Quote Quoting TGM (view post)
Honestly, if it weren't for The Jungle Book's identity crisis of not being able to decide if it wants to be a musical or not, I'd probably be fine with it, and think it's the best of the lot. But alas, that element just absolutely bugs the shit out of me, and sorta ruins the whole thing for me, which is a shame, because otherwise, it's definitely the most impressive visually (those effects are fucking flawless).
Oh, yeah, the film's effects are jaw-dropping. That's funny you bring up "identity crisis," 'cause I spent most of the movie looking forward to the bittersweet ending where Mowgli would return to men and leave the jungle behind, which was one of the highlights of the original film. And I have no earthly idea why they ditched that (I'd have to rewatch to see if the film builds up to that subversion in any meaningful way).

I'd agree about the musical element, but that wasn't as crucial an issue for me, maybe because the promo material had already adjusted expectations.

Either way, I've been leery of this remake for a good long while now. One thing they really highlight is how much more expressive hand-drawn animation is than photorealism.