arts // no. 8

 

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> ‘The Jungle Book’ review

Jamal Al-Bayaa
Staff Writer

 

rom start to finish, The

Jungle Book is an engaging
and entertaining story that
is relevant and immediately
likeable. Surprisingly, it made
me think, which is uncommon
for a lot of movies that come out
today. If Inside Out is anything
to go by, it seems that children’s
movies have been doing a better
job of making adults think than
adult movies do. Since generic
scenes of sex and violence aren't
an option for these kids movies,
their writers are actually engaging
the audience in a thoughtful
discussion, generally on topics

like growing up, which is the
case for both Inside Out and The
Jungle Book.

The Jungle Book displays
a level of timelessness that is
reminiscent of the pre-2000
Disney movies, where both
children and adults can enjoy
the movies equally. For kids, The
Jungle Book is a fun, sometimes
scary movie about a boy who
lives in the jungle, eats with
wolves, and runs with jaguars.
The kids will be engaged by the
animal antics, and wonder what it
would be like to be a “man-cub.”

While all of this is true for
the adults as well, they get the
added bonus of a movie that
deeply reflects their cultural
values and the troubles they

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may have experienced growing
up. They can wonder why the
jungle animals have sucha deep
reverence for the Elephants, and
interpret what the writers are
trying to say through these ideas.
In that classic pre-2000 Disney
movie style, subtle symbolism
fills this 2016 rendition with
maturity and intelligence on all
levels, without ever breaking
away from the exciting plot and
fast pace that director Jon Favreau
pushed for.

By far, Mowgli steals the
show. Played by Neel Sethi, The
Jungle Book is his film debut. He
was recruited to play the part by
his dance instructor, who said
that he would be great at the role.
All his considerable experience

 

and skill in acting was acquired
on the job, literally in between
filming sessions.

In the film, Mowgli is
faced with a terrible challenge:
being different. While his
animal friends have four legs
to walk on and no opposable
thumbs to tie rope with, Mowgli
walks in a way that attracts
attention, makes him slower
than the others, and makes
him better suited to climbing
trees than sprints of any kind.

However, this experience of
being different for the special
talents that you have is central
to the movie, and central to the
human experience in general,
which is what makes much
of the plot so powerful and

theotherpress.ca

Image via Disney

relevant. Mowgli experiences the
persistent problem of embracing
who he is. Who is he? Should he
be his strengths, and by extension
himself, or should he hide his
strengths and try and fit in with
those he’s close to?

The movie does a spectacular
job of providing an answer and
encouraging viewers to deeply
ponder the question. However,
if you don’t want to spend too
much time thinking, the movie
is perfectly suited for those who
enjoy a fast paced adventure
movie with incredible animation,
recognizable voices such as
Idris Elba and Christopher
Walken, and excellent character
development... but most of
all, incredible animation.

Chairman of the Board: Many Suns, Many Sands

> ‘Ra’ board game review

Ed Appleby
Illustrator

 

magine living in ancient

Egypt. So many resources
dedicated to building great
temples and pyramids, when
the threat of a flood, drought,
or poor harvest loomed at
the turn of every season.

Ra isa set building game
for 2-5 players designed by
Reiner Knizia and published
by Rio Grande Games in 2008.
The gameplay is divided into
three epochs. Players draw
tiles randomly, with each tile
offering either instant points
or preventing negative points
at the end of each epoch. Once
a certain number of sun god
tiles are drawn, the epoch ends,
usually before players have the
ability to finish their sets.

Ra has an engaging and
competitive atmosphere. Its
random drawing and betting
system is similar to Power Grid,
but it utilizes tiles instead of
cards. This allows players to have
a fast paced and competitive
experience, a very tight learning
curve, and not much setup.
Drawing too many sun god tiles
exacerbates your need to need
to prevent things like flood or
famine all while building great
pyramids and other structures.

Tight play and a pretty
intimidating rule structure
makes Ra a great game for all
ages, skill types and groups.
Although as refreshing as a
desert oasis, Ra lacks the theme
or entrancing gameplay of
a Carcassonne or Settlers of
Catan, and may end up a strong
second choice for game night.

 

 

Illustration by Ed Appleby