I’m sure you have all seen the original tale of Bagheera, a panther, trying to protect the man cub Mowgli from the clutches of tiger Shere Khan and get him back to the safety of the nearby human village but you have not seen it done using modern cinematic methods and Disney, director John Favreau and his team have created a classic kids movie and Favreau has redeemed himself after the disastrous Iron Man 2 and Cowboys and Aliens which was just as bad.

The attention to detail with not only the main events but with what’s going on in the background needs is superb and there are times when you forget you are watching a cartoon as, at times, it feels like a wildlife documentary and I kept expecting David Attenborough to chip in with some narration. The voice acting is spot on with Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley and in particular Idris Elba all perfect fits although both Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walker are a little underused. One of the few criticisms I would have is that the scene where the snake Kaa is hypnotising Mowgli is so well done for what is essentially an exposition piece, that it was a shame that the python wasn’t developed into the storyline a little more.

The whole movie feels like an experience and the CGI is so well done that it is very hard to spot many flaws in the interaction between live action Mowgli and the rest of the screen. The eco-system and laws of the jungle that the animals live to all feel like a living, breathing environment so you become immersed in but I would advise that you see it in the cinema as there may be something lost when it gets transferred to the small screen. There’s enough humour to keep it interesting for adults and enough tension and minor jump scares to keep kids on the edge of their seats and if this is the future of this genre of movies then we have a lot to look forward to.

DJ Speaks Rating: 7.5 Out Of 10