Le Livre de la jungle

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

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.

Having missed this when first released, it was a pleasure to discover that this version of Kipling's THE JUNGLE BOOK has been photographed with stunning results in WideScreen color. It features an excellent cast headed by Jason Scott Lee, Lena Headey, Sam Neill and John Cleese, all giving admirable performances.

Detailed scenic wonders of the jungle with dense foliage, rippling waterfalls, exotic plants and animals--and best of all, the majestic looking sets for the hidden city holding all the treasures, are what make the film worth watching.

The famous story has its share of jungle thrills and these have been broadened to include even more conflict in the jealousy that evolves between Mowgli and a British officer who wants to marry the girl. His only interest in Mowgli is to have him lead him to the hidden city.

As the boy who finds out that Civilization can be more dangerous than any jungle, Jason Scott Lee is the perfect embodiment of Mowgli, capturing the character's innocence and naive nature in a way that is always credible. Lena Headey makes a lovely heroine as the girl he knew as a youngster who befriends him again, against the opposition of her arrogant British officer fiancé Cary Elwes whose untimely end makes for one of the story's most exciting and satisfying scenes.

Background music by Basil Pouledoris is highly effective and Stephen Sommers directs the whole piece in workmanlike fashion with only a few scenes a bit too intense for young children.

Summing up: An adventurous tale well told in a gorgeously mounted production.

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.