The Jungle Book (1994)

Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of Mowgli, the orphaned jungle boy raised by wolves, and how he becomes king of the jungle.

Director:

Stephen Sommers

Writers:

Rudyard Kipling (characters from novel "The Jungle Book"), Ron Yanover (story) (as Ronald Yanover)

Stars:

Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Lena Headey

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Scott Lee	...	Mowgli
Cary Elwes	...	Boone
Lena Headey	...	Kitty
Sam Neill	...	Brydon
John Cleese	...	Dr. Plumford
Jason Flemyng	...	Wilkins
Stefan Kalipha	...	Buldeo
Ron Donachie	...	Harley
Anirudh Agarwal	...	Tabaqui (as Anirudh Agrawal)
Faran Tahir	...	Nathoo
Sean Naegeli	...	Mowgli, age 5
Joanna Wolff	...	Kitty, age 5
Liza Walker	...	Alice
Rachel Robertson	...	Rose
Natalie Morse	...	Margaret

Storyline

An adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of Mowgli the jungle boy who is raised by wolves after being lost when a tiger attacked an encampment and killed his father. Years later he finds himself re-united with his childhood love Kitty and back in the "civilization" of Colonial India which he finds far less civilized then his jungle haunts. The search for a lost treasure shows who the truly civilized members of society are.

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | jungle | treasure | tiger | knocked unconscious | 

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Taglines:

Born of men. Raised by animals. Destined for adventure.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for action/violence and some mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book

Filming Locations:

Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$44,342,956

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vegahom Europe, Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During all the scenes involving Shere Khan the set was cleared of non-essential personnel.

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Goofs

The barrel on the burning wagon is labeled KEROSENE, but that is the American term; the correct British word is "paraffin".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Colonel Brydon: [narrating] Life is a spinning wheel, it has been said. With each spoke, a tale to be told. So keep silence along the banks, and I will tell you one of these tales; a story as enchanting as the jungle itself. It is about pride, and power, and treasure... and about fangs, and claws, and talons... but mostly, it is about love. My new command was at the edge of the world, surrounded by a million miles of jungle. With me was my daughter Katherine, whom everyone called Kitty. Leading us ...

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Connections

Referenced in National Treasure (2004)

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Soundtracks

Blue Danube
Composed by Johann Strauss

User Reviews

Boys young & old like adventure yarns and this is a good one!

What a rollicking adventure story this film is - straight from the pages of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books and as uncomplicated as any schoolboy adventure yarn. It's really about the laws of man and the laws of the jungle and the divergence of opinions which continue even today. Most of the humans in this film are depicted as tiresome bores, courageous only when their finger is on the trigger of a rifle. The animals of the jungle seem to be the most maligned, but somehow get the upper hand. After all, the jungle is their territory. The film gives some hope for the future when Mowgli (reared by wild animals) and Kitty, a sweet English girl fall in love. The athletic Mowgli with the agility of a leopard in his jungle home is forced to lead a party of soldiers to the monkey palace where untold treasure has been accumulated. It's a difficult trek, but greed drives them on to the secret place. Action hots up as the animals fight back to preserve their territory. Kitty's life is threatened many times, but handsome Mowgli with his animal instincts is able to save her. A touching scene in the film (and one of the quieter moments) is Mowgli's discovery of a room in which the heads of hunted animals are stuffed and mounted as trophies on the walls. Without being too cynical, I must say that Mowgli is surprisingly adaptable as Kitty makes attempts to "civilize" him and teach him to dance. He is certainly a quick learner. But the English aristocracy do not accept him. If one can believe all that Kipling portrays, one feels his heart lies in the jungle which he trekked through himself during his travels in Africa. Maybe his attitude to the jungle is over-romanticized, but the resulting film adds up to great family entertainment. With regard to the monkey palace, it is truly a wonder to behold. The technological experts have done a great job in managing the special effects. They defy analysis. Better to just sit back and enjoy each exciting moment.