Jungle Book (1994)

This was in the DVD player tonight.

Is it wrong that I have never seen this movie? 1994 I was stationed overseas or living like a rock star when I got back to the states. I think I saw Forest Gump in the theaters that year and thats all I can remember.

This is a great movie for little boys who like animals. I think its innate for a little boy to want to make animal sounds and be proud of knowing the difference between a polar bear and a brown bear. Jason Scott Lee, known most notibably for playing Bruce Lee in the biopic 'Dragon' the year before, does a great job as a Hawaiian playing an east Indian. In all seriousness he does score an admiral performance playing against his usual typecast. I do seem to remember reading about how he had to strip several pounds of muscle off his physique to play Mowgli after playing Bruce Lee.

Sam Neil (Jurassic Park, Merlin) plays a kindly British officer concerned about his daughter and her friendly relationship with Mowgli. Cary Elwes, (Princess Bride, Saw) but always Wesley to me, does his usual turn as a snobbish elite trying to use people for his purpose.

I think most people remember the Disney movie cartoon, might remember that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the book a long time ago and maybe hum a few bars of 'Bear Necessities' but when pushed don't remember the plot of the story. I couldn't tell you if this version follows the original work any better or worse than another, but I was captivated how they were able to get the animals to interact with the screen and by that I mean keep kids in their seats.

This is movie for little boys. I don't think it will replace Lion King or a Land Before Time movie in the rotating queue we have on top of the dvd player, but enough to create fantasy on a summer afternoon.

Well also enough action for a three year old to come sit by his dad on the couch when the animals act scary around the humans, ya know...so that dad is not afraid.