Disney Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Disney Wiki

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book is a 1994 film based on the Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and is a live-action adaptation of the book with the same name after the animated 1967 film The Jungle Book, but in this adaptation the animals do not speak.

Unlike most Disney live-action adaptations, this was not produced by Disney, instead, it is an independently-produced movie that Disney acquired the distribution rights to in some regions.

The film stars Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli and Cary Elwes as his main adversary, William Boone. It was directed by Stephen Sommers. The original music score was composed by Basil Poledouris.

Plot[]

Mowgli is the five year old son of Nathoo, an Indian tour guide. Nathoo is guiding a group of soldiers in the jungle. Among them is Colonel Geoffrey Brydon, his five year old daughter Katherine "Kitty" Brydon and Dr. Julius Plumford. Mowgli and Kitty are extremely close friends and often give signs of a young romance. Kitty gives Mowgli a bracelet which once belonged to her mother. The group soon learn that Shere Khan, the mighty tiger, is on the move, because he knows some of Brydon's men have broken the jungle law by killing several animals for fun, to which Shere Khan opposes. Later that night, Shere Khan attacks the camp, killing Nathoo and two of Brydon's men. Mowgli and his pet wolf cub are lost in the confusion - Mowgli is now assumed to be dead. The next day, Bagheera the panther finds Mowgli and his wolf cub - he brings them to the wolf pack who adopt them. Mowgli also befriends Baloo the bear cub. The boy develops a strong bond with the animals.

Years later, Mowgli finds Monkey City whilst chasing a small monkey who has stolen the bracelet belonging to Kitty. In the City, King Louie refuses to give the bracelet back, and he summons his pet and guardian, Kaa, an enormous and deadly python. Kaa engages Mowgli in a fierce duel, but Mowgli eventually defeats Kaa, and is given back the bracelet afterwards.

Kitty and her father have returned to India. She again encounters Mowgli, but they do not recognize one another. Kitty is in a relationship with William Boone, a loyal yet arrogant soldier. Mowgli enters the Man Village in search of Kitty. Kitty recognizes Mowgli when she sees he is wearing the bracelet she gave him when they were children. Boone and his men place Mowgli in prison. Kitty and Dr. Plumford decide that they must help Mowgli learn the ways of man again. Kitty and Mowgli find themselves falling in love but Brydon does not approve of this because he believes Mowgli is unacceptable for Kitty for being raised by animals, despite being relieved that Mowgli is alive.

Boone, meanwhile, has discovered a dagger which Mowgli was in possession of. He learns that this treasure comes from Monkey City and he decides that he must force Mowgli to show he and his men the way to the city. Boone asks Kitty to marry him, to which she accepts. Mowgli leaves the village as he believes he does not belong there. Kitty calls off her engagement to Boone after his cruel treatment to Mowgli and Brydon decides to send her back to England.

The next day, Boone teams up with Sgt. Harley, Lt. Wilkins, Buldeo, and Tabaqui in order to capture Mowgli so they can get to the treasure. They nearly succeed until Baloo intervenes and is shot. The men then call bandits to ambush Kitty and her father. One of the bandits shoots Brydon in the leg, but Bagheera and the wolf pack intervene and kill most of the bandits. Boone and his men threaten to kill Kitty and her father if Mowgli does not lead them to the treasure. Mowgli agrees to take them.

The next morning, Harley sinks in quicksand after trying to catch Mowgli after he escapes with Bagheera's aid. The rest of the group apart from Brydon, who is left to die by Boone, set off on the trail. Mowgli leads Brydon back to the village on an elephant and promises to bring Kitty back. As the expedition continues, Tabaqui engages in a fight-to-the-death with Mowgli (in which Mowgli wins) and Wilkins is mauled by Shere Khan. As the remaining group reaches the temple, Buldeo chases Mowgli and tries to shoot him but inadvertently sets off a booby trap, burying himself alive. Only Mowgli, Kitty and Boone reach the treasure room. Mowgli defeats Boone in a fierce sword fight and he and Kitty escape. Boone starts gathering treasure when Kaa (summoned by King Louie) suddenly appears and scares Boone into falling into the moat. Boone is weighed to the bottom by a treasure-filled backpack, and after seeing the skeletons of Kaa's past victims, he is ambushed and killed by the huge snake.

Outside the temple, Mowgli and Kitty are confronted by Shere Khan. Mowgli and Shere Khan stare one another down until Shere Khan sees Mowgli as a creature of the jungle - fulfilling a dream Mowgli had once had. Because of this, the honorable Shere Khan spares Mowgli and Kitty and allows them to go. When Mowgli and Kitty return, they are delighted to see Brydon and Baloo, both of whom have been cured by Dr. Plumford. Mowgli is now Lord of the Jungle and he and Kitty share a passionate kiss under a waterfall.

Trivia[]

  • This film marks the first time in history Disney started remaking its animated movies from the Disney Animated Canon into live-action films, although after the 1996 101 Dalmatians film and then its 2000 released sequel, this wouldn’t be a standard practice by the studio until recent years beginning with Tim Burton's live-action remake of Alice in Wonderland in 2010, mainly due to how despite this film receiving generally positive reviews even during its release, it still received critical and commercial chiding from a few among critics and audiences due to not following much of the original short stories written by Rudyard Kipling himself, despite his name being on the title.
  • Unlike the animated film, the animals don't speak, in addition, Mowgli is not a boy but a man.
  • The U.S. version plays Kenny Loggins's song "Two Different Worlds" during the closing credits, while international releases simply play the opening track.
  • While the film has Disney's involvement in the credits (including the plain green text-based Walt Disney Pictures logo), other regional versions of the film do not mention at all Disney's involvement in the credits; e.g. the "WALT DISNEY PICTURES PRESENTS" opening credit in the default release is replaced with "SHARAD PATEL PRESENTS" and the end credit "DISTRIBUTED BY BUENA VISTA PICTURES DISTRIBUTION, INC" and the plain green text-based Walt Disney Pictures logo are not seen at all.
  • Anirudh Agarwal's name is incorrectly spelled in the credits as "Anirudh Agrawal".

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Animals[]

  • Baloo - Casey - A male Cinnamon bear.
    • Ed Gale as Baby Baloo (uncredited)
  • Bagheera - Shadow - A male black panther (Jaguar).
  • Grey Brother - Shannon - A female Indian Grey wolf.
  • King Louie - Lowell - A male Bornean orangutan.
  • Shere Khan - Bombay - A male Bengal tiger owned by Randy Miller.

Kaa is portrayed by both a computer-generated and a real anaconda. Other trained animals were monkeys (macaques), elephants, camels, horses, zebus, and wolves.

Production[]

Filming took place in India (Bombay and Jodhpur) and parts of the southern United States (South Carolina and Tennessee).

Game[]

The movie was adaptated into a 1996 game, which includes clips from the film, while providing an original story and new characters.

The game follows the player in his/her quest to save the jungle. Soldiers have stolen King Louie's crown and the player must recover it to prevent the jungle from losing its magic. The player is aided by a Scotsman named Ilgwom ("Mowgli" spelled backwards) and his chimpanzee, Lahtee, while also guided by a spirit made from Mowgli's memories.

Gallery[]

External links[]


v - e - d
The Jungle Book Logo
Media
Films: The Jungle Book (soundtrack/video) • The Jungle Book 2 (video) • Rudyard Kipling'sMowgli's Story2016 Live-action Film (soundtrack/video) • Sequel Film

Shows: Jungle Cubs
Video Games: The Jungle BookThe Jungle Book Groove PartyThe Jungle Book: Mowgli's Wild AdventureThe Jungle Book: Mowgli's RunDisney Classic Games CollectionDisney Speedstorm
Books: More Jungle Book... Further Adventures of Baloo and Mowgli

Disney Parks
Animated film: Disney's Explorers LodgeDisney Animation BuildingGarden of the Twelve FriendsIt's a Small WorldRhythm of the Jungle

Live action: Disney Movie MagicThe Jungle Book: Alive with Magic
Entertainment: AnimagiqueDisney's BelieveDisney's WishesDisney Classics: The Music & The MagicFantasmic!Festival of Family & FriendsHakuna Matata Time Dance PartyIt's Party Time... with Mickey and FriendsJourney into the Jungle BookMickey's Gift of DreamsMickey's Magical Music WorldMickey and the Magical MapMickey and the Wondrous BookMickey presents: “Happy Anniversary Disneyland Paris”One Man's Dream II: The Magic Lives On!Rivers of Light: We Are OneSuper Duper Jumpin' TimeThe Forest of Enchantment: A Disney Musical Adventure
Restaurants: Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost
Shops: Adventureland Bazaar
Parade: Disney's Dreams On Parade: Moving OnDisney's Magical Moments ParadeDisney's Party ExpressDisney Adventure Friends CavalcadeDisney Magic on ParadeDisney Stars on ParadeFlights of Fantasy ParadeJubilation!Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street PartyMickey's Soundsational ParadeThe Wonderful World of Disney Parade
Firework: Celebrate the MagicCelebrate! Tokyo DisneylandDisney Dreams!Disneyland ForeverHappily Ever AfterMickey's Mix MagicMomentousTree of Life Awakens
Summer: Adventure is Out There!The Jungle Book Jive
Halloween: Happy Hallowishes

Characters
Original: MowgliBalooBagheeraKing LouieShere KhanKaaColonel HathiWinifredHathi, Jr.Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy, and DizzyAkelaRamaShantiRakshaWolf PupsSeeonee PackJungle PatrolFlunkeyBandar-log

Deleted characters: Rocky the RhinoBuldeoTabaqui
Sequel: RanjanRanjan's FatherMessuaShanti's MotherLucky
Rudyard Kipling's: Grey BrotherNathooKitty BrydonColonel Geoffrey BrydonSergeant ClaibourneDr. Julius PlumfordWilliam BooneSergeant HarleyBuldeoTabaquiLt. John WilkinsIndian BanditsAlice, Rose, and Margaret
Jungle Cubs: Arthur and CecilThe CrocMahraNed, Jed & FredMungoLeahCainDholesWinifred's UncleMcCoyDictator TurtleWhitehood
Mowgli's Story: Li'l RakshaChilBiranyiTarzan Chimp
2016 film: IkkiMr. PangolinGiant SquirrelFred the Pygmy HogMowgli's Father
House of Mouse: King Larry

Locations
JungleAncient RuinsMan VillageIndiaAsia
Episodes
Season One: "A Night in the Wasteland" • "How the Panther Lost His Roar/The Humans Must Be Crazy" • "Hathi Meets His Match/Buffaloed" • "Mondo Mungo/Bare Necessities" • "Who Wants to Be a Baboon?" • "Red Dogs" • "The Great Kaadini" • "Hulla Baloo/Shere Bliss" • "Treasure of the Middle Jungle" • "Feather Brains/Benny & Clyde" • "Splendor in the Mud" • "Trouble in the Jungle/Fool Me Once..." • "The Coming of the Wolves"

Season Two: "The Ape Who Would Be King" • "Trunks for the Memories/Kasaba Ball" • "Hathi's Makeover/Curse of the Magnificent Melon" • "The Five Bananas/Birthday Snake" • "Old Green Teeth/The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No" • "Hair Ball/A Tale of Two Tails" • "Waiting for Baloo/Tree for Two" • "Nice Tiger/Sleepless in the Jungle"

Songs
Original: "Colonel Hathi's March" • "The Bare Necessities" • "I Wan'na Be Like You" • "Trust in Me" • "That's What Friends are For" • "My Own Home"

More Jungle Book: "Baloo's Blues" • "Jungle Fever" • "If You Wanna See Some Strange Behavior (Take a Look at Man)" • "It's a Kick"
Jungle Cubs: "Take Your Sweet, Sweet Time" • "Jungle Cub Love" • "Everything's Gonna Be Right with the World"
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story: "The Monkey Time"
The Jungle Book Groove Party: "The Jungle's No Place for a Boy" • "Join the Ranks" • "Go Bananas in the Coconut Tree" • "A Mood for Food" • "We Are the Vultures" • "Run" • "A Brand New Day"
Sequel: "The Jungle Rhythm" • "W-I-L-D" • "Right Where I Belong"
Deleted: "Brothers All" • "The Song of the Seeonee" • "Monkey See, Monkey Do" • "I Knew I Belonged to Her" • "In A Day's Work" • "The Mighty Hunters" • "I've Got You Beat" • "Braver"

See Also
Disney Sing Along Songs: The Bare NecessitiesTaleSpinDisney's Jungle Boogie
Advertisement