Still great family fun.

Rating: 7/10 (4 April 2009)

My Take: A fine treat for the whole family.
I can honestly say I enjoyed my childhood, if not to say it was definitely the best years of my life (I could go on with describing what made it such a treat, but then again I wouldn't have much time to talk about this movie). So I guess it's safe to say I remember much of it, especially one of the key moments of it. Particularly, I remember what movies I tuned in as a kid. Yes, I used to sit down on the sofa and pop in a VHS of JURASSIC PARK and at least one or two (okay, maybe three) of the LAND BEFORE TIME video sequels. But before other than the VHS, there's the Laserdisc, and other than THE LAND BEFORE TIME, there was THE JUNGLE BOOK.
Recalling it know, however, I have a few minimal afterthoughts. While I can honestly say THE LAND BEFORE TIME (only the first one!) eventually emerged as a contemporary classic on my book, THE JUNGLE BOOK was a fine family entertainment, but quite not up to being the classic I presumed. Still, if entertainment is what you wish it will have when you give it a quick rerun, it sure won't disappoint. From the voice casting to the animation, down to the beat of "Bear Necessities", THE JUNGLE BOOK is fine family fun.
Based on the story by Rudyard Kipling (with a purely Disney twist on it of course), jungle boy Mowgli (voiced by Bruce Reitherman) is accompanied by Bagheera the black panther (voiced by Sebastian Cabot) and the wacky, groovy Baloo the bear (voiced with glee by Phil Harris) to head for the fabled "Man-village" which they believe is where he belongs. Mowgli, reluctant to leave, prefers to stay and groove it with Baloo, while the man-hungry tiger Shere Khan (voiced with menace by George Sanders) and a slimy serpent named Kaa (a familiar voice by Sterling Holloway) looks at him as supper.
It didn't look to me like a classic as it used to be, but it's fine entertainment nonetheless. A fast-paced, often funny adventure for the young and old.
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.