What sets this telling of The Jungle Book apart from the others is that it doesn't shy away from the violence. Added blood aside though, I was surprised to find that this isn't necessarily an any less kid-friendly version of the story. In fact, until Mowgli gets swept away by the monkeys the movie doesn't really do anything all that different from the highly sanitized Disney takes. The new takes on the classic characters are interesting. Baloo has a bit of edge, Kaa is something of a jungle prophet, and Shere Khan is actively slaughtering members of the man tribe. All of this hits you right at the beginning preparing you for a darker, more mature take on the source material. To its credit it mostly is. It's just that this newfound grit is constantly being undermined by the silly sense of humor. These may be more grim incarnations of the characters, but they are no less interested in having fun and swapping jokes. This naturally leads to a bit of tonal inconsistency with the content constantly flip-flopping between that of a family movie and something harsher. Mowgli's journey is quite compelling as he finds himself torn between two worlds neither of which he'll ever truly belong to. Even amongst all the more seasoned actors and excellent motion capture performances all helmed by the king of mo-cap Andy Serkis himself, it's Rohan Chand (Bad Words) who stands at the top of the pack. He's very young and doesn't have any sort of physically imposing presence, but he shows skill beyond his years in portraying Mowgli's inner and outer struggle. The action sequences are thrilling. The scene where Baloo and Bagheera try to rescue Mowgli from the monkeys is the highlight of the movie. The plot itself however is uneven in delivering the same kind of epicness. Character motivations are spot-on, but the film ends right as it starts to get really interesting and the final battle is awkwardly handled in terms of bringing everyone together. Scene transitions are also weird at times with their abruptness in finding characters in different situations. Serkis' passion for the project can certainly be felt. The CGI animals look fantastic and the title character has a satisfying arc to follow. It's successful at providing a new take on the classic story even if it doesn't have the best execution. I wish that it would have chosen to stick more with it's depiction of the unforgiving side of the jungle rather than softening the blow with Disney/Marvel style humor and that it did a better job of getting the animals to rally around Mowgli in the final showdown, but the inclusion of darker and more violent content does make for an unforgettable and often exciting version of The Jungle Book story even in the face of its flaws.