While it's not up to the standards of many of the earlier Disney films, it is quite enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10 (7 February 2015)

I noticed one reviewer who called this film 'the best animated of the golden era'. Hmmm. I beg to differ. While I LIKE the film, the single biggest weakness is its animation. It's good but not at all of the same quality as earlier artistic triumphs such as "Pinocchio", "Bambi" and "Peter Pan" (among many others). So don't try to tell me that "The Jungle Book" is Disney animation at its best. It's a pared down form of animation--done with copy machines like "101 Dalmatians". I am NOT complaining about the use of Xerox machines instead of hand-drawing every scene but it did tend to make the films look a bit rougher. After all, Disney had to save money as production costs were skyrocketing and the public seemed to be embracing cheaper animation (hence the rise of UPA and Hanna-Barbara Studios).
As for the rest of the film, it has two big things going for it. First, the songs are mostly very, very good. You cannot hear "Bare Necessities" without bouncing along with the tune and several other songs are just plain fun. And, this brings me to the second reason- -the movie, over all, IS fun. You simply cannot watch it without smiling and enjoying yourself. Well done overall.