09. The Jungle Book

09. THE JUNGLE BOOK

Director: Jon Favreau

Release date: April 7, 2016

Most remakes are pointless. But this year Jon Favreau created an exception to the rule. Rudyard Kipling’s classic book of short stories has been brought to the screen on multiple occasions by Disney, most notably as the 1967 animation and again in 1994 as a live-action film featuring Jason Scott Lee as an adult Mowgli.

But in 2016, Disney had special effects at its disposal that allowed a live-action child actor to interact and converse with extremely life-like talking animals. Favreau made the most of this technology, directing a stunning visual feast that’s alive with creatures and edge-of-your-seat set pieces.

The Jungle Book nods specifically to Disney’s animated movie, and seamlessly works in some of those classic songs. The presence of Bill Murray, Idris Elba and Christopher Walken in key voice roles is nothing short of sublime casting.

The Jungle Book represents the best that cinema can be – pure, unadulterated escapism.