Movie Analysis - The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book(1967 vs 2016)

The 1967 Jungle Book, directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, is one of Walt Disney's hand-drawn animated classics. Based on Rudyard Kipling's dark and serious book(which is about the struggles between animals and man), this rendition strays from those dismal themes and portrays a more lighthearted, cheerful and straightforward approach. This lenient and easy-going depiction of the plot allows the movie to be appropriate and aimed at a more younger, family friendly audience. The movie uses a bright, soft colour scheme of greens, blues, yellows, blending together and furthering the idea that this movie is targeted at children. The music for this movie is said to have a "lightness, a Disney touch", advancing the fun, enjoyable plot. the simplicity and stereotypical Disney-like songs are easily memorable and catchy in order to allow those of a younger age to appreciate the movie more. The animation was done by xerography, with character design employing rough, artistic edges rather than rounder animals depicted in other Disney movies. Backgrounds were hand-painted - with exception of the waterfall, mostly consisting of footage of the Angel Falls - and sometimes scenery was used in both foreground and bottom to create a notion of depth. This all amplifies the child-friendly, goofy interpretation.

Disney's The Jungle Book (2016), is a live-action adaptation of the 1967 classic. The movie simultaneously remains appropriate to the modern film industry and cinema while keeping faithful to Kipling's original book and the 1967 film. It successfully balances the extra detail and alterations, with character development and a more serious craft of tone, and the nostalgia of the 1967's musicality, fantasy and significant characteristics. What sets this movie wildly apart from the 1967 film is its portrayal of realistic animals, created by CGI, and shedding light on their lifelike mannerisms and features. This is completely opposite to the animation as one focuses on portraying humanistic qualities unto the animals and giving them cartoon-ish and harmless features, whilst the other relies on a more naturalistic approach that focuses on real danger and a means of survival. With the naturalistic theme, comes the extra character development, including larger, more emotional backstories for each of the characters. In the 1967 movie, Mowgli has the appearance of a dopey, innocent young boy, whilst in the 2016 version, despite still being depicted as innocent, he's also seen as endangered, provoking a far more tense experience for the audience, fearful for his life.