The Jungle Book remake is its own beast, says CBC's Eli Glasner

"Why are they making it, if the old one was so good?"

From the mouths of babes. The question was posed by my10-year-old when I mentioned I was off to watch anew version of The Jungle Book.

Let's be clear. The 1967 film withPhil Harris asBaloo the Bear and Louie Prima as the scat-singing monkey King Louie absolutely bristled with life. The rumbling malevolence of George Sanders as Shere Khan the tigerI mean, how do you top that?

Well, howabout with Idris Elba?What if you getScarlett Johansson as Kaa the snake andBen Kingsley as the wiseBagheera?Nowyou see the temptation.

Imagine you're Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, sitting on a Scrooge McDuck-sizedgoldmine of beloved cartoons. Blockbusters are expensive and risky (John Carter of Mars, anyone?).Hence the Mouse House plan to re-purposeitsgreatest hits. FirstCinderella, nowThe Jungle Book and coming soon, Pete's Dragon. A revamped version ofThe Aristocats is only a matter of time. Prepare yourself.

Sure, we can shake our fists at the studio execs who seem to beallergicto originality, but for the moment,let's silence the curmudgeon within and give thanks for Jon Favreau: adirector who's demonstrated a knack for balancing action with character inpastfilms such asIron Man and Elf.

The notionof blending technology with storytelling is critical because the newJungle Bookisa surprisingly artificial venture.

We beginin a familiar place. Mowgli the man cub, seen running with the wolves, is finding his place in the jungle pecking order. Yet for all the rich forest foliage, nearly everythingwesee is computer-generated. The only flesh and blood character onscreen is Neel Sethi, the young New Yorkactor who plays Mowgli.

• VIDEO |The Jungle Book's Neel Sethi on becoming Mowgli

Considering Sethi spent the entire shoot in an Los Angelesstudio acting in front of a blue screen, the 12-year old gives a very natural performance. HisMowgli isn't perfect and has moments any parent would recognize:he sulks and scowls, but still faces his fears.

All around him, the cast of computer-animated characters are entirely convincing thanks toimpeccable voice casting.

The major misstep of thisJungle Bookare the musical sequences, whichstick out ascorporate initiatives ratherthan organicparts of the story.- Eli Glasner

Elba's Shere Khan oozes withmenace.Giancarlo Espositois stern,but effective as wolf pack leaderAkela. Johansson spinsa seductive story as Kaa the sinistersnake.

The Jungle Book's biggest stretch isthe unmistakable dictionof Christopher Walken, whoseKing Louieis an almost KingKong-sized orangutan inexplicablychannelingCol. Kurtz from Apocalypse Now. I kid you not.

Amid the story'sindeliblecharacters, Phil Harris' original take on Baloo the bear is unforgettable. The remake's producers chose wisely by casting the idiosyncratic Bill Murray. HisBaloois equal parts slacker andschemer, encouraging Mowgli to make the most of jungle life.

The major misstep of thisJungle Book are the musical sequences, whichstick out ascorporate initiatives ratherthan organicparts of the story.

Accepting a version of the Indian jungle filled with animals sharing a common code of conduct is hard enough. When Baloo breaks into a Dixieland-inspired renditionof The Bare Necessities, that suspension of disbelief snaps like a dry twig.

But once the distracting songs have faded away, TheJungle Book becomes its own beast.

Rather than the zaniness of theoriginal, Favreau and screenwriter Justin Marks reach for moments of majesty, for instance in a scene ofan elephant herd plodding by wordlessly.

Mowgli's humanity is also handled differently. Much of his story revolves around the dilemma of whether to embrace his tool-making, human abilities. Wherethe classic cartoon ended on a bittersweet note, the remake hedges its bets, for reasons that are becoming increasingly obvious.

As for Favereau, how do you follow up The Jungle Book? He's already moved onto the next logic step: The Magic Kingdom, a family film about the Disney theme park coming to life.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars