The New Jungle Book

[ysabetwordsmith]

So Disney is making a new version of The Jungle Book. I have seen many versions of this story, in live action and animation. This one ... daaaaaaamn. Scarlett Johansson is Kaa. I may never be able to think of Kaa as male again. SHUT UP AND TAKE MAH MONEY!

Comments

[thnidu]

Oh, the MOVIE! I thought you were talking about someone trying to do a new take on the BOOK – which of course this will be, but in a different way.

See, to me, the book is always primary. It's kind of like hearing somebody saying something about "The Lord of the Rings" and then finding out that they mean the movies. Although, while I've never seen Disney's "Jungle Book", I understand it isn't nearly as bad as THAT.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>Oh, the MOVIE! I thought you were talking about someone trying to do a new take on the BOOK – which of course this will be, but in a different way. <<

Yeah, the movie, because Disney's done it before and they want a reprise with the new improved technology.

>> See, to me, the book is always primary. It's kind of like hearing somebody saying something about "The Lord of the Rings" and then finding out that they mean the movies. <<

I always think of the book first too, guess I should've specified movies.

>>Although, while I've never seen Disney's "Jungle Book", I understand it isn't nearly as bad as THAT.<<

Disney's animated Jungle Book is a delightful movie which is ... loosely inspired by Kipling and much more suited to children, although I was little when I first got into Kipling. It just has darker elements than most people want in a children's story. The first Disney movie of it is almost entirely fluff, but the new live-action one seems far more robust.

When it comes to Tolkien, the movie of The Fellowship of the Rings was excellent, the next two increasingly wobbly, and the wheels came off completely in The Hobbit which is basically just officially endorsed fanfic. (Original Female Character: I rest my case.)

[stardreamer]

The juxtaposition of "Disney" and "Jungle Book" says pretty clearly that it's a movie. Disney isn't a book publisher.

[thnidu]

True enough. I don't think I ever saw Disney's (first) movie of it. Here I just saw "Jungle Book" and my mind went straight to Kipling, maybe in part bc I've been somewhat involved in some Kiplingiana lately.

[redsixwing]

Oh, cool!

Looking forward to this one..

[(Anonymous)]

I loved that switch in the trailer, you think it's someone sympathetic, a post story tell the tale sort of angle. Then when you realize it's /Kaa/, well I squealed happily and am definitely looking forward to the completed work.

Yes...

[ysabetwordsmith]

And she hisssssses so beautifully. :D Black Widow is Kaa. New headcanon = accepted.

[zeeth_kyrah]

One thing I really like is that Christopher Walken gets to play a whole new kind of character - one he's played before, but with a different context. King Louie is really just a thief, happy go lucky, but he's a king...

Yes...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Louie may be the King of Thieves, but yeah, he's a good leader for the people he has.

[stardreamer]

Whoa. That looks fabulous.

Although now I also want to see the other version the article mentioned, the mo-cap directed by Andy Serkis. Lightning may strike twice!

Yes...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'll watch almost anything with Andy Serkis in a digital costume. I had to bail out of his Planet of the Apes work though. Even the trailers were too harsh for me.

[redsixwing]

Oooooooooh.

Yes, yes please. :D

[ankewehner.livejournal.com]

huh. I always think of Kaa as female. Possibly because the word for snake is grammatically feminine in German.

Well...

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. The original Jungle Book says "he" though.

This is seriously becoming one of my all-time-favorite genderbends though. On the strength of that little trailer! Scarlet does quietly ominous very well.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

The current film is based more on the cartoon... and in that Kaa was always rather camp. So, I'm not sure if going all the way female is an improvement or not really.

But it is pretty darn awesome!