The Jungle Book

Not just a remake of the 1967 animated classic, Iron Man director Jon Favreau's jaw-dropping jungle adventure also returns to the original Rudyard Kipling novel as a source to enchant a new generation of viewers. He follows orphaned little "man cub" Mowgli (Neel Sethi), who was raised in the jungle by wolves but whose continued survival there is thrown into jeopardy by the sinister tiger Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba). It's a tough task to follow up such a beloved Disney movie, but Favreau creates a gorgeous film that finds magic and wonder in the Oscar-winning, CGI-enabled action rather than song-and-dance numbers (although a couple of classic tunes remain). The animals Mowgli encounters are staggeringly realistic and the superbly chosen voice cast puts a fresh spin on familiar scenes. Bill Murray seems born to play the sarcastic, good-natured Baloo, while Elba's Shere Khan is a more ferocious villain than we've seen in the past. Epic and a whole lot of fun, this take on The Jungle Book stays true to the "Bare Necessities" as well as feeling shiny and new.