When you think about it, having Bill Murray play Baloo in the new live-action version of The Jungle Book is likely the best you could hope for considering the original film. Phil Harris owns the role and the classic tune ‘The Bare Necessities.’ Having Murray at least gives you a head start at making the character likeable, meaning he doesn’t have as much work to do in order to win over the fans of the film.
Murray stopped by Jimmy Kimmel to promote the film alongside his co-star Neel Sethi — a kid who likes a fine suit and outdresses Murray for some reason. They both grab a mic and bust out the tune, with a little help from some folks in bear costumes. It isn’t too bad either, despite being live. Sure they sound a little rough and off key. They’re having a good time, dammit.
How does it stack up with the original? It’s hard to really compare the two, but you can say that it stays true to the original version and certainly has that fun vibe to it. Will it be enough to quiet the critics who cry about Murray taking the role away from a real bear? Now that’s a question that we’ll have just wait for an answer on.
(Via Jimmy Kimmel Live)
