The end of the semester is nearing, and the stampede to the finish line has begun.
Students swing from class to class as they work their way in passing all of their courses. The wise mentors prepare their students for the final steps before they fill in shoes for the larger and scarier world.
The pack of study groups stick together and prepare for the upcoming final examination obstacles. Then we have the good friend who consistently tells you to relax and to take the bare necessities.
All this sounds too familiar. Actually, it is familiar. Jungle Book was released in theaters on April 15. It is a nostalgic film that emphasizes the importance of the ecosystem and treatment of endangered animals.
Jungle Book originates from the collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling in 1894. Jungle Book was later produced into a comedy cartoon feature by Walt Disney Productions in 1967. Now we have a recent version, directed by Jon Favreau, with eye-widening and awe-inspiring computer generated imagery (CGI) and other visual effects.
I went to see this film at Galaxy Theatres in nearby Riverbank. Watching films with visual effects in theaters with wide screens enhances the experience by enhancing the details involved on the screen.
John Debney‘s music for the film glorified the visual effects in a way where you can feel the breadth of the forest trees from the roots to the sky.
The hallowed silence and slithery bass flute outlined the coldness of the deep, dark forest. You’ll soon realize you’ve been coiled into a visual trance just like Mowgli (Neel Sethi) when he meets the extraordinarily large snake, Kaa (Scarlett Johansson).
The consistency of the smaller details of the animal movement as they interacted with the environment created a sight to reach for. This included the interlaced visual effects, coupled with the dramatic music and the few original musical hits from the 1967 version.  
Hearing Bare Necessities as Mowgli and Baloo (Bill Murray) passively floated along the river, created a feeling of nostalgia, as a few reading this might remember following that Mickey Mouse ball bouncing along the lyrics in those Disney VHS Sing-Along Songs.
This Dixie-feel tune complemented Murray’s voice, which ignited good ol’ Baloo’s usual comedic persona.
The presence of the slithery serpent will cause some shivers, but, in reality, Kaa presents herself as a seductive storyteller to Mowgli. Hearing Trust in Me with Scarlett Johansson’s voice converts ophidiophobia into a 50’s/60’s cocktail lounge party.
Most notably, the giant orangutan King Louie (Christopher Walken) and his song I Wan’na Be Like You, made a feature in the film. This is sung by a comedic villain, and Walken’s implemented sounds of what an orangutan would sound like is humorously brilliant.
Jungle Book stamps as a kind and family-friendly production with the dialogue and Justin Marks’ screenplay making it welcoming to all ages. Noticeably, children, adults, students and myself in the theater universally laughed, awed and sometimes gasped at the same places.
The film entirely and most significantly echoed a concern for the ecosystem and the capabilities humans can have with their “red flower” (fire).
Although this film was far off from being an entirely comedic film, (as to what the 1967 version was), I applaud the film for drifting into its own dramatic entity.
A remake of a film can be tricky and traditionally repetitive, since some films can come off as a retelling of the same story with merely any changes.
Emphasizing these environmental concerns and human-animal interactions, this film had its own story to tell. It crafted tools that were visually on edge and aurally enhancing. All the new innovations made this film an exciting story to follow. 
Although there are many celebrations and events tied to this month, most of the students might commonly feel their own stressful red flower (fire) enlarging as the end of the semester is fast approaching. Just as how the Jungle Book characters collaborated in putting out the fire, working steadily together and being mindful of your surroundings helps alleviate some of that stress. 
Enjoy a small break and let your mind be coiled by the sound and sights of the forest in watching the Jungle Book.