AC7: Random Movie Series Review - Jungle Book (1994 + 2)

So while many of us are familiar with the 1967 animated film and more recently the 2016 live action film, Disney have actually made quite a few films around The Jungle Book. Today we are looking at two of them (though originally it was going to be three, but I couldn't find any way of watching the third one) and well let's just say its going to be an interesting couple of films. So let's see if they have the bare necessities or they just make us not want to be like them:



1994

The year is 1886 and during the British Raj in India, a boy named Mowgli (played by Jason Scott Lee) is the son of the widowed Nathoo (played by Faran Tahir) whose wife died in childbirth. As a tour guide, Nathoo leads a group who start to hunt wild animals which enrages Shere Khan who is the jungle keeper (and a tiger). Mowgli befriends a girl called Kitty (played by a young Lena Headey) who gives him her late mother's bracelet as a gift. Telling Nathoo of a dream he has of standing up to Shere Khan, Mowgli is left in confusion as Shere Khan attacks the hunting group and kills Nathoo. With only his pet wolf cub Grey Brother for company, he is then taken in by the black panther Bagheera and the wolf pack he is associated with. During this, Mowgli also befriends a bear cub called Baloo. Twenty years then pass and an adult Mowgli finds the Monkey City where he meets King Louie and gains his respect by defeating his pet snake Kaa. Though he soon reunites with Kitty, but all is not as it seems. I think if people were to see this as a faithful remake to the original, you would be surely mistaken. No, this is Disney adapting the story again, but doing a fresh new take on it presumably for mature audiences. Its not too bad actually as it has some good banter from the cast and has a decent story. I guess fans of the original would be disappointed that this isn't like the original. But fortunately there is a live action adaptation that is almost in every way like the original. But for those wanting a new take on it, this isn't too bad of one. 8/10

2

So during a time where Disney were desperate (though thinking about it, they may still be desperate if the countless live action remakes are anything to say about it), out came a sequel to the original 1967 film and well it's not that great. So picking up where things left off, Mowgli (voiced by Haley Joel Osment) has been welcomed into the Man village and tells people of his exploits in the jungle much to the annoyance of his adopted father (voiced by John Rhys-Davies) and that girl he followed called Shanti (voiced by Mae Whitman). Desperate to return to the jungle, Mowgli accidentally almost leads the children out which angers his adopted father. Meanwhile Shere Khan (voiced by Tony Jay) has returned to the side of the jungle that Baloo (voiced by John Goodman) and Bagheera (voiced by Bob Joles) and sneaks into the Man village to enact revenge on Mowgli who escapes with Baloo who missed him a lot. With him gone, the humans try to find him while Shere Khan hunts him down all leading to a fiery climax. Although fans are relieved that Mowgli did nothing to that girl (something that was left unsolved at the end of the first film), the film is just more of the same as the first with nothing new to add. There are some new characters, but not much is done with them. Some new music too, but nothing as impactful as the "Bare Necessities". Its pretty bland for a direct to home media film (though was released in cinemas in some areas first), but if you want the same as before, you will get it. But that's really all it is. 6/10

So overall, we have a great live action take on the story that differs from the original and a pretty bland sequel to the original. Neither one can beat the first, but the live action remake sort of did. So yeah you are not missing much here. But if you want to check them out, then please do. 7/10