The Jungle Book was always going to be one of the more difficult stops on the live action Disney remakes train. Alice in Wonderland was always ripe for a remake, and Disney went the smart route giving it to a visionary director like Tim Burton to create something unique. Maleficent took one of the most gorgeous but least interesting of the classic Disney animated films and gave us an entirely different take on the story, ditching what was familiar in order to try to replicate the popularity of Wicked. And Cinderella became a lavish spectacle, gorgeously constructed and faithful to the original but updated to give its heroine strength and an emotional core that helped her feel relevant again. I’ve enjoyed all of these live action remakes thus far, though to varying degrees, in spite of not being entirely on board with this latest movement from Disney, but I had some serious concerns about The Jungle Book. The 1967 animated version, Walt Disney’s final film, has a special place in the heart of Disney fans, but it’s also know for taking the most liberties with its source material, diverting wildly from Rudyard Kipling’s text and striking out on its own path. Would a modern version be able to find a compromise between capturing the spirit of the book and honoring a Disney legacy that should not be ignored? The answer is largely yes. This new version of The Jungle Book is a visual marvel with some of the most stunning imagery and impressive effects I’ve ever seen, one that generally manages to find a balance between widely different interpretations of the same story, anchored by a stampede of strong performances from both humans and animals alike.
I’ll be honest, since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was first officially announced a little over a year ago it became my most anticipated Star Wars movies, far more than The Force Awakens. As much as I enjoyed that film, Rogue One was always easier for me to get excited about. I love the idea of exploring the vast Star Wars universe without having to be tied into the story of the Skywalker family (in the way many of the books did), and with the departure of George Lucas I was less worried about whether or not Rogue One is the “true” version of the story. Canon has always been important to me, so the fact is that I’ll never be as attached the main series of new films the way others might be, no matter how much I enjoy them. But I am 100% behind Rogue One, whose first trailer debuted this morning and which promises a very different take on Star Wars than we’ve ever seen before. Take a look at the trailer below and tell me what you think, and then check back later in the week for a more in-depth analysis complete with screencaps (I keep wracking up more articles to write, don’t I?). As for my first thoughts, it’s definitely thrilling, and I love how it’s going out of its way to give us a different view of events with which we’re somewhat familiar. It’s trying very hard to differentiate itself from the main series of films, which is definitely a good thing. Plus I’m already rooting for Felicity Jones’ character, Jyn Erso, and more strong female protagonists can only be a good thing!
Today Disney released the first full trailer for The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the book by Roald Dahl. I hope to have a longer breakdown of the trailer later this week, but for now take a look below and let me know what you think. I’m personally thrilled that Spielberg and Disney are finally teaming up on a film, and I’m excited to see Spielberg returning to animation (even if The BFG is not fully animated). I loved what he brought to The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which felt 100% like a Spielberg movie while still capturing the essence of what makes animation special. The BFG will feature a lot of motion capture, including new Oscar winner Mark Rylance (from Spielberg’s previous film, Bridge of Spies) as the titular character, but it appears that Ruby Barnhill’s performance as Sophie will be live action. The BFG is one of the few Roald Dahl books I haven’t read, so I can’t speak to the film’s faithfulness in adapting the original story, but Spielberg is my favorite director and I have faith in his ability to craft a compelling story. And it’s nice to see him return to family movies every now and then. But take a look at the trailer and let me know what you think, and hopefully I’ll be back to talk about it some more later in the week complete with screencaps!
The Love Pirate 