The Jungle Book (2016)

Anthony Lane Clean, cleverly judged, and hypercontrolled. It represents, in short, the state of the art. Without disputing that, I would simply ask, What art?

James Berardinelli The Jungle Book is well-made and deserves recognition as one of the year's best family offerings (thus far).

Christopher Orr 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.

Bob Mondello 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.

Peter Rainer The computer-generated effects are extraordinary; the jungle and its menagerie of beasts and critters looks positively lifelike.

Will Leitch The movie is an odd beast: A powerful exploration of the cruelty of nature in which the animals occasionally break into song.

Kate Taylor A visually stunning and highly dramatic movie that pays only brief homage to the music of its predecessor and whose threatening characters and scary moments would surely have given Walt the heebie-jeebies.

Adam Graham A film that will be celebrated, and rightly so, as one of the year's best family films. It's the rare remake that gets things right, and Favreau makes this "Book" a genuine page-turner.

Molly Eichel The reason to go see Favreau's The Jungle Book, instead of just watching the animated one with your cubs, is how gorgeous the jungle looks.