The Jungle Book (1994)

Very good. I wasn't sure what to expect from this 1994 version of <em>'The Jungle Book'</em>, though I'm pleased to say it exceeded my expectations. It's a very different telling of Rudyard Kipling's work from what I've previously seen, which actually gives it a fresher feel. If we're comparing film adaptations, the 2016 remake is the better film. I still thoroughly enjoyed this one though. I liked the switch-up of events, while the death scenes are excellent. Cast-wise it's strong, with Jason Scott Lee (Mowgli), Cary Elwes (William), Lena Headey (Katherine), Sam Neill (Geoffrey) and John Cleese (Julius) all appearing. Lee and Elwes are the standouts, but I rate all five of them. The score is mostly alright, but some moments of it are superb; one part in particular reminded me, somewhat randomly, of television's <em>'The Crown'</em>. There are a few things that I can understand being deemed as downsides, those include the silent animals (voices wouldn't have worked here, imo) and obvious nature of the plot. Pleasant film, one of the best adaptations of TJB that I've seen.