Cast:  Neel Sethi (Mowgli) / Voice Cast: Bill Murray (Baloo), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Idris Elba (Shere Khan), Lupita Nyong'o (Raksha), Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), Giancarlo Esposito (Akela), Christopher Walken (King Louie), Garry Shandling (Ikki), Jon Favreau (Pygmy Hog).
Directed By:  Jon Favreau

Upon its release in April, The Jungle Book went to packed houses, be its 2D version or the captivating 3D, Rudyard Kipling's 1967 adventure classic, regarded as Disney’s best animated feature is given a twist with an all new story of the cute Mowgli and his adventures in the jungle. Besides the young human protagonist, the cast is comprised entirely of CG- animated animals with voice overs from a talented bunch of stars.

Neel Sethi plays Mowgli, a boy who has been living in the jungles of India with a pack of wolves. His guardian is the Black Panther Bagheera who feels that a man cub has no place in a jungle and he ought to relocate to the man village where he was found as an orphaned infant. The reason being, Bagheera fears Shere Khan the ferocious, mankind-hating tiger, who wants to finish off Mowgli. With Bagheera by his side, Mowgli is out of danger.

But the skimpy kid, who knows all the tricks of the jungle, always seems to run into trouble with a few animals. The giant python Kaa who hypnotizes him, the lovable bear Baloo who teaches him how to fetch honey, King Louie and his team of monkeys, all keep the fun moving for Mowgli, till he meets Shere Khan face to face in a daring encounter.

Music plays an integral part and you have the most famous songs from the old classic, Baloo’s The Bare Necessities and King Louie's I Wanna Be Like You in its entirety, with the exception of Kaa's Trust in Me at the end credits.

The DVD transfer has very crisp picture quality, from the greens of the jungle, to the enchanting sunsets, every frame is beautiful. The 5.1 surround audio mix will give you goose bumps, the thumping of the elephants, to the roar of Shere Khan; your speakers are put to optimum use.

If you have seen this on the big screen, you won’t mind watching it again.

Rating: ****

-By Verus Ferreira