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The Jungle Book (1967) DVD Review
The Jungle Book (1967) DVD Credits:
The Jungle Book (1967) Directed by:
Wolfgang Reitherman
The Jungle Book (1967) Written by:
Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson, Vance Gerry
The Jungle Book (1967) Cast:
Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, Verna Felton, Clint Howard, Ben Wright
The Jungle Book (1967) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Jungle Book (1967) DVD Release Date:
1st October 2007
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The Jungle Book (1967) Synopsis:

The 19th animated feature produced by Disney studios and the last film supervised by Walt Disney himself. This endearing feature is based on Rudyard Kipling's children's story about a boy named Mowgli raised by wolves in the wilderness of India. During his delightful and scary adventures with a series of wild creatures, Mowgli learns he must leave the jungle and be what nature intended him to be -- a man. Delightful jazz-inspired songs make this a Disney classic.

The Jungle Book (1967) DVD Review:

Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s “Mowgli” stories, The Jungle Book was one of the early adaptations of international storytelling into the magical Disney animation. These are the stories of a young boy who is raised by the animals in the jungles of India, which is a perfect fit for the particular themes loved by this classic age of Disney animation. Often the stories or films are about animals who lose their parents at some point in the film. The orphaned animal is a favorite plot twist, whether it is Bambi who must see his mother shot by a hunter, Simba who watches his father killed by stampede, or Dumbo whose mother is locked away for being too protective of the young elephant. The Jungle Book keeps the animal element alive, but this time it is the human who is orphaned and left in the jungle to survive with the helpful and friendly animals that shepherd him away from the trouble to be had by the wild.

The young child Mowgli is saved from the riverbanks by a wise panther named Bagheera, who gives the baby to a pack of wolves. This arrangement works for much of Mowgli’s childhood, until a feared Tiger named Shere Khan hears of a human in his jungle and sets out to kill the young boy. In an attempt to save the young boy he has grown to love Bagheera guides Mowgli through the jungle to a village where he can be with his own kind and away from the danger of Shere Khan. Along the way Mowgli meets an array of fascinating characters including the large snake Kaa and the affable Baloo, a bear happy to take the child under his wing.

Mowgli is determined to stay in the jungle regardless of the trouble it causes him, and although he finds friends in many different animal families, there are problems with each. Baloo is a lot of fun, but he isn’t responsible enough to take care of Mowgli. The monkeys only want to help him if Mowgli tells them how to make fire, and a series of other animals would rather eat the boy than help him. The jungle is filled with danger for a human and although he has grown up there it quickly becomes apparent that it is no place for a young boy. Mowgli tries to imitate each of the animals, but it isn’t until he meets a human for a first time that he realizes his real place in the world.

The enhanced digital restoration on the picture and sound for this Platinum Edition is remarkably improved. It is also presented in the original aspect ratio of widescreen and looks sharper and brighter than it has ever been available before. This alone is reason for the DVD, but Disney on DVD also comes with two discs of features both meant for children as well as adults. Disc one alone has enough special features to brag about including a commentary track with composer Richard M. Sherman, animator Andreas Deja, actor Bruce Reitherman, and several archive interviews of other important figures. Disc one also has a featurette about Rocky the Rhino, a character who was removed from the film. There are also audio only deleted songs and a music video. Disc two continues the fun with three interactive games and activities for kids and plenty of featurettes for nostalgic adults.

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The Jungle Book (1967) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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