Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle - Movie Review

I was a big fan of Disney’s cartoon version of this story. Said so, as soon as I watched the trailer on Netflix, I decided to watch the movie. It is a very different version, but I liked it.

It’s intense, violent, dark, and makes you sit in front of the screen for 2 hours without even thinking of it. Also, prepare yourself to hold your breath many times.

The Good and the Bad

The protagonist is a good actor. Acting and counter scene with something that is not really there, it’s never easy. I imagine it is an even more significant challenge for a kid. Nevertheless, Rohan Chand was flawless in his role.

The special effects bothered me a little bit, though. The fact that the animals don’t look real takes out a bit of the magic of this movie. However, given the quality of the story and its characters, it turns out not to be so important after all.

Another Story Layer

The story is more complex than in earlier versions. We have a fierce fight for power, with alliances and games that put Mowgli on the human side of the story.

Characters face a variety of moral contradictions throughout their journey. Above all, the animals face the atemporal dilemma between individual and group well-being in times of danger and sacrifice.

Humans vs Humanity

As I said before, the whole movie is quite dark and violent. Undoubtedly, it reaches what I believe should be the first goal of this story: it makes you question what makes us human after all and the value of true humanity.

Where Do I Belong?

The sense of belonging, an aspect that has been highly explored in most previous versions, is here slightly left in the background, but not ignored. Mowgli doesn’t belong, and he is bullied for that. He is not a wolf, but somehow, he’s not a human either.

This is a topic frequently explored in Disney movies, like Tarzan, or even Mirabel from Encanto, who believes she doesn't belong among her gifted family. It's a good topic to help kids explore and understand their identity, their place in the world, and ultimately, to show them that sometimes, you don't know where that place is, but they will get there.

In Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, the topic centers on acceptance. It was probably the most beautiful message the movie left us: Mowgli is different, and he learns to accept that.

A piece of advice:

Don’t be fooled by the Disney version you might know from your childhood - this movie is NOT for small children. They will be scared.

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