Weekend Movie Roundup

Lots of good stuff opening in theatres this week, as well as on a concurrent digital/VOD platform, including the much anticipated Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK. Normally, I would devote full coverage to this Disney film, but given the review embargos were lifted some time ago and reviews have been flooding the marketplace leading up to the April 15th release, we're going to look at some of the unsung winners of the week in this column today.

But, suffice to say, when it comes to THE JUNGLE BOOK, it is one of the "bear" necessities of moviegoing for 2016. Jon Favreau's hat should be tossed into the ring now for possible Oscar nomination for Best Director. The film is a technical marvel using new technologies that go beyond the photorealism we saw in "The Good Dinosaur", so much so that you'll find yourself asking, "Is it live or is it Memorex?" (Those over 40 will get that reference.) Voice casting is exemplary (Christopher Walken as the Orangutan Gigantopithecus, King Louie, is to die for) and the story goes beyond that of the 1967 animated film, incorporating more from the Rudyard Kipling "The Jungle Book", which you may recall is a compilation of stories. To borrow from lyricist Terry Gilkyson who wrote the unforgettable "Bare Necessities" for Disney's 1967 animated classic, forget about your worries and your strife and go see THE JUNGLE BOOK. It's the swingingest jungle around!