Jungle Book **** (1994, Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Lena Headey) – Classic Movie Review 2403

Director Stephen Sommers’s 1994 family adventure sees the Walt Disney Studio remaking its own beloved 1967 cartoon in a sleek, superbly realised live-action movie. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s children’s classic, it is well pitched between a fantasy adventure and a wildlife showcase.

It is blessed with a nifty star turn by the ever-smiling 28-year-old Jason Scott Lee as the Indian boy Mowgli raised with the wolves, eye-catching spectacle, gorgeous cinematography by Juan Ruiz Anchîa, and imaginative music in the score by Basil Poledouris.

Unfortunately, once again the British are demonised in a Hollywood movie, but at the time that provided plenty of work for Cary Elwes (as Captain William Boone) who had cornered the market in posh baddies.

It also stars Lena Headey as Katherine ‘Kitty’ Brydon, Sam Neill as Colonel Geofferey Brydon, John Cleese as Dr Julien Plumford, Jason Flemyng as Lieutenant John Wilkins.

Also in the cast are Stefan Kalipha, Ron Donachie, Anirudh Agarwal, Faran Tahir, Sean Naegeli, Joanna Wolff, Liza Walker, Rachel Robertson and Natalie Morse.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2403

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