Review Megathread - Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

Rotten Tomatoes: 40% (average score: 5.5/10)Metacritic: 55/100Written ReviewsEmpire by Olly RichardsMowgli is a valiant effort to do something different, to make viewers feel the excitement and deep fear of living among wild animals. It has some bold, interesting ideas, but after one watch this jungle book is likely to be left on the shelf.Guardian by Peter BradshawSo we trudge back to the uncanny valley for another bout of ultra-realistic animation. No songs at all now, and not much fun.The Hollywood Reporter by Michael RechtshaffenEpisodic and distancing, the production, which had been slated as a Warner Bros. release until the studio sold worldwide distribution rights to Netflix in July, combines visuals that are alternately lush and nightmarish, performance-capture that falls unpersuasively short of state-of-the-art and a prestige cast (including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch) that curiously fails to engage.IGN by Jim VejvodaIt’s intellectually intriguing and well-acted, but the inconsistent visual effects undermine the necessary suspension of disbelief when it comes to mixing live-action humans with talking CG animals in such a serious and somber adaptation of the Kipling classic.Indiewire by Kate ErblandThe disconnect between the artistic wonder of those characters and the rest of Mowgli’s family only distracts. From scene to scene, “Mowgli” is eye-popping and undercooked.New York Times by Glenn KennyThe filmmakers are clearly trying to bring an uncommon maturity to the fantasy film, and in many respects they succeed. While not everything here works, what does is impressive.RoberEbert.com by Matt Zoller SeitzThe uncanny valley of intent is an issue here, too. Who is this movie intended for? It's often difficult to say. There's no way it would have gotten made if Warner Bros. hadn't banked on children wanting to see it, and parents and guardians wanting to see it with them. But it's unrelentingly brutal, at times verging on turning into a sadistic Mel Gibson action thriller with talking animals.The Telegraph by Robbie CollinFast-forward two years and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle has been picked up for a belated release by Netflix: a good outcome, all told, as unflattering box office comparisons won’t be an issue. Yet the pong of redundancy still lingers, if only because it’s hard to tell who – if anyone – is meant to enjoy it. via /r/movies https://ift.tt/2reIj3D