A Well-Designed, But Cut-Rate, Animated Classic

Rating: 5/10 (19 March 2020)

The well-worn tale of an abandoned infant, found and raised in the wild by a caring society of jungle creatures. In this specific case, it's a pack of wolves who look after the boy, though they quickly fade away when an elder insists the child (now half-grown) be returned to human civilization. A fatherly panther and carefree bear seem much more attached, guiding him through danger and belting out various songs as they progress through the densest bits of occupied brush.
The pieces are here for another true Disney classic - excellent character designs, cheerful music, superb voice acting - but the plot is watery and overly simple, while the animation largely isn't up to snuff. In contrast to the studio's famous knack for experimentation, The Jungle Book's visuals are a dull, two-dimensional affair with all manner of seams and shortcuts left in view. It's a workmanlike effort, smooth but not especially interesting, which leans on the studio's name more than it adds to it. One of Disney's vault-dwellers that probably looks better in the memory banks than it does on-screen.