The Jungle Book : 40th Anniversary 2 Disc Special Edition [1967] [1968]

Amazon.co.uk Review

One of the very best animated films that the Walt Disney Studio has ever released (and the last to be produced by Walt Disney himself), and as downright brilliant as it was on its debut in 1967, The Jungle Book makes a very welcome return to DVD in this excellent 40th anniversary double-disc set.

Based loosely on the Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name, the film tells the story of man-cub Mowgli, and the friends he makes in the jungle. And it's these friends who ignite the film, with some of the most memorable characters and songs that Disney has ever put on the screen. Kings of The Jungle Book are the likes of Baloo the Bear, King Louie the villainous Shere Khan the Tiger, while supporting characters such as Colonel Hathi are just as memorable. It's astonishing that it packs so much and so many into its relatively short running time.

It's an amazing achievement too that The Jungle Book bristles with such energy and fun, and that it's just as likely to enthral the current generation of youngsters as well as those of us who saw it first time round. And when those songs start playing--from Bare Necessities through to I Wanna Be Like You--it'll take some effort to not start tapping your feet. A brilliant, brilliant film, and as vintage as the Disney back catalogue gets. --Simon Brew

Customer Reviews:

Magical and Timeless, a joy from start to finish !.......2008-02-06

Enchanting and wonderful story about a boy who lives in the jungle and comes across some brilliant characters along the way from a posh panther to a fun loving bear, clumsy elephants, swinging monkeys, seductive snakes and a ferocious tiger. The songs are timeless and will live forever and this special DVD has some great extras from deleted songs to lost characters !

A classic to be enjoyed by everyone !

King of the Swingers.......2008-02-04

I was never a massive Jungle Book fan. When I was a kid it just wasn't one of the films I'd really seen much of. Disney's Robin Hood was the main Disney film I experienced. But recently I watched this DVD and realised how fantastic the film really is....

...The style of this film seems more akin to a detailed Japanese anime film than an American animated feature. The backgrounds are so detailed and the colours vivid (helped in this release by the digital remastering). But let's face it, this film isn't necessarily about the visuals - it's the music that has ensured this film has secured iconic status.

The tracks are catchy, and genuinely so - they aren't childish songs, they are proper musical tracks performed by esteemed artists at the time. The music seems to match up perfectly with the characters. Instead of trendy pop songs, you get classic numbers which have never dated.

This release has plenty of additional features; I enjoyed these, but long term Jungle Book fans will love them. From a decent `making of' to a deleted additional character - the DVD has the kind of features DVDs *should* have.

Perfect for the whole family to enjoy, the issues are adult ones, the themes are quite serious - so parents don't feel they are `lowering themselves' when watching. If you watch this and then don't find yourself singing "The Bare Necessities" as a result, then you must have a medical condition preventing you to do so - or you're in a library and would get chucked out.

The Jungle Book.......2007-12-28

I have fond memories of this film from my childhood and was delighted to receive a copy for Christmas. It's just how I remember it, beautifully animated, toe tapping music, great characterisations (although this was less of a concern when I was 5!) and a good story to boot. Modern animations, although impressive, seem too polished sometimes and I love in this film how you can see the pen strokes on the screen and get a feel that there was a person behind the artwork. The songs in this film are some of Disney's most famous and rightly so, 'Bare Necessities' 'King of the Swingers', even the 'elephant parade', they really are that good . I tend to find Disney films too saccharine sweet, but The Jungle Book is just the right balance of cuteness and story. Overall a great film from the Disney back catalogue and one not to be missed.

The little fella wasn't happy.......2007-12-27

Bought this for my boy and what can only be described as earth shattering noises expelled from his gob as he opened it. the wife insisted on it but I did tell her it was a girls film. Christmas was officially ruined. Thanks alot Amazon - you let me down

Martin

Enjoyable exuberance.......2007-12-07

This is certainly not the best of Disney, but the musicality of it makes it very enjoyable, as does the fun factor. It's a sloppier piece of work technically, than most Disney animations before it, which would have been a worry if it hadn't been the huge success that it was. I do disagree with some of the reviews here, and believe there actually IS more magic in the book, but this movie is totally its own creation, and much inspiration went into the great soundtrack, and the personalities of the characters. The voice work IS magnificent, and the dialogue is very funny. Must be the most extrovert of all the Disney animated films, but not the most highly crafted. The focus is on the fun and spirit of the story rather than trying to carefully create another masterpiece, and this suits the story superbly, giving the film the high spirited and fluid feel the project deserved. And it has of course become a classic in its own right.

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