The Jungle Book (1967)

The Jungle Book (1967)

10/10

Starring the voice of

Phil Harris

Sebastian Cabot

Louis Prima

George Sanders

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

The last animated movie produced by Walt Disney also ranks as one of the best productions from the mouse house.
The movie has it all: songs, comedy, action, drama, and love. What’s not to like about this animated feature?

You can watch it now (assuming you’ve seen it as a child) and still find yourself singing along.
The animated feature includes songs that are forever easy to remember and sing. The transitions between the story and the songs are seamless, with the songs often hinting at what’s happening or what’s to come.
Walt Disney’s adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is so well done that the 2016 live-action adaptation of this 1967 classic received positive reviews. The 2016 version also featured the same songs and followed a nearly identical story path, becoming a box office hit.

Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book tells the tale of a young boy named Mowgli, an orphan raised by wolves.
In the movie’s version, Bagheera, a black panther, finds Mowgli and gives him to a wolf mother to raise as one of her cubs.

As a young boy, Mowgli becomes accustomed to life in the jungle. However, his safety is threatened by Shere Khan, a man-eating Bengal tiger.
It’s decided that Mowgli must be taken to the Man-Village for his own protection, and Bagheera volunteers to escort him.
This journey, with a reluctant Mowgli in tow, takes us through various adventures. We see Mowgli nearly eaten by Kaa, an Indian python, and meet Baloo, a fun-loving sloth bear who believes Mowgli can thrive in the jungle and doesn’t need to go to the Man-Village.

We also meet King Louie, an orangutan and leader of the primates, who wants to learn how to make fire and believes Mowgli holds the secret.

Mowgli encounters many other animals along the way, and the movie has enough fun and excitement to keep you glued to the screen. Perfect for family viewing any time of the week, Disney’s The Jungle Book is, to me, the best adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s book.

The live-action adaptation is even getting a sequel, thanks to the success of the first film.

The original animation is a masterpiece and was a huge box office hit for Disney, earning over 300 million from a 4 million budget. It also saw massive success in home video sales. Even seeing it now with a young one, you will see the music and animation is timeless.