Alien at the Movies

Director Jon Favreau's latest live action/CGI re-imagining of Disney's 1967 animated film is much darker with a greater sense of peril due to the realistic rendering of the CGI critters & treacherous landscapes. Both of these Disney productions are based on Rudyard Kipling's stories of Mowgli, the orphaned boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India. Newcomer Neel Sethi is a natural as the man-cub at the center of the action. Bill Murray & Christopher Walken are great voice choices for Baloo & King Louie respectfully. Their personalities really shine through their performances. King Louie here feels more like King Kong. Parental warning for those with small kiddos: the sense of danger & fright may be too scary for them because not all of these creatures are warm & cuddly. After all, jungle animals are wild & part of the hunter-prey ecosystem. The special effects are spectacular. Stay for the credits to see more 3D  effects with the film characters literally leaping off the pages.

Alien gives it 3 "Peace Rock, the Law of the Jungle & the Red Flower" stars out of 4.