Ever since the first successful film was remade, remakes have been considered by many to be pointless.  They typically are viewed as inferior to the original, and have a lengthy history of poor reviews.  Going into the remake of “The Jungle Book” I was expecting just that, but to my surprise, I was blown away.

“The Jungle Book” actually is the second remake of the 1967 Disney classic.  While the 1994 installment received some good reviews, it was viewed by many as a disappointment compared to the original.  I was expecting another letdown for this movie, but Jon Favreau’s incorporation of incredible cinematography and action scenes surprised me completely.

The movie’s plot follows the original’s, with a young boy named Mowgli living in the jungle.  He is being raised by a pack of wolves, and he is known throughout the jungle as a “man cub.”  The young boy’s life suddenly becomes in danger when a ferocious tiger by the name of Shere Khan threatens to kill the “man cub” if he does not leave the jungle.  Not taking any chances, the wolves agree that the human village on the other side of the jungle is the safest place for Mowgli to be.  Bagheera – a panther that originally found Mowgli as an infant – agrees to escort the boy to the village.  The two embark on a dangerous adventure and make friends and enemies along the way, but they soon find out that Shere Khan is growing impatient.

This movie was probably the best computer-generated effort since “Avatar” (2009)  The graphics look real life, so throughout the film viewers will feel apart of the jungle experience.  There are also lots of action scenes, so this isn’t your typical children’s movie.  Both of these aspects of the film will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Since “The Jungle Book’s” April 15 release, it has been a worldwide phenomenon, totaling over $875 million in revenue.  The reviews have come back quite positively as well, with IMDb awarding a 7.9/10 for the film.

The main characters are voiced by an impressive array of talent including Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Wyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, and Giancarlo Esposito.

This is one “remake” you shouldn’t hesitate to see.