Off the Cuff Reviews The Jungle Book (1994)

(Originally posted April 8th, 2018)

When this movie began, I was so confused. I had so many questions, mainly about why this film was made. Was it for kids? Was it for adults? Was it meant to be a darker version of the cartoon? Was it meant to be more faithful to the books? I was just so perplexed as to why this film was made. Thankfully, The Jungle Book (1994) won me over by the end, and I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. Starring Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli, Lena Headey as Katherine "Kitty" Brydon, Cary Elwes as Captain William Boone, Sam Neill as Colonel Geoffrey Brydon and John Cleese as Dr. Julius Plumford.

The Jungle Book (1994)

It's important to establish early on exactly what this film is, as despite being titled 'Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book', this has little to nothing to do with the books. Rather, it's an adventure movie with the characters from the book and Disney movie. Mowgli is an adult, not a child, and is discovered by a childhood friend and crush, who attempts to reintroduce Mowgli to society. Meanwhile, a British Army captain who also happens to be dating Mowgli's love interest discovers that Mowgli knows the location of a vast treasure, lost in the jungle somewhere, and attempts to use Mowgli to recover the treasure by any means necessary. So... it's a loose interpretation. I knew from the start that I wasn't going to be getting the story of the Disney cartoon, but it's worth knowing about in case you go into this film expecting the wrong thing.

John Cleese as Dr. Julius Plumford and Casey as Baloo

Bizarrely, this ridiculous story works for this setting. Think of it as The Jungle Book meets Tarzan, and it was honestly very entertaining. The film never takes itself so seriously that you yourself can't take it seriously, but it treats itself seriously enough for there to be stakes and tension. Shere Khan is introduced in the first scene as a dangerous, and doesn't make a return until the last 20 minutes or so. And, again, it works. When he's on screen, he's a powerful presence, and when he's not on screen in that last act, it's still really powerful. He's not the main villain, of course, and we'll get to that, but he's still very much a threat. Like I said, these are still the same characters, and while the animals never talk, their personalities still come across in their behaviour. Bagheera is a stoic observer, Baloo is a free spirit, King Louie just does his own thing and has fun. And they all have great relationships with Mowgli.

Bombay as Shere Khan

Speaking of which, while the acting is solid all-round, Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli was fantastic. I'm always impressed when actors have to work through a handicap, and for the first half of this film, he doesn't say a single word. He completely sells the 'raised in the jungle' character, and he's also fantastic at being the 'fish out of water' in Act 2. He's probably the best part of the movie, though I am biased towards John Cleese a bit. Also, for what I initially though was a paper-thin villain, he actually ended up being a strong character by the end. Although all of these characters are products of the times (it's set in 1900s during the British Raj in India), he's certainly the most set in his ways. I'm not sure how to accurately describe it, but suffice it to say, it works, and Cary Elwes does a great job in the role.

Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli

It's not a perfect film, and none are, so here are my criticisms. There are times when the movie can feel somewhat disconnected. It'll finish one scene, then cut to the next which is set sometime later, but it's never explained precisely how the character got from Point A to Point B. Like, one scene ends with Mowgli nursing a bullet wound, and in the next scene, he's completely fine. I could have used even one shot showing how he treated himself, and that would have been fine. Also, the entirety of Act 2 takes place in the city with Mowgli being reacquainted to human life, and while it definitely is interesting, it's nowhere near as fascinating or entertaining as watching him in the jungle, interacting with the animals. I could have used a little more of the jungle, and just a little less of the human world. Also, and again, this may be my bias, but I wish we saw just a little more of John Cleese. His character was so great, I could have used just a little more of him and that would have made me happy.

Cary Elwes as Captain William Boone

In short, The Jungle Book (1994) was a big surprise for me. For a film where I'm still not quite sure why exactly it was made, it was a superbly entertaining time, and I'm sure to be returning to the jungle sometime soon. 8.5/10.