They don't really seem to add any more to the plot on Mowgli's character development, compared to what Bageera and Balou have already provided for the character. They just come off as random encounters more. Unless I am wrong?
shareThere are only 3 or 4 "necessary" characters. But it is in a jungle so we need to see a big variety of animal characters. It just adds to the fun. It is called "movie-making." Ever hear that term??
Plus Kaa seems dangerous, doesn't she?
Mowgli
Kaa did add to the plot and Mowgli's character because she showed what happened to his parents, thus explaining why sherkarn hates humans so much. Louis though added absolutely nothing to a otherwise great movie.
shareMaybe Louis reinforced in Mowgli that being man means controlling the red flower as well as the power it has.
Remember Louis said as soon as you have the red flower you jump to the top of the food chain and no-one messes with you so the first thing Mowgli does when going after Khan is to get fire.
Yeah that's probably true. I didn't think about that. Though I still wish Louis had been a regular monkey instead of a gigantic prehistoric orangutan.
shareYeah that's probably true. I didn't think about that. Though I still wish Louis had been a regular monkey instead of a gigantic prehistoric orangutan.
shareLouie was... a bit awkward... that musical number totally threw off his contribution to the tone his offer to Mowgli made.
But Kaa... Kaa was utterly pointless in this movie. Her sole reasons for being there amounted to fan-service and an info-dumb that wasn't even sensible in the continuity since there's zero indication of how she even knew anything about Mowgli in the first place.
Shere Khan or Bageerah could've told Mowgli everything about his past at any point... you know, since they were the two characters who actually were there when it took place. Khan could've even used the truth in a twisted way against Mowgli, saying he was the offspring of a man trying to invade the jungle and play himself off as a 'hero' fighting against man.
Kaa either needed an explanation of how she knew Mowgli's story or that she was merely awakening the memories in Mowgli's mind. A line such as, "If you trussssst in me, I can help you ssssssee what you've forgotten, remember what you've lossssst or hidden from daysssss long passsssst. Jusssst gaze deep, let go of the present, and ressssssst while I show you your ssssstory..." would have solved that problem nicely and succinctly. She'd still have been just there for expository monologue, but at least it would've made sense in the story's continuity and given her a stronger presence as a truly manipulative and cunning character.
Or, she could have had a longer, repeating presence in the film as a predator with a bizarre and delusional form of 'sympathy' who truly believes Mowgli (and all her prey) would be better off as her dinner! She could have seen herself and her 'gentle' methods of hunting as quasi-heroic, releasing 'poor suffering creatures' from the terror and pain of jungle life. That would have been quite interesting and unique, I think.
Yes.
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