Mowgli - Il libro della giungla

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.

A very enjoyably movie, it's kind of Aladdin meets Indiana Jones. It's a little intense for very young children. But overall a nice family action film.

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. ***

Interested in seeing an action packed movie? If so, watch The Jungle Book live version. I really enjoyed it. This movie has so much action and suspense and follows the same storyline as the cartoon version but with so much more detail. The movie is about a boy named Mowgli who is taken away from his village after a tiger attack. He gets stuck on a runaway wagon that is on fire. After he manages to get off of the wagon he is too far away from his village and no one can find him. Mowgli is raised by a pack of wolves and grows up with a panther and a bear named Baloo. Eventually, he is found by civilization and his childhood love named Kitty. He then has to learn how to fit in with everyone. My favorite character in the movie is Mowgli because he tries really hard to fit in with everyone once he is found. He also tries really hard to always protect Kitty. He is a really good fighter and climber. My favorite part in this movie is when Mowgli finds a secret hideout where a lot of monkeys live. It is packed with mountains of treasures. He finds a dagger but then a snake pops out and tries to kill Mowgli. So Mowgli fights with the snake and eventually uses the dagger to kill the snake. It is really suspenseful. I recommend this movie for ages 6 and up. Younger kids might get scared watching this movie because there is a lot of fighting and suspense. Credit: Anthony Aranda, age 9, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Despite diverging in many ways from Kipling's classic novel, I love this film, and feel that it holds up well since when I was a child. It's been almost ten years since I last saw it and my affection for it hasn't declined. I cannot fathom why Disney hasn't attempted to revive it for a new release. It truly deserves more love.

One night in the jungles of India, Shere Khan the tiger attacks a convoy of soldiers of the British Empire whom Mowgli and his father were guiding. As a boy, Mowgli is smitten by the Colonel's young daughter, Kitty. In the chaos, Mowgli and his wolf cub Grey Brother are separated from the convoy and his father killed by the tiger and lost in the jungle. Bagheera the panther discovers the pair and leads them to the wolf pack where they are adopted as members of the pack. Mowgli also adopts a young Baloo as his brother. Mowgli grows up in the jungle and discovers his childhood sweetheart Kitty wandering through the jungle accompanied by her suitor, Captain William Boone. Mowgli follows her back to the British fort and his captured by Boone, but is freed on Kitty's request and is taught by her and Dr Plumford the power of speech and the ways of civilization, and Mowgli begins to fall in love with her over time. Captain Boone learns from Mowgli of the location of the lost Monkey City and its treasure within. Unable to adjust to life amidst the British aristocracy and saddened by Boone's proposal to Kitty, Mowgli returns to the jungle. However, Boone hatches a plan to lure Mowgli back to lead them to the lost city.

Famous Kipling elements such as the Law of the Jungle, the red flower as a symbol for fire and an affinity for nature are carried over which I believe makes it more genuine. Jason Scott Lee is emotive, innocent and sincere as Mowgli, and while I'm aware he's not Indian, I feel his performance solidifies his place in the role he truly feels closer in spirit to Kipling than the animated Mowgli (though I do very much like the animated film). Lena Headey is very likable as Kitty and has great chemistry with Jason, Cary Elwes is sinister and callous as the traitorous Boone, and Sam Neill and John Cleese both add humour and quintessential British charm to the film, especially Cleese in his interactions with Mowgli.

As any good film should I was swept up in the action, emotions and characters and being an animal lover I always rooted for Mowgli and his friends. While I was scared as a child at first, I still revisited for it's adventurous spirit and rewarding ending. I'd even go so far to say as this is Stephen Sommers' best film, balancing the more sentimental scenes with serious action and tension very nicely. The animal training is flawless; Shere Khan is an appropriately menacing force of nature, Grey Brother, Baloo and Bagheera are warm, benevolent brothers to Mowgli, and King Louie steals the show whenever he's on screen. The jungle and fort locations have a rich atmosphere and provide some beautiful visual elements, benefitting from actual location scouting in India. Basil Poledouris provides a romantic and exciting score that honestly deserves more attention, underlining the action scenes and moments of affection between Mowgli and Kitty. At 1 hour 50 minutes, it feels very nicely paced and manages to keep investment going.

My real problem with the movie is that, truth be told, this isn't really Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book as the title would suggest. It can be too violent for a younger audience at times with the villains, Shere Khan, Kaa and the traps within the temple, and there are some instances of mild profanity but nothing I was especially disturbed by. And I suppose some people may be put off due to the fact that Sommers borrowed more from Tarzan (with Kitty as Jane) and Indiana Jones (with the human villains, temple and treasure) as opposed to Kipling that the movie's core concept does feel less original and the performances are just generally good enough to carry the story. Arguably its the best live action Tarzan film to date, only with an Indian setting, but it still pulls it off very effectively. Because of that same adventurous style, engaging visuals, romantic score and likable animal and human characters I still rate 1994's 'The Jungle Book' very highly and intend to watch it again soon.