The Jungle Book

My family used to own this on VHS, but I watched it to death. So I was pretty happy when I found it on YouTube. It wasn't the best version, but it didn't matter. I could still recite most of the dialog from memory. This is much much better than the animated "Jungle Book" to me because it's so much more real. Real live animals, real jungle flora, it's just perfect. I also didn't know who John Cleese was at the time, but now I can appreciate his excellent sense of humor.

Mowgli and Katherine have such wonderful chemistry as well. They have a history, and it's easier to feel for characters who do. The soldiers were well cast, with Harley being my favorite. While I prefer Cary Elwes in "The Princess Bride," he's still a good lead and bad guy. I highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

What a rollicking adventure story this film is - straight from the pages of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books and as uncomplicated as any schoolboy adventure yarn. It's really about the laws of man and the laws of the jungle and the divergence of opinions which continue even today. Most of the humans in this film are depicted as tiresome bores, courageous only when their finger is on the trigger of a rifle. The animals of the jungle seem to be the most maligned, but somehow get the upper hand. After all, the jungle is their territory. The film gives some hope for the future when Mowgli (reared by wild animals) and Kitty, a sweet English girl fall in love. The athletic Mowgli with the agility of a leopard in his jungle home is forced to lead a party of soldiers to the monkey palace where untold treasure has been accumulated. It's a difficult trek, but greed drives them on to the secret place. Action hots up as the animals fight back to preserve their territory. Kitty's life is threatened many times, but handsome Mowgli with his animal instincts is able to save her. A touching scene in the film (and one of the quieter moments) is Mowgli's discovery of a room in which the heads of hunted animals are stuffed and mounted as trophies on the walls. Without being too cynical, I must say that Mowgli is surprisingly adaptable as Kitty makes attempts to "civilize" him and teach him to dance. He is certainly a quick learner. But the English aristocracy do not accept him. If one can believe all that Kipling portrays, one feels his heart lies in the jungle which he trekked through himself during his travels in Africa. Maybe his attitude to the jungle is over-romanticized, but the resulting film adds up to great family entertainment. With regard to the monkey palace, it is truly a wonder to behold. The technological experts have done a great job in managing the special effects. They defy analysis. Better to just sit back and enjoy each exciting moment.

The switch here, and Jason Scott Lee does it with skill and heart of genius, is that Mowgli talks to the animals in their languages. We do not hear the animal speaking English. But from the moment Bagheera offers his tail to the tiny Mowgli and Mowgli grasps that tail, we are in intimate communication with the animals. Mowgli, his pet wolfcub and the rescued bearcub Balu follow the panther through the jungle and I went with them. Every actor modulates his or her performance to make the story happen, to balance the telling. Kitty, Mowgli's childhood friend, does not let one drop of saccharine spoil her natural young woman. Cary Elwes as a villain is frighteningly archetypal (just as he is a beautiful hero in other films). . . But the animal actors are what compel me to fork over dollars for my own copy of the video. Since they are surrounded by masterful cinema storytelling and heartfelt human performances, their work carries the main theme of this film. We know now how fragile the jungle and its inhabitants are as man approaches with guns and bulldozers. The delicate balance of man and animal, the diplomacy of Mowgli at times, the essence of courage and loyalty -- all this is portrayed. If you know the original Jungle Book and the moral spirit of its author, you recognize that the character of the jungle inhabitants is respected. In this film, while we are given an adventure extrapolated from the original literary situation, the Law of the Jungle is kept. For sophisticated Kipling see the Michael Caine/Sean Connery film "The Man Who Would Be King".

I'd better start off saying how much I love the 1967 animated film. I just loved how original, funny and light-hearted it all was. This film doesn't quite have the charm of the 1967 film, and there are some parts like the animal mauling that I found rather intense. Wilkin's death comes to mind. But there is so much that compensates; it is actually truer to the book than the 1967 film was and it is definitely worthwhile. I also think it is very underrated, the look of the film and the music should've at least guaranteed a 7.0 rating on IMDb, and whether I bring this film up to people the general impression is that a)they haven't seen it, b)it is inferior to the 1967 film or c)they hate it full stop. I admit it I do prefer the animation, as I grew up with it, but I really like this version as well. The animals are very well trained, I liked how wise Baloo was and Shere Kahn gave a good amount of menace whenever he was on screen. The film looks absolutely stunning, the cinematography is striking, the forests are lush and the waterfalls are sparkling. The costumes are fabulous, Kitty's dresses are to die for, and Lena Headey I must say looked gorgeous. The music from Basil Pouledoris, who also composed the music for the Hunt For Red October, is sweeping and rousing, and the pace and direction are slick. The performances are fine too, Jason Scott Lee is likable as Mowgli, John Cleese is wonderfully benevolent as Dr Plumford, and Cary Elwes makes a suave, handsome and charismatic villain. In conclusion, very good and underrated film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Engaging, old-fashioned adaptation that captures the rousing spirit of adventure of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale. In the era of the British Raj, a young boy abandoned in the jungles of India is thought to be dead but survives after being raised by a family of wolves. Years later, as an adult, he attempts to try and rejoin civilization with the help of his only childhood friend: the genteel daughter of a British officer. Soon, circumstances put him into conflict with a scheming young officer out to plunder the jungle's enchanting lost city. Elaborate production and effects, an ideal cast, and a wonderfully adventurous feel throughout make this a thrilling ride from beginning to end. Much too intense for really young children, but lots of fun. ***