I noticed one reviewer who called this film 'the best animated of the golden era'. Hmmm. I beg to differ. While I LIKE the film, the single biggest weakness is its animation. It's good but not at all of the same quality as earlier artistic triumphs such as "Pinocchio", "Bambi" and "Peter Pan" (among many others). So don't try to tell me that "The Jungle Book" is Disney animation at its best. It's a pared down form of animation--done with copy machines like "101 Dalmatians". I am NOT complaining about the use of Xerox machines instead of hand-drawing every scene but it did tend to make the films look a bit rougher. After all, Disney had to save money as production costs were skyrocketing and the public seemed to be embracing cheaper animation (hence the rise of UPA and Hanna-Barbara Studios).

As for the rest of the film, it has two big things going for it. First, the songs are mostly very, very good. You cannot hear "Bare Necessities" without bouncing along with the tune and several other songs are just plain fun. And, this brings me to the second reason- -the movie, over all, IS fun. You simply cannot watch it without smiling and enjoying yourself. Well done overall.

Bagheera the black panther finds a baby boy in a basket. He brings him to be raised by mother wolf. Years later, the tiger Shere Kahn returns to their part of the jungle and threatens to kill the man-cub. The pack decides to send the man-cub back to a man-village with the help of Bagheera. The boy isn't happy to leave the jungle. On the way, he encounters elephants led by Colonel Hathi, orangutans, Kaa the python and the irresponsible fun-loving bear Baloo.

It's a fun collection of memorable animal characters. The plot is a little random but I don't think that matters too much in this movie. Compared to its other Disney cohorts, this ranks slightly lower than the classics. The story just isn't that compelling. On the other hand, 'The Bare Necessities' is a great song and there is a childlike joy that permeates much of the movie.

It isn't completely faithful to the book, but for a good reason. The book has bits that you can't have in an animation. The animation is beautiful, the backgrounds rich in colour, and the characters beautifully drawn. The story is a very simple one, yet effective, and allows the songs and characters to take force. The songs and music by the Sherman Brothers perfectly match the breeziness of the film, with classics such as " Bare Neccessities" and "Wanna Be like you". Unlike some people, I liked the vulture barbershop, excellent harmonies. And what a talented voice-cast. Phil Harris was hilarious as Baloo, and Sebastian Cabot was brooding as Bagheera. Reitherman's son was good as Mowgli, and Louis Prima(who's not black so the racist overtones idea is ridiculous) was a riot as Louis. The real star was the perfectly cast George Sanders as the frightening and calculating Shere Khan. This is fantastic, if a little short, and avoid the sequel! 9/10 Bethany Cox