VHS : The Jungle Book (Disney) (1967) [1968]

Rating: - Back to the jungle
Everyone knows the story a man cub is found in the jungle and grows up with a wolf pack as one of their own and embarks on a trip to the man village where he will be safe from the tiger Shear Khan who hates all man-cub and has seen his chance to rid the jungle of one hunter before he becomes a danger.

The sequel is being show this Christmas (2007) Mowgli is back and this time with a little friend known as Shanti, she is the little girl from the first film who drops her water jug when she spots Mowgli in the trees near her village.

Shanti follows Mowgli back into the jungle but that put her in the danger he was in originally Shear Khan is out for revenge and the unprotected Shanti becomes his new target.

As you expect from Disney and one of the best soundtracks on all time both have great toe-tapping tunes and remix of a classic.

Baloo The Bear and the others are back and convince Mowgli he must find Shanti and return with her to the village.

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Rating: - Enjoyable exuberance
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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Rating: - Overdose of Editions...
Is it just me or is anyone else completely baffled by the number of versions or "Editions" of this movie. I want to buy the DVD but I am completely confused about which one to buy.
First there is the normal "Jungle Book", then there is "Deluxe Edition"... also a "40th Anniversary Edition" ... and then a "Platinum Edition" although this may be the same as the 40th Anniversary edition. To top it all, I have also come across a "Special Edition".
Does anyone have an idea what the difference is between all these versions and which one is the best to buy ?
(Please ignore the star rating. I gave it so as not to influence the overall star rating by this query)

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Rating: - A songwriting masterclass
The Disney team have done a fine job of polishing up this 40 year old classic. The picture looks great but the improvement serves to highlight that this is a long way from the highpoints of artwork that was achieved in earlier animation such as "snow white & the seven dwarfs' or 'bambi'. The backgrounds are basic & the characters drawn without much detail. So too the story is extremely basic & ends quite abruptly. So how come this is seen as such a classic? Well for one the characterization is spot on but most of all the songwriting is for my money the best Disney have ever produced & the actors turned each song into a classic. Obviously Phil Harris singing 'Bear neccessities' is memorable but so too are Sterling Holloway,(also the voice of Pooh for Disney), as Kaa the snake slithering his way through 'trust in me', far funnier than you remember & superbly timed. Best of all though are the peerless Louis Prima's impromptu scat on 'King of the swingers' as king Loius which is superb right up to the point when Phil Harris joins in the pair take it to even greater heights with their competing vocals. Quite frankly the DVD is worth the entrance price for this alone.
The sound is an even greater improvement than the picture & the 5.1 mix is vibrant with great use given to the rear surrounds.
The extras are fine, especially the unusually candid commentary & doc.
This deserved a decent release & so this DVD is a pleasure to own.

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Rating: - Not to be missed!
Pointless reiterating just how good this film is but the final recommendation is that my four year old loves it!

Before it was reissued, it was impossible to find second hand at reasonable prices so snap one up whilst it is still available, you won't regret it.