A new rendition of a timeless Disney classic, The Jungle Book is sure to give you more than the “bear” necessities.

Originally known as a family-friendly animated film, the new movie, directed by Jon Favreau, takes on a new interpretation of the 1894 Rudyard Kipling book. It features underlying messages of environmental degradation and human impact on wildlife, which weren’t as heavily stressed in the cartoon version.

Mowgli, a young boy found by a panther named Bagheera, is adopted into the life of the jungle after joining a wolf pack, who take care of him as if he were one of their own. Learning the ways of the wolves, Mowgli continues living in harmony with the other animals, until he could no longer go unnoticed. A fearsome tiger, Shere Khan, threatens to punish all the animals if Mowgli is not sent away, for man is not permitted to engage with the kingdom of the jungle. After much debate, Mowgli decides to leave his home in search of a man village to protect his friends and family of the wolf pack. Mowgli, with the help of Bagheera, embarks on the journey, meeting a new bear friend named Baloo along the way. The search for his biological home doesn’t come easy – there are endless challenges in which he fine tunes his human abilities and gifts. Instead of going back to the man village, Mowgli decides to stand up and fight for what he thinks is right.

The plot was extremely well-developed and the movie has a good story line, but above all, it hints at some of man’s greatest faults: destroying ecosystems with external sources, like fire. The movie is appropriate for all audiences, both young and old. If you love stories of action-packed adventure, The Jungle Book is for you.

Final Rating: 9/10