Junglee Movie Review: A Gripping And Adventurous Tale Teaching You Love And Preservation For The Elephants Of The Nation!

The film kick-start with a veterinary doctor Raj (Vidyut Jammwal) visiting his father's elephant sanctuary. All hell breaks loose when the elephants of the sanctuary come under the radar of the poachers led by Atul Kulkarni, it is then that Raj embarks on a mission against the hunters with a mahout Shankara (Pooja Sawant) and a journalist Meera (Asha Bhat) by his side. 

Junglee abides by the message of protecting and preserving our giant tusked friends in the jungle. The film depicts a hard hitting message against the purchasing of the ivory products which leads to the hunting down of these elephants. The film despite of having some loopholes manages to fulfill this hard hitting message. 

The film is helmed by renowned Hollywood director Chuck Russell who has films like The Mask, Eraser and The Scorpion King to his kitty and makes his Bollywood debut with this film. The filmmaker has instilled his passion for the martial art form Kalaripayattu and the splendor of the Indian wildlife in this one. 

The film however falls flat post interval with the action sequences which could have been choreographed in a more articulate way. The film ranks high in the cinematography where in cinematographer Mark Irwin captures the scenic locales of forest effectively. The highlight was the endearing manner in which the elephants were projected on screen. The camaraderie between the lead actors and the elephants are pleasant to behold. The film almost gives you some Haathi Mere Saathi vibes 

Vidyut Jammwal successfully manages to carry the film on his shoulders with his action sequences impressing with every frame. Even though the actor has some hard moments with the emotional sequences, he breathes life into the action scenes in the climactic situations. One cannot help but marvel at his accurate postures during the sequences. The highlight is a particular handcuff scene where he manages to escape from the clutches of the police officers is masterfully shot or when he electrocutes a poacher by swinging in the circuit with his bare hands is also a sight to behold. Vidyut definitely takes away the cake with the profound action scenes. The action sequences are choreographed in a crisp and perfect manner by Chung Chi Li of the Rush Hour fame. 

The female leads Pooja Sawant and Asha Bhatt were convincing and did full justice to their performances. However the other characters were just reduced to mere props. Supporting cast members like Atul Kulkarni, Makarand Deshpande and Akshay Oberoi were largely wasted with their characters. 

But, nevertheless excusing these minor loopholes, Junglee deserves to be watched to experience a fascinating jungle drama with the glorious spectacle of the wildlife after a long time.