From Walt Disney Pictures, comes another classic storybook narration oriented iconic animated feature, The Jungle Book!
The tale began with a narration surrounded by a sense of curiosity, thanks to the text templates written and narrator's voice chosen to sustain the aura as much as possible. This added weight to the mechanics of true storytelling. We see a young man cub left in the forest. Who is this boy and how is he going to survive in a jungle, we ask ourselves. As the voyage continued, questions about belonging, trust, friendship, betrayal, partiality and equality were explored.
The hand-drawn cartoon was cute! Baby Mowgli, Junior Elephant, Bagheera, wolf cubs, Kaa, monkeys, Baloo and even Sheer Khan were adorable! We could truly feel the lively Indian jungle! Mowgli himself after growing up was endearing! His articulated movements, elastic underwear, innocence and rebellious nature were admirable! There was a clear dramatic need fueling the journey to take place. If you thought his interactions with Bagheera was entertaining enough, wait till you see he mingle with Baloo! As 'The Bare Necessities' play, they both sing the song, float on river, eat bugs, scratch on uneven surfaces while the bear teaches the man cub to box but Mowgli ends up tickling him instead! It's so much fun!
Voice talents were excellent and some of the dialogues were savage! The score was okay, and certain songs like the King Louie's didn't help move the story forward much. Its presence was only for the sake of jolly. Elephant soldiers' march and the vultures' appearance weren't sequences that could entice. Nevertheless, it's easy to point out some really good scenes in the motion picture, such as Kaa's interrogation by Sheer Khan, Baloo's sad presumed demise followed by a comical surprise, Kaa's initial hypnotization, countdown to chase and the climax fight that ensued!
The resolution was anticlimactic. The whole extension episode of the girl from the village was unneeded, as Mowgli could finally stay where he wished to since the antagonist obstacle has been removed. But, the film silently and maturely tackled an own choice of belonging through this last bit.