DVD Review: JUNGLE BOOK 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition

Author: Keith Aiken Source: Walt Disney Home Entertainment Walt Disney Home Entertainment celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the animated classic THE JUNGLE BOOK with a 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD. The film has been restored with enhanced picture and sound, and comes with a wealth of bonus features. Somewhat loosely based on the stories by Rudyard Kipling, THE JUNGLE BOOK was the last animated feature that Walt Disney was personally involved with. Following the box office failure of THE SWORD IN THE STONE Disney decided that THE JUNGLE BOOK should be fast paced and fun, and while the finished film may not match the beauty of some earlier Disney’s features it is certainly one of the most enjoyable movies ever produced by the studio. For the DVD, the film was digitally restored back to its originally appeared back in 1967. THE JUNGLE BOOK is presented in the original 1.75:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Audio options include the English audio in the original mono or 5.1 stereo, French, and Spanish 5.1 tracks, plus an audio commentary by Bruce Reitherman (the voice of Mowgli), Andreas Deja (THE LION KING), and Richard Sherman (THE JUNGLE BOOK songwriter) with archival interviews with original animators Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and director Woolie Reitherman. Rounding out the presentation are optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Disc One also includes: DELETED SCENES: Through storyboards and the original voice track, viewers are finally introduced to a long lost character created for the original film- Rocky, a near-sighted and short tempered, but hilarious rhinoceros.

MUSIC & MORE: This section features a new version of “I Wan’na Be Like You” by a boy band that totally misses everything that made the original song so memorable; direct access to every song from the film; and seven original songs created early for the film and later rejected by Walt Disney. A promo for the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund and previews for ENCHANTED, MEET THE ROBINSONS, RATATOUILLE, THE ARISTOCATS, RETURN TO NEVERLAND, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2, and THE SANTA CLAUSE 3. Disc Two is divided into two sections; “Man Village” and “Jungle Fun”. The first section is devoted to the behind the scenes features, headlined by the documentary “The Bare Necessities: The Making of The Jungle Book”. Running 46 minutes “The Bare Necessities” is an informative look at the making of the film and is packed with artwork and interviews by the crew. In a nice (and honest) touch, the documentary goes into some of the problems and arguments that occurred during production, including the falling out between Walt Disney and his longtime friend Bill Peet (101 DALMATIONS) who was in charge of preparing the film.

The featurette “Disney’s Kipling” discusses how Walt Disney adapted the Rudyard Kipling stories into a Disney film. Running time is 15:00 minutes. “The Lure of The Jungle Book” features new interviews with Brad Bird, Andreas Deja, Sergio Pablo, Will Finn, Eric Goldberg and other animators who were inspired by the film (9:25). “Mowgli’s Return to the Wild” is a great look at voice actor Bruce Reitherman and his career as a nature documentary filmmaker (5:10). “Frank and Ollie” is an archival video of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson discussing character animation. Lastly is an extensive art gallery with character designs, storyboards, production photos, publicity art and much more. “Jungle Fun” features a number of interactive games and a look at the Indian environment and animals seen in THE JUNGLE BOOK. These features will delight children, the primary audience for these films. THE JUNGLE BOOK 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD is a stellar presentation of much beloved film. Highly recommended. Suggested retail price: $29.99 U.S./$36.99 Canada Feature run time: 78 min. Rated: G Bonus materials not rated. Aspect ratio: 1.75:1—The first time ever the film will be presented in its original aspect ratio. Sound: All-new 5.1 Disney-enhanced Home Theater Mix Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Languages: French, Spanish audio tracks Close Captioned in English Fastplay: Disney Fastplay enabled