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Disneyphiles, listen up because, despite your undeniable love forDisneymovies, their inside references, and hidden secrets, chances are high that you missed this classic Easter egg in a 7-year-old live-action adaptation. There is no doubt that Disney has made history and continues to do so with its animated movies. With their mind-blowing magic, talking animals, and profound quests, Disney movies draw in young and older adults alike.
As the highest-rated live-action Disney adaptation, Jon Favreau’sThe Jungle Bookis packed with breathtaking moments, intriguing visuals, and a compelling storyline. However, at the top of the list are the hidden Easter eggs, andThe Jungle Bookhas a very special one. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the world of Mowgli’s shenanigans,The Jungle Book’s successes, and the reputation of Disney live-action adaptations.
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book’s Most Classic Easter Egg
The Jungle Booktells the captivating story of a brave man-cub who tragically lost his parents when they were attacked by a tiger in the Indian jungle and was then raised by wolves. Mowgli grows up closely surrounded by animals and experiences love and peace until a tiger is set on killing him for being human. Young Mowgli embarks on a journey to escape certain death and find shelter in a human village, but his journey is far from easy. At some point, Mowgli is kidnapped by monkeys and then presented to their leader, an orangutan who is known as King Louie.
Inside the temple, Mowgli is not just surrounded by the King and his followers but also by a surprising amount of Papayas and ancient artifacts. WhileDisney movies have many hidden Easter eggs,the one inThe Jungle Bookis rather difficult to spot. King Louie’s temple is home to a very special artifact, which plays a significant role in a different, world-famous Disney movie.Barely visible yet still recognizable through its unmistakable shape is the Genie’s lamp fromAladdin. The famous oil lamp is well-known for its immense power, as the owner can summon Genie, who uses cosmic power to grant and fulfill a wish. King Louie might not even be aware that he is in possession of the coveted artifact, which he could use to fulfill his wish of finding the red flower, aka fire, and rule the jungle.
The Success of Disney’s The Jungle Book
Despite Disney’s live-action adaptations underlying public scrutiny,The Jungle Boxwas one of directorJon Favreau’s best moviesand an immense box office success. Grossing a worldwide total of $966.6 million,The Jungle Bookis one of the most successful Disney remakes. Regardless of the movie, live-action adaptations, in general, always come with the hope that the visual effects are pure perfection.
Original Disney movies stand out with their breathtaking artistic qualities, which could easily be lost in adaptations, butThe Jungle Bookdelivered a masterpiece regarding the VFX. Rob Legato, Adam Valdez, Dan Lemmon, and Andy Jones are the skillful masters behind the visual effects of the Disney movie, and their hard work was recognized in a major way. In 2017,the four VFX artists won the Academy Award in visual effects, which frankly didn’t come as a surprise.
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Obviously,The Jungle Bookis filled with different kinds of animals, which brings along an even more substantial challenge since their fur and movement require extreme attention to detail.The Jungle Booktruly prevails as it is amovie with great VFX, but not all Disney movies can score the same.Pinocchio,Maleficent, andThe Little Mermaidarguably count as the Disney live-action adaptations with the worst VFX. Whether it’s Ariel’s questionable hair physics,Maleficent’s hard-to-watch flying scenes, orPinocchio’s overall missing photorealistic physics, the failure to provide excellent VFX caused each of these movies’ downfall to some extent.
While the attempt to keep original Disney movies alive and in everyone’s conversations by turning them into more modern live-action adaptations, the outcome is not always what fans would have hoped for. The fundamental issue lies with the fact that Disney is famous for its stunning artistic qualities, such as its unique caricatures and vibrant colors, which are marked by careful attention to detail. Unfortunately, these aspects are often lost in live-action adaptations.
Instead, manyDisney live-action adaptationsare filled with cringe moments, as was recently seen inThe Little Mermaidand Ariel’s nonexistent bright red hair. On top of the lost aesthetics, adaptations are prone to come across as emotionless and even boring. This stems from the fact that the original movies are fundamentally based on the goal of evoking some sort of reaction by exploring a wide range of deep emotions. It allows the viewers to connect with the original characters on a profound level, and many even find inspiration and comfort in these characters during their childhood.
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Furthermore, Disney is not doing themselves any favors by continuously dropping the ball regarding casting controversies and the lack of conveying cultural originality. Many original Disney movies are beloved masterpieces as they offer representations of specific ethnicities, allowing them to convey messages of identity and acceptance. However, there have been numerous occasions when Disney failed to carry on the importance of accurate representation in live-action adaptations.Aladdin, for one, received heavy backlash for casting a half-white English actress, Naomi Scott, instead of a Middle Eastern one. Also, the upcoming live-adaptationLilo & Stitchfaced criticism due to its whitewashed casting.
In general, it is a challenging task to turn beloved Disney movies, which viewers are strongly connected to through childhood nostalgia, into a live-action adaptation. These are often marked as being a more grown-up, modern version of the originals, but this, fundamentally, is where the rot begins. From terrible VFX to questionable casting choices, Disney has been receiving tons of backlash over the past few years, and it is certainly justified, but at least the existing movies, such asThe Jungle Book,allow for some joy and Easter egg hunting until Disney will hopefully turn the ship around and rebuild their reputation.The Jungle Bookis available to watch onDisney+.
