baloo the lazy bear. Bill Murray's delivery is spot on and possibly best work of his fantastic career. The most important character of this movie Mowgli, who is played by newcomer Neel Sethi and he is perfect for this role. This young actor shows impressive talent that carries the movie. Mowgli is the only human character and I totally believe that he is talking and interacting with the animals and doing all the stunts. So many actors struggle acting besides digital characters and he totally nails this role. The movie is strait forward and keeps a fast and fun momentum. The movie is filled with innocent charm and is simply a joy to watch. The Jungle Book (2016) has many funny and captivating scenes and is pure fun. The only issue I have with this movie is how it handles songs. The two songs within this movie are essentially the same songs from the 1967 animated Disney movie and they sadly fall flat. These songs are more subdued and toned down versions of the original songs and they don’t compare to the originals and feel out of place within this movie. Overall I was captivated from beginning to end of this movie. This is a remake done right and is a magical Disney experience that is fun, charming with amazing special effects that the entire family can enjoy.

Final Verdict: 9 / 10

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Zootopia

ZOOTOPIA

3D Review Written

By: Adolph Vega

3D

ZOOTOPIA is consistent in showcasing a clean and sharp stereoscopic 3D presentation. It never tried anything gimmicky with the 3D. Only one scene had a very memorable 3D moment which takes place within a rain forest. Within this scene many of the characters are jumping around and popping in and out or the screen.  Different animal noses or ears would often pop out as the characters are walking around. The movie uses different layers of 3D well with many animals actively being in different layers of 3D depth. Overall the movie looks nice in 3D but never wowed me. ZOOTOPIA takes a conservative approach with the stereoscopic 3D visuals. I cannot overwhelming endorse the 3D element of Zootopia but it works well for what it is.

Final Verdict: Good 3D  

Movie  

Zootopia is a funny, clever, well-made animated movie. The movie is focused on the character Judy Hopps who is the first rabbit police officer in the city of Zootopia. Judy meets a fox named Nick Wilde and they work together on a case to solve a mystery.

The story elements within the movie are well executed and clever in design. The movie has many interesting plot twists and turns that both children and adults will enjoy. I enjoyed the cast of characters who are well written and portrayed by great voice actors who have excellent chemistry on screen. The story uses different animals to act like different races and ethnicities. The movie does a great job of showcasing prejudice without being overly preachy. This movie seems alive and more advanced than other animated movies starring anthropomorphic talking animals. Humans are not present within this movie, which is fine because they wouldn't fit within the universe. One major element of this movie is the concept of what animals used to be predators and what animals used to be prey. Other similar movies would ignore and overlook this aspect but Zootopia never waters down the story to be more kid friendly. This Predator / Prey aspect is a key story element and I enjoyed how the movie handles this important animal kingdom aspect.  This begs the question to what the animals eat; unfortunately this isn't fully explained within this movie. I understand this is a small nitpick, but I was wondering about this element throughout the movie. The story is tight and well executed but some elements seem a little too easily resolved. The comedic element of this movie is very enjoyable and has wonderful timing. The movie has many fantastic callbacks to previous scenes and is rewarding to the viewer. The movie ends with an unnecessary dance scene that seems totally out of place and forced into this movie. The main storyline is resolved in a satisfactory manner and feels earned. The movie has very smooth animation and impressive visuals that are both cute and vivid.

Overall the problems I have with the movie are minor. ZOOTOPIA is best described by three words: cute, clever and creative. ZOOTOPIA is a quality movie that the entire family can enjoy.

Final Verdict:

8 / 10

 © 2016 DISNEY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, DISNEY MOVIES

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