---
title: "The Jungle Book"
year: 2016
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book-2016"
fi1m_id: "the-jungle-book-2016"
imdb_id: "tt3040964"
tmdb_id: 278927
wikidata_id: "Q16857406"
fi1m_score: 72
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 29
published: "2026-09-24T01:58:35.323396+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-24T01:58:35.810581+00:00"
region: "PT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Jungle Book (2016)

Directed by Jon Favreau · 1h 46m · IGAC M/6 · Adventure, Family, Fantasy

## Identity

The Jungle Book

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book-2016
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-jungle-book-2016
- **IMDb ID:** tt3040964
- **TMDB ID:** 278927
- **Wikidata ID:** Q16857406
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3040964/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/278927, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16857406

**Fi1m score: 72** · Critics 75 from 29 reviews

*In a sentence:* The tiger is frightening, the bear is Bill Murray, and the giant ape appears to think he is in a musical

> Favreau’s remake builds a whole jungle out of nothing and puts a frightening tiger in it, and for long stretches that is enough. The boy at the centre is not always up to his company, and the songs sit awkwardly.

## Synopsis

Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a boy raised by a wolf pack in the Indian jungle, is being trained by the panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) to run like a wolf and to stop using the tricks his hands can do. The dry season brings the Water Truce, when every animal drinks at the Peace Rock without killing, and with it the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), his face burnt by man’s fire, who tells the pack that when the rains return the man-cub is his. Akela (Giancarlo Esposito), the pack leader, and Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o), the wolf who raised him, argue over what to do. Mowgli chooses to leave for the man village with Bagheera as his guide, a journey that will bring him to the python Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) and the bear Baloo (Bill Murray).

## Review

Jon Favreau has remade the 1967 cartoon as a chase. Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a boy raised by wolves, is wanted dead by a tiger, and the film is the business of getting him out of reach, with stops for a snake, a bear and an ape the size of a lorry. Justin Marks’s screenplay keeps Rudyard Kipling’s Law of the Jungle, keeps the Disney songs, and adds an argument about whether a boy should use his hands. Almost nothing on screen existed when Sethi stood in front of the camera. That is the achievement and also the problem.

The jungle is the reason to see it. Christopher Glass has designed India as a child remembers it: banyan roots you could walk down, a river with a flat grey rock where every animal drinks in the dry season, a temple half-eaten by trees. Bill Pope shoots it low, at a boy’s height, the camera running behind Mowgli as if a second child were trying to keep up, and the light comes through the canopy in dusty shafts that catch the wolves’ fur. We stopped noticing the animals were digital within ten minutes. The elephants, who pass through in silence while the jungle bows, are the best thing in it.

Shere Khan’s arrival at the water hole is where the film decided us. Idris Elba’s voice comes out of the tiger low and unhurried, one side of the face scarred smooth, and the jungle goes quiet while he sets out his terms to the pack. We were frightened, in a PG film, and we stayed frightened whenever he came back. John Debney’s score does the right thing here, which is almost nothing. In a scene with the wolf cubs we will not describe, Elba turns the tiger into a bedtime storyteller, and that is worse.

Bill Murray’s Baloo arrives when the film needs him and the film relaxes. Murray plays the bear as a man who has talked his way out of every job he has ever had. Floating downriver on the bear’s stomach is the warmest passage in the film, and it is where Favreau reaches for *The Bare Necessities*. Murray half-sings it, half-talks it, and it is fine, because the scene already feels like a song. *I Wan’na Be Like You* is another matter. Christopher Walken’s King Louie is a huge ape in a dark temple, played straight and menacing, and then he begins a jazz number, and the film has to choose whether he is a monster or a floor show. It does not choose. We laughed, and then we were not sure we had been meant to.

Neel Sethi is a likeable boy with an impossible job. Every creature he speaks to was put in afterwards, and it shows in his eyes: he is often looking at where a wolf will be rather than at a wolf. In the talking scenes, especially with Ben Kingsley’s Bagheera, who does most of the work, his lines land a half-beat late, and Mark Livolsi’s cut leaves even pauses around him that nobody fills. The shape does not help. Each stop, snake, bear, ape, is a self-contained act with its own villain and its own escape, so 106 minutes feels episodic even at speed. Scarlett Johansson’s Kaa gets one scene, coiled and murmuring, and then she is gone.

The 1967 film was loose and jazzy. Favreau has gone towards Kipling’s harder jungle, where a man-cub is a problem the pack must solve, and Lupita Nyong’o’s Raksha and Giancarlo Esposito’s Akela give the wolf scenes a weight the cartoon never had. Then he keeps the songs anyway, and the danger from one version and the tunes from the other do not always fit in the same scene. It is still better than most of Disney’s remakes, because the danger is real and the boy’s wish to belong is the story rather than a slogan.

Take a child of about eight. Under six is a gamble; the tiger is a real tiger to a small person in the dark. And when the ape starts to sing, do not catch each other’s eye. It passes.

*Fi1m score 72, published 24 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like it. The praise clusters almost entirely on the digital jungle and the animals in it, which reviewers repeatedly call convincing enough that you stop noticing they are not real. Favreau’s light touch gets credit for keeping the story buoyant rather than solemn, and Bill Murray’s Baloo is the performance named most often, with Neel Sethi’s Mowgli a regular second.

The reservations are consistent and mostly minor. Several reviews find the songs sit awkwardly in a film built as a chase, and a few think it thin on theme and loose in structure. The 1967 film hovers over everything, and some critics find the remake colder and further from Kipling than they would like. The spread is narrow: only one review is outright negative, The New Yorker’s, which calls the film controlled and flat and short on real peril, and Slant Magazine alone finds the chase and the musical pulling against each other.

## Straight answers

**Is The Jungle Book worth watching?**

*The Jungle Book* (2016) is worth watching for families with a child of about eight, and we scored it 72. The digital jungle is convincing within minutes and Idris Elba's Shere Khan is properly frightening, but Neel Sethi's Mowgli is often left stranded by his unseen co-stars and the Disney songs sit awkwardly beside the danger.

**How long is The Jungle Book, and what is it rated?**

*The Jungle Book* runs 1h 46m and is rated M/6 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is an adventure and family film.

**Where can I watch The Jungle Book in Portugal?**

*The Jungle Book* is streaming on Disney+ in Portugal, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does The Jungle Book compare to The Jungle Book?**

*The Jungle Book* (2016) is a darker, more dangerous film than the 1967 cartoon, and the earlier film is the more relaxed and funnier of the two. Favreau's version has a real tiger and a real jungle but keeps the songs half-heartedly; the cartoon knows the songs are the point. Small children will be happier with 1967.

**Is The Jungle Book based on a true story or a book?**

*The Jungle Book* (2016) is based on Rudyard Kipling's book and is also a remake of Disney's 1967 cartoon. It leans closer to Kipling's harder jungle, keeping his Law of the Jungle and treating the man-cub as a problem the wolf pack must solve, while borrowing the Disney songs. Knowing the book is not needed to follow it.

**What should I watch after The Jungle Book?**

After *The Jungle Book*, try [*The Jungle Book*](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book) (1967, Fi1m 80): The cartoon this one is answering: looser, funnier, and it knows the songs are the point. Then [*Life of Pi*](https://film.one/film/life-of-pi) (2012, Fi1m 78): A boy and a digital tiger in a very small boat; the tiger never softens; and [*Princess Mononoke*](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke) (1997, Fi1m 88): Miyazaki’s forest gods and wolves, for children who found Shere Khan the best bit.

### Reviews we read (29)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): Turan finds the film a sweet, scary triumph and a model of crowd-pleasing entertainment. He particularly praises its photorealistic jungle world and the balance between family-friendly fun and genuine peril. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-jungle-book-review-20160415-column.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (3/4/4): The review calls the film an astonishing, immersive triumph. It especially praises the richly textured digital jungle and its photorealistic creatures. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-jungle-book)
- **Radio Times**, Victoria Luxford (4/5): Luxford finds the film a gorgeous adventure that successfully brings magic and wonder to the story. She singles out Favreau’s jaw-dropping, CGI-enabled action for praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-b4sj0k/the-jungle-book/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (4/5): Bradshaw calls the remake a tremendous success and an unexpectedly enjoyable piece of old-fashioned storytelling. He particularly praises the persuasive digital rendering of the animals and Bill Murray’s amusing performance as Baloo. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/12/the-jungle-book-review)
- **Time Out**, Cath Clarke (4/5): Clarke calls the remake a winner. The available excerpt does not identify a specific element singled out for praise or criticism. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-jungle-book-3)
- **Variety**, Andrew Barker (80/100, inferred): Barker finds this a successful, buoyant adventure that avoids the po-faced seriousness of many modernized fairy tales. He especially praises Favreau’s light touch and the strikingly convincing animal effects. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-jungle-book-review-1201743393/)
- **Empire**, Chris Hewitt (78/100, inferred): Hewitt finds it a visually sumptuous, entertaining adaptation and Disney’s strongest live-action remake yet. He particularly praises the immersive CGI jungle and Bill Murray’s scene-stealing Baloo. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/jungle-book-3-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (75/100, inferred): O'Sullivan finds the film thrilling for adult audiences, though it may disappoint Kipling purists and lacks ambition. She especially praises the visuals, spry script, and vocal cast. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-jungle-book-film-review-adult-cinemagoers-will-be-thrilled-a3226371.html)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (B-): Kohn finds the film a dazzling technical spectacle that does not cohere into a satisfying whole. He particularly praises its visual effects and the frightening presence of Shere Khan and King Louie. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/the-jungle-book-review-jon-favreaus-flashy-reboot-is-the-future-of-the-blockbuster-21680/)
- **Screen Daily**, Sarah Ward (70/100, inferred): The critic’s verdict appears positive, though the review is behind a paywall. She singles out the film’s level of detail, comparing its likely impact to that of Avatar. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-jungle-book-review/5102194.article)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film engaging and visually stunning, though it lacks thematic depth and becomes conventional near the end. He especially praises the lifelike CGI animals and seamless visual effects. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/jungle-book-film-review-880131/)
- **Total Film**, Paul Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the remake a strong standalone film, though it feels slightly cold and invites constant comparison with the original. He praises its flawless animation and pitch-perfect casting, especially Bill Murray as Baloo. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/movies-to-watch-on-blu-ray-and-dvd-22-august-2016/)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (70/100, inferred): Edelstein finds the film dazzling, thrilling, and an overall success, though he says it softens Kipling’s sharper view of the natural world. He praises the kinetic journey and especially Bill Murray’s performance as Baloo, while faulting Murray’s singing of “The Bare Necessities.” [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2016/04/review-the-jungle-book-is-a-thrilling-journey.html)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint from the review can be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-jungle-book-2016)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page is a review of the 2016 film, but its verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or criticism can be verified from the accessible text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/15/movies/the-jungle-book-review.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Sam C. Mac (2/4): The critic finds the remake diminished and incoherent, arguing that its chase-film approach clashes with its musical elements. They praise the humor and lush animation but say these strengths are inherited rather than meaningfully advanced. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-jungle-book-2016/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (30/100, inferred): Lane finds the remake visually impressive but ultimately flat, controlled, and less charming than the 1967 film. He praises its technical polish while faulting it for missing the original book’s richness and leaving little sense of real peril. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/04/25/the-jungle-book-and-tale-of-tales-reviews)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (95/100, inferred): Hammond calls the film a stunning visual marvel and a cinematic achievement like no other. He especially praises the visual-effects crew, while noting Bill Murray’s Baloo steals the show. [Read](https://deadline.com/2016/04/the-jungle-book-review-jon-favreau-disney-bill-murray-idris-elba-1201735845/)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (90/100, inferred): The review is strongly enthusiastic, calling the film a thrilling and visually stunning success. It praises the realistic CGI animals and Favreau’s technical wizardry and imagination. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-jungle-book-2016-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
- **Polygon**, Julia Alexander (90/100, inferred): Alexander calls the film a great, immersive experience and a major CGI game changer, despite a couple of awkward musical numbers. She especially praises the realistic CGI and Neel Sethi’s charming performance as Mowgli. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2016/4/8/11392338/the-jungle-book-review/)
- **Consequence**, Dominick Suzanne-Mayer (85/100, inferred): The critic considers the film a vivid, assured reimagining that balances spectacle, danger, and warmth. They especially praise its tactile digital visuals and Neel Sethi’s grounded performance. [Read](https://consequence.net/2016/04/film-review-the-jungle-book/)
- **Digital Spy**, Scarlett Russell (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a warmly entertaining visual feast, though they wish it had more humor. They single out the lifelike visual effects and Neel Sethi’s joyful performance for praise. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a789774/the-jungle-book-review-something-to-sink-your-teeth-into/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Cassam Looch (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation enchanting, fresh, and heart-warming. They single out its seamless visual effects and the depth Favreau gives the iconic characters for praise. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/jungle-book-review/)
- **/Film**, Angie Han (8/10): Han gives the film a strong endorsement, especially as a theatrical 3D spectacle. She praises its photo-real visual effects and singles out Idris Elba’s menacing Shere Khan as a standout performance. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/543801/the-jungle-book-review/)
- **NME** (80/100, inferred): The review finds the film thrilling and magical, despite one awkward musical moment. It singles out the vivid CGI action and Bill Murray’s voice performance as particular strengths. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-movie-16444-306610)
- **Paste**, Melissa Weller (8.0/10): Weller finds the film’s blend of warmth and cutting-edge effects affecting, though a few pacing issues and musical numbers weaken it. She especially praises the vivid visual effects for making the imagined jungle immersive and nostalgic. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-jungle-book)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (3.5 out of 5): Kaye finds the film worthwhile despite flaws in its pacing and narrative structure. He especially praises its remarkable visual effects and immersive world. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/books/the-jungle-book-review/)
- **The Wrap** (78/100, inferred): The critic finds the remake mostly satisfying, with its visual craft and emotional story outweighing a misstep in handling the songs. The immersive effects and expressive animated animals receive particular praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-jungle-book-review-disney/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B-): Goldberg finds the film emotionally engaging but narratively and thematically loose, with its visual effects sometimes distracting from the story. He especially praises the photorealistic animals and the heartfelt bonds between Mowgli, his wolf family, and Baloo. [Read](https://collider.com/the-jungle-book-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Jon Favreau
- **Director:** Jon Favreau
- **Screenplay:** Justin Marks
- **Novel:** Rudyard Kipling
- **Cinematography:** Bill Pope
- **Editor:** Mark Livolsi
- **Music:** John Debney
- **Production design:** Christopher Glass
- **Costume design:** Laura Jean Shannon
- **Producer:** Brigham Taylor, Jon Favreau
- **Cast:** Neel Sethi as Mowgli; Bill Murray as Baloo (voice); Ben Kingsley as Bagheera (voice); Idris Elba as Shere Khan (voice); Scarlett Johansson as Kaa (voice); Christopher Walken as King Louie (voice); Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha (voice); Giancarlo Esposito as Akela (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 46m
- **Certificate (IGAC):** M/6
- **Release (Portugal):** 14 April 2016
- **Genres:** Adventure, Family, Fantasy
- **Budget:** $175 million
- **Box office:** $967 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW97nCUE3ZA

## Where to watch in Portugal

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €11.99, sd
- Apple TV: buy €11.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-24.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2017: Best Visual Effects (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2016: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated)
- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Action 2016: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie - Action (nominated)
- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Action 2016: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Action (nominated)
- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star 2016: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star (nominated)
- TV Krant Filmposter Award 2016: TV Krant Filmposter Award (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Jungle Book* (1967), Fi1m 80: The cartoon this one is answering: looser, funnier, and it knows the songs are the point — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book.md)
- *Life of Pi* (2012), Fi1m 78: A boy and a digital tiger in a very small boat; the tiger never softens — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/life-of-pi.md)
- *The Black Stallion* (1979): A boy and an animal on an island, half an hour with barely a word spoken
- *Princess Mononoke* (1997), Fi1m 88: Miyazaki’s forest gods and wolves, for children who found Shere Khan the best bit — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/princess-mononoke.md)
- *Where the Wild Things Are* (2009), Fi1m 80: Another lonely boy adopted by large creatures, sadder and stranger than it looks — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/where-the-wild-things-are.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book-2016