By the time its evolution is complete, The Jungle Book has proven itself a minor Darwinian miracle, perhaps the oddest of all species: a movie nearly devoid of human beings, yet one bursting with humanity.
Was a live-action remake of Disney's 1967 animated hit really necessary? No. That said, does Jon Favreau's re-interpretation make for good watching? Oh yes!
Most of the real world challenges that Leo DiCaprio faced in The Revenant, 10-year-old Neel Sethi faces plenty persuasively in The Jungle Book's digitized world.