Jungle Book 40th Anniversary (1967)

"...ideal for very small children - and also for grown-ups in need of a little stress relief and a smile.  AudioVideoRevolution.com
"...some of the best songs Disney ever did...Baloo the bear has since become an institution in the American cartoonisphere.  Christopher Null, FilmCritic.com
"I'll never get that "Bear Necessities" song out of my head, ever.  Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
"...who can resist those songs?  Mike Pinsky, DVD Verdict
"Fun characters, irresistible songs -- a Disney classic.  Rob Thomas, Capital Times

Editor's Note The 19th animated feature produced by Disney studios and the last film supervised by Walt Disney himself. This endearing feature is based on Rudyard Kipling's children's story about a boy named Mowgli raised by wolves in the wilderness of India. During his delightful and scary adventures with a series of wild creatures, Mowgli learns he must leave the jungle and be what nature intended him to be -- a man. Delightful jazz-inspired songs make this a Disney classic.

	Bruce Reitherman - Voice Of
	Clint Howard - Voice Of
	George Bruns - Original Music By
	George Sanders - Voice Of
	J. Pat O'Malley - Voice Of
	Larry Clemmons, et. al. - Screenplay
	Louis Prima - Voice Of
	Norman Carlisle - Editor
	Phil Harris - Voice Of
	Rudyard Kipling - Based On Novel By
	Sebastian Cabot - Voice Of
	Sterling Holloway - Voice Of
	Tom Acosta - Editor
	Walt Disney - Producer
	Wolfgang Reitherman - Director

New York Times
"...Disney-style animation at its most urbane....A droll wit guaranteed to keep parents as well entertained as their children..." 07/13/1990 p.C13

Los Angeles Times
"...A film with great animated sequences....THE JUNGLE BOOK remains a high-spirited romp that will delight children..." 07/13/1990 p.F10

USA Today
"...Each performer molds the characterization into his own image....A kiddie-pleaser..." 05/10/1991 p.3D

Entertainment Weekly
"Walt Disney had a genius for tapping the general public's bear love....The gambit peaked with 1967's THE JUNGLE BOOK....A bright, delicious vision of nature..." -- Grade: A 10/12/2007 p.62

Total Film
5 stars out of 5 -- "[C]inema's most triumphant swan-song; an intoxicating cocktail of the all-inclusive Disney dazzle which refuses to wither with age." 12/01/2007 p.151

Empire
5 stars out of 5 -- "THE JUNGLE BOOK is the most riotously fun of all the classics in the Mouse House library, bopping along with a joyously light spirit." 12/01/2007 p.225

At-A-Glance Film Reviews 8 of 10
The Jungle Book was the last Disney animated feature film that Walt Disney himself was personally involved in. It wasn't a bad film to go out on, though budget cuts are evident in the final product. Save for some beautiful panoramic establishing shots of the jungle, for instance, most of the backgrounds are drab, sometimes even blank. The story is based on Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book novels, but very loosely (Kaa the boa constrictor, for instance, was one of Mowgli's best friends in the books, but a comic yet deadly enemy in the film). If you can accept the sweeping changes the characters made in the transformation to the screen, they are rich and effective. Baloo is lovably jovial; Bagheera is the noble, refined, put-upon parent figure; and Shere Khan, as voiced by George Sanders, is an utterly terrifying villain, oozing confidence and raw power. Good family entertainment.

Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films 7 of 10
Louis Prima-typecast as King of the Apes! Now there's an idea worthy of Rudyard Kipling...not that it's Kiplingesque, only that it's of satisfactory magnitude. I don't remember all of these musical interludes in Kipling either, and they do more to ruin the rhythm and spirit of the thing (with the obvious exception of Mr. Prima's number) than contribute anything. Children really are capable of watching cartoons that don't take time out for musical numbers every ten minutes, I assure you. Some of the characters are great, Louis obviously (enjoy his work or be doomed to frown lines before you're 30), but also Baloo the Bear and the Liverpudlian Vulture. I have to say that hanging out with bears and vultures looks like a lot of fun. I mean, animals couldn't make a film about hanging out with judges and insurance salesmen half as appealing. - Clayton Trapp