{2jtab: Movie Review}

Although never considered in the league of Snow White or Pinocchio, Disney’s adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is one of the world’s favourite. It also marks a sad end of an era in the Disney Classics history, being the last animated film to be overseen by Walt himself before he died.

Disney’s previous film, The Sword in the Stone, had underperformed and motivated Walt to take a far closer involvement in the adventures of Mowgli than he had in the previous few movies. He wanted to jettison the darker elements of Kipling’s novel and make the characters fun and the driving force behind the story.

Unlike the novel, this film would base the narrative on Mowgli’s eventual decision to return to man, after living in the jungle with his beloved animal brethren for most of his childhood, instead of coming back and forth. In this version, Mowgli is found by the panther Bagheera, like Moses in a basket, and gifts the boy to wolves to raise. But as he grows up, the evil tiger Shere Khan gets word of the boy’s existence and means to make him supper. Bagheera tries to convince Mowgli to return to man to escape this threat, causing the boy the run away and join an irresponsible bear named Baloo. But can Mowgli’s animal pals convince him to return to where he belongs before Khan gets to him?

What drives this narrative so well is the characters, and it’s a direct influence of Walt. From the empathetic Bagheera and irresponsible Baloo to the Icy Shere Khan, every character is strong and memorable. Even bit parts, such as the vultures, were given such attention that the Beatles were courted to play them. It makes the movie. It’s funny, engaging, well-paced and a lot of fun no matter what character is in front of you.

The animation employs the then current methods to save money with Xeroxing and rougher animation, but it’s a beautiful looking widescreen movie, especially the backgrounds. The songs are some of Disney’s most memorable and celebrated. This was a great one for Disney to take a bow with.

This was a return to form for Disney, and when it was released 10 months after Walt’s death, it raked in the cash to the tune of 73 million on a budget of 4; massive money for 1967. It may not be the most revered, the most refined, it didn’t really break any technical feats or stand out for any particular reason, but it’s just damn good fun to watch. It proved definitively that Walt Disney’s presence and touch was special, above all else, and that is a hell of a legacy.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: G for general audiences.
Runtime: 78 mins.
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Writer: Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright
Cast: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima
Genre: Comedy | Family
Tagline: The Jungle is JUMPIN'!
Memorable Movie Quote: "C'mon, Baggy, get with the beat."
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Company
Official Site: movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-1967
Release Date: October 18, 1967
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 5, 2013

Synopsis: Bagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear have a difficult time trying to convince a boy to leave the jungle for human civilization.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - August 5, 2013
Screen Formats: 1.75:1
Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Latin Spanish
Audio: Dubbed - Hindi, Portuguese, Latin Spanish
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc
Region Encoding: B/2 & C/3

This, like most of the remastering of the Disney Classics, is a master class in restoration. There is very little that doesn’t err on the side of perfection here. Colours are the most vibrant you’ve ever seen this movie display, there’s no sign of dirt or damage, transitions between cells is flawless and a real revelation to the master craftsmen behind the scenes. Great contrast, the backgrounds really pop in high-definition. Audio had been upgraded considerably to a DTS-HD 7.1 mix that is a distinct difference to the original mono track of the day (which is not included). There is slight evidence of hissing, especially during the songs, but dialogue is clear and crisp and the new immersive mix is more hit than miss. Extras are okay: there is a lot on here, most of which is ported over from the previous DVD release. There is a new and particularly grating featurette on Disney’s Animal Kingdom (I wanted to kill the tweeny presenters); if you’re into Disney history, a fascinating documentary with the children of the famed ‘nine old men’ (Disney’s trusted animators) talking about growing up with their talented fathers. But apart from that there are no new documentaries on the film itself or Kipling. Average offering.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Audio Commentary With Composer Richard M. Sherman, Animator Andreas Deja And The Voice Of Mowgli Bruce Reitherman Plus Guest Archival Appearances

Special Features:

• I Wan'na Be Like You: Hangin' Out At Disney's Animal Kingdom
• Alternate Ending
• Growing Up With Nine Old Men
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: The Bare Necessities: The Making Of The Jungle Book--Walt's Lasting Impressions
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: The Bare Necessities: The Making Of The Jungle Book--Kings Of The Jungle
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: The Bare Necessities: The Making Of The Jungle Book--Drawn To The Voices
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: The Bare Necessities: The Making Of The Jungle Book--The Jungle Beat
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: The Bare Necessities: The Making Of The Jungle Book--The Last Act
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: Disney's Kipling: Walt's Magic Touch On A Literary Classic
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: The Lure Of The Jungle Book
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: Mowgli's Return To The Wild
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Backstage Disney: Frank & Ollie: Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston Discuss Character Animation
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Deleted Scene: The Lost Character--Rocky The Rhino
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Disneypedia Junglemania!
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"Brothers All"
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"The Song Of The Seeonee"
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"The Bare Necessities" (Demo Version)
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"Monkey See, Monkey Do"
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"I Knew I Belonged To Her"
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"In A Day's Work"
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Deleted Songs Composed By Terry Gilkyson--"The Mighty Hunters"
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More--“I Wan'na Be Like You” Music Video Performed By Jonas Brothers
• Classic DVD Bonus Feature: Music and More: Sing Along With The Movie
• Introduction By Richard Sherman

{2jtab: Trailer}

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