The Art of The Jungle Book

Stunning concept artwork is the star of this behind-the-scenes look at how Disney reinvented a cinematic classic.

Our Verdict

A revealing and absorbing book that really ought to give more credit where it's due.

For

  • Packed with details and concept artwork

Against

  • No credits for the artists

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Disney's innovative reimagining of The Jungle Book has been the cinematic hit of the year. But while critics have been united in their praise for the 2016 reboot, which draws on both Rudyard Kipling's novel and the 1960s cartoon, they've been a little unsure about how to describe it. 

It's not quite "CG animation" and not quite "live action", instead using motion capture to create a hybrid of the two. It's digital animation that's also handcrafted. It's live action photorealism that's often entirely pixellated. And it's precisely this boundary-pushing approach to filmmaking that makes this behind-the-scenes artbook such a fascinating read. 

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The Verdict
9

out of 10

The Art of The Jungle Book

A revealing and absorbing book that really ought to give more credit where it's due.

Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.