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Although it’s been more than four decades since the release of Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book, the timeless animated classic—based on the short stories by Rudyard Kipling—has definitely stood the test of time.
The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli (voiced by director Wolfgang Reitherman’s son, Bruce), a boy who was left in the jungle in India as a baby and discovered by Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot), a protective panther. Bagheera took him to a mother wolf, who raised the man cub along with her own cubs.
Ten years later, the ferocious tiger Shere Kahn (George Sanders) returns to the jungle. Shere Kahn hates man—and if he finds Mowgli, Shere Kahn will kill him. The only way to save the man cub is to return him to the man village. So Bagheera volunteers for the job of accompanying the reluctant Mowgli on the journey to his new home. Along the way, they meet all kinds of characters—like Kaa (Sterling Holloway), the spell-binding snake, Baloo (Phil Harris), the jungle slacker, and a group of barbershop-singing, Liverpudlian vultures.
While many films tend to show their age after a while, there’s absolutely nothing dated about The Jungle Book. The characters are as lovable as ever—from the headstrong Mowgli to the happy-go-lucky Baloo to the ambitious King Louie (voiced by big band leader Louis Prima) and his swinging monkeys. And the story is classic, filled with both adventure and comedy.
But the best thing about The Jungle Book is the music. From Baloo’s bubbly number, “The Bare Necessities,” to King Louie’s jazzy “I Wan’na Be Just Like You (The Monkey Song),” the songs complement the story and add to the fun—to make The Jungle Book a family favorite. In fact, it’s one of Disney’s best.
The 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition DVD presents the old favorite in bright, vibrant color and rich detail. It also offers all kinds of special features (so many, in fact, that you need to use the map that comes with the DVD to navigate them all). As you explore the two discs, you’ll find plenty of goodies. The kids will love the games, and grown-ups will be fascinated by the image galleries, documentaries, and deleted scenes (featuring poor Rocky Rhino, who didn’t make the final cut). And the whole family will enjoy the sing-alongs—which present some of the film’s favorite songs karaoke-style, with the lyrics at the bottom of the screen.
This new DVD collection may offer lots and lots of extras—but the highlight is still the movie itself. Be sure to pick up a copy of this Disney classic—because your kids will love it just as much as you always have.
Blu-ray Review:
Once you become a parent, you often find yourself seeing things from a whole new perspective—things like a snowstorm...or a slide at the park...or a beloved old movie. And now that I can see The Jungle Book through the eyes of my toddler, I appreciate the film’s lovable characters and catchy tunes even more than before.
When it comes to Blu-ray extras, though, the special features found on the film’s Diamond Edition release will generally appeal more to older viewers. Grown fans of the film will enjoy a look inside Disney’s animation process with @DisneyAnimation: Sparking Creativity—as well as a peek at recently uncovered storyboards to an alternate ending to the film. They’ll also appreciate Music, Memories & Mowgli, a conversation with composer Richard M. Sherman, the late Diane Disney Miller, and animator Floyd Norman, who share their stories about the film and Walt himself.
Animal lovers of all ages, meanwhile, will enjoy the behind-the-scenes adventure into Disney’s Animal Kingdom with I Wan’na Be Like You. And even the youngest of viewers will enjoy the sing-along songs of the Bear-E-Oke feature (which can also be accessed by pausing the film at any time).
If you make it through all of these extras and still haven’t had enough, then be sure to check out the classic DVD features discussed above—including deleted scenes, music videos, commentaries, and much, much more.
The Jungle Book is the kind of movie that families can watch over and over again. But fans of Disney animation will want to take a short break from watching the movie to check out some of the insightful extras, too.
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