Whenever a film is adapted from prior material it only seems reasonable to wonder just how well it will stand on its own merits for folks who are unfamiliar with the source. To read even in passing of this, and learning that it's based on "the last half" of Tezuka Osamu's manga, such a question is all the fairer. While one is left to ponder just what aspects of the story we're missing - and there's definitely something - thankfully the least that can be said is that filmmaker Takeuchi Yoshio shaped this 1997 feature such that it could be appreciated by newcomers. That's not to say that there aren't tidbits that catch our attention in a manner that's less than entirely favorable. Even recognizing that this is obviously a family-friendly affair geared for children, the scene writing tends toward being extra cutesy and/or simplistic, with plentiful examples that are just plain silly and outwardly cartoonish, and even at its most serious the saga takes leaps in logic. Such verbiage extends to no few facets of the visual experience: lionesses and lion cubs whose faces are more like those of teddy bears or mice, an antelope that wears a hat, the extra powerful suction of an elephant's trunk, a peculiar dream sequence, instances of 3D sensibilities not blending so naturally with the predominant 2D style, and so on. Enough of these matters come to our attention that I believe it goes beyond mere "nitpicking," and that includes how very heavy-handed the movie is in its treatment of the conflict between humans and nature, or rather, flagrant human disregard for and rampant destruction of the natural world. Whatever else is true, 'Jungle Emperor Leo' is not something made with a mind for appealing to older members of the prospective audience.
Still, it's sufficiently well made, and there's plenty to like in the picture just as it is. Critique the writing as we may, the plot is duly engaging, with good ideas and admirable themes even if they're not ideally managed (and sometimes even become a tad garbled). Weaknesses and all, even the scene writing and characterizations bear lasting value in a tale of a king trying to protect his jungle kingdom, a precocious cub who will travel far and begin to discover his inner strength, and humans both virtuous and villainous, some with an especial interest in the deep jungle. Some thoughts herein may not get the full treatment they would require to resonate, and others are unquestionably reduced to their most basic representation, but this is made for kids after all. Meanwhile, even if the artists of Tezuka Productions were sometimes guided toward creative decisions that were less sure-footed, by and large the animation is as terrific as we commonly anticipate. More than not the character designs are splendid, with the titular character and most other animals being a definite highlight, and in general active elements including effects are pretty sharp. All the backgrounds and environments are plainly gorgeous, particularly the depictions of the jungle and other natural settings, and most all components of the visuals benefit from commendable detail, if not also consideration for lighting, shading, and perspective. Though both the animation and the storytelling have their issues, at their best they're quite superb as they operate hand in hand to foster meaningful drama and adventure. 'Jungle Emperor Leo' isn't a great title, but it's rather good all told.
Further benefiting from a capable voice cast and Tomita Isao's original music, there is more worth here than first meets the eye, and more than we might assume based on our past experience with similar fare. There are odds and ends we may perceive as more dubious, yes, but even with these well in mind the film is much better than not - earnest, entertaining, and stopping just short of "impactful." It's not for nothing that Tezuka and his manga have enjoyed such visibility and such high regard for so long. One need not know the source material and other prior iterations to see that the narrative has been truncated in this adaptation, but nevertheless there's a lot to like here. There's no need to go out of your way for 'Jungle Emperor Leo,' but if you do have the opportunity to watch, this is a good time overall, holds up reasonably well, and is worth checking out as something fairly light.
