Rating: G
Starring:
Phil Harris as Baloo (voice)
Sebastian Cabot as Bagheera (voice)
Louis Prima as King Louie (voice)
George Sanders as Shere Khan (voice)
Sterling Holloway as Kaa (voice)
J. Pat O’Malley as Colonel Hathi/Buzzie (voice)
Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli (voice)
Verna Felton as Winifred (voice)
Clint Howard as Junior (voice)
Chad Stuart as Flaps (voice)
Lord Tim Hudson as Dizzy (voice)
John Abbott as Akela the Wolf (voice)
Ben Wright as Rama (voice)
Darleen Carr as Shanti (voice)
Special Features:
All-New Digital Restoration with Enhanced Picture and Sound
Presented in Original Theatrical Aspect Ratio
All New “I Wanna Be Like You” Music Video — Performed by Jonas Brothers
Baloo’s Virtual Swingin’ Jungle Cruise — Take a Ride on the Wild Side with 4 All-New Games
DisneyPedia: JungleMania! — Learn About the Real-Life Animals From the Film
“The Jungle Book” Fun With Language Games
Meet the Long-Lost Character: Rocky the Rhino
Deleted Songs
Disney’s Kipling: Walt’s Magic Touch on a Literary Classic
The Making of “The Jungle Book”
The Lure of the Jungle Book
Mowgli’s Return to the Wild
Frank & Ollie
Art Galleries
Audio Commentary
Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.75:1)
Dolby Digital 2.0 Original Theatrical Mix
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Language
Running Time: 78 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“The lush and lively jungle comes alive in this exciting 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition of ‘The Jungle Book,’ brilliantly restored with enhanced picture and sound. Experience the song-filled celebration of friendship, fun and adventure that was the last film to receive Walt Disney’s personal touch. Embark on a thrilling, adventure-filled journey with the boy Mowgli as he makes his way to the man-village with Bagheera, the wise panther. Along the way he meets jazzy King Louie, the hypnotic snake Kaa and the lovable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, who teaches Mowgli “The Bare Necessities” of life and the true meaning of friendship. Swing into a jungle of fun in this 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD with all-new bonus features. Meet the long-lost character, Rocky the Rhino, and experience never-before-heard deleted songs, all-new games and much more!”
“The Jungle Book” is rated G.
Mini-Review:
Disney often slaps the label “classic” on a lot of their animated films, but “The Jungle Book” certainly deserves it. It was one of the last films that Walt Disney himself had direct involvement in before he died and it certainly shows.
First and foremost the music is amazing. You have “Bear Necessities,” “I Wanna Be Like You,” and other songs that stick in your head long after the movie is over. Phil Harris delivers a memorable performance as Baloo. He’s easily one of the best animated characters Disney ever put on the big screen. The same goes for Sebastian Cabot as Bagheera, Louis Prima as King Louie, George Sanders as Shere Khan, and Sterling Holloway as Kaa. Rarely do the voices so perfectly match the characters and leave such a lasting impression.
With the film restored and reissued, a whole new generation of fans can discover it again. And like the other Platinum Editions, this is a first rate offering of bonus features for both young and old fans. You’ll find the usual “making of” featurettes which go into great detail about the development of the film, Walt Disney’s involvement, the voice casting, and more. It’s a rather candid documentary talking about the arguments between Disney and the creators. You also see a deleted scene with the unused character “Rocky the Rhino”. He’s a rather dopey character that tries to pick a fight with Mowgli and fails. His deleted scene also includes an alternate version of the vulture’s “friends” song. “Disney’s Kipling: Walt’s Magic Touch on a Literary Classic” talks about differences between the original Kipling book and the Disney version. Some of the changes are surprisingly significant. “The Lure of the Jungle Book” features various creators talking about how the movie impacted their lives and careers. “Mowgli’s Return to the Wild” reveals how the original voice of Mowgli, Bruce Reitherman, is the son of the director and he has since gone on to be a nature film director. Also included are an audio commentary, art galleries, and an interview with Frank & Ollie. Some of the lighter offerings for the kiddies include the “I Wanna Be Like You” Music Video performed by Jonas Brothers, Baloo’s Virtual Swingin’ Jungle Cruise, the DisneyPedia: JungleMania, and more.
Like all the other Disney Platinum Editions, this is a great addition to the collection of any animation fan or any kid’s DVD collection.
