Film review: 'Second Jungle Book'
Based on an earlier episode in the life of wild child Mowgli, and not related directly story-wise to Disney's 1994 live-action "Jungle Book", producer Raju Patel's new film swings into the fray with the unwieldy title "Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo."
Eleven-year-old newcomer Jamie Williams carries the rousing adventure film, but without a headliner such as Jason Scott Lee, the TriStar release is headed for modest business. There are some chilling moments and mild violence in "The Second Jungle Book", directed by Duncan McLachlan ("Running Wild"), making it suitable primarily for young boys.
Co-stars Baloo the bear, Grey Wolf and Bagheera, a black panther, are accorded much screen time, and there's elemental chemistry between growling, monkeylike Mowgli and his protective pals. There is also a small army of scheming chimps who try to kidnap Mowgli, forcing the latter to escape by hopping on a train.
The 1890s scenario credited to Bayard Johnson and Matthew Horton is based on one of Kipling's original stories, but it amounts to the predictable elements of bad guys trying to capture Mowgli, mad monkeys in exotic ruins and lots of action, with four-footed and fanged heroics.
After escaping from the train with a trained monkey, Timo, Mowgli is stalked by a no-nonsense P.T. Barnum talent scout (Bill Campbell), an ugly snake charmer (Dyrk Ashton) and Timo's clownish owner David Paul Francis). The sneaky guide of these stalk characters is a standard villain in the person of Mowgli's scheming uncle (Gulshan Grover).
As it happens, the chimps kidnap Timo and the humans bag Mowgli. Everyone ends up in the lost city, where they discover an old soldier (Roddy McDowall) who likes to fire cannons. Mowgli has close calls with cobras and pythons, while not all the men after him are heartless assassins.
Credit goes to the two-legged performers who breathe some life into the lackluster dialogue scenes. And those fabulous chimps are the best achievement of animal coordinator Brian McMillan and crew.
The film's primary attractions are such sights as Williams' character climbing through the forest and bonding with untalkative Baloo and Bagheera. Cinematographer Adolfo Bartoli and production designer Errol Kelly do justice to the wide-screen format, and the film looks super.
Filmed in Sri Lanka, the production overall is shipshape.
RUDYARD KIPLING'S
THE SECOND JUNGLE BOOK:
MOWGLI AND BALOO
Sony Pictures Releasing
A TriStar Picture
MDP Worldwide and Sharad Patel present
A Kiplingbook/Raju Patel production
A Duncan McLachlan film
Director Duncan McLachlan
Writers Bayard Johnson, Matthew Horton
Producer Raju Patel
Executive producers Sharad Patel, Mark Damon
Director of cinematography Adolfo Bartoli
Production designer Errol Kelly
Editor Marcus Manton
Composer John Scott
Costume designer Ann Hollowood
Casting Don Pemrick, Dean Fronk, Jo Gilbert
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mowgli Jamie Williams
Harrison Bill Campbell
King Murphy Roddy McDowall
Chuchundra David Paul Francis
Buldeo Gulshan Grover
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Eleven-year-old newcomer Jamie Williams carries the rousing adventure film, but without a headliner such as Jason Scott Lee, the TriStar release is headed for modest business. There are some chilling moments and mild violence in "The Second Jungle Book", directed by Duncan McLachlan ("Running Wild"), making it suitable primarily for young boys.
Co-stars Baloo the bear, Grey Wolf and Bagheera, a black panther, are accorded much screen time, and there's elemental chemistry between growling, monkeylike Mowgli and his protective pals. There is also a small army of scheming chimps who try to kidnap Mowgli, forcing the latter to escape by hopping on a train.
The 1890s scenario credited to Bayard Johnson and Matthew Horton is based on one of Kipling's original stories, but it amounts to the predictable elements of bad guys trying to capture Mowgli, mad monkeys in exotic ruins and lots of action, with four-footed and fanged heroics.
After escaping from the train with a trained monkey, Timo, Mowgli is stalked by a no-nonsense P.T. Barnum talent scout (Bill Campbell), an ugly snake charmer (Dyrk Ashton) and Timo's clownish owner David Paul Francis). The sneaky guide of these stalk characters is a standard villain in the person of Mowgli's scheming uncle (Gulshan Grover).
As it happens, the chimps kidnap Timo and the humans bag Mowgli. Everyone ends up in the lost city, where they discover an old soldier (Roddy McDowall) who likes to fire cannons. Mowgli has close calls with cobras and pythons, while not all the men after him are heartless assassins.
Credit goes to the two-legged performers who breathe some life into the lackluster dialogue scenes. And those fabulous chimps are the best achievement of animal coordinator Brian McMillan and crew.
The film's primary attractions are such sights as Williams' character climbing through the forest and bonding with untalkative Baloo and Bagheera. Cinematographer Adolfo Bartoli and production designer Errol Kelly do justice to the wide-screen format, and the film looks super.
Filmed in Sri Lanka, the production overall is shipshape.
RUDYARD KIPLING'S
THE SECOND JUNGLE BOOK:
MOWGLI AND BALOO
Sony Pictures Releasing
A TriStar Picture
MDP Worldwide and Sharad Patel present
A Kiplingbook/Raju Patel production
A Duncan McLachlan film
Director Duncan McLachlan
Writers Bayard Johnson, Matthew Horton
Producer Raju Patel
Executive producers Sharad Patel, Mark Damon
Director of cinematography Adolfo Bartoli
Production designer Errol Kelly
Editor Marcus Manton
Composer John Scott
Costume designer Ann Hollowood
Casting Don Pemrick, Dean Fronk, Jo Gilbert
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mowgli Jamie Williams
Harrison Bill Campbell
King Murphy Roddy McDowall
Chuchundra David Paul Francis
Buldeo Gulshan Grover
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 5/13/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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