The Jungle Book

"The legend will never be the same."

1994 1h 51m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 525

FamilyAdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Raised by wild animals since childhood, Mowgli is drawn away from the jungle by the beautiful Kitty. But Mowgli must eventually face corrupt Capt. Boone, who wants both Kitty's hand and the treasures of Monkey City – a place only Mowgli can find.

“The legend will never be the same.”

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Cast

Jason Scott Lee
Mowgli
Cary Elwes
Captain William Boone
Lena Headey
Katherine 'Kitty' Brydon
Sam Neill
Colonel Geofferey Brydon
John Cleese
Dr. Julius Plumford
Jason Flemyng
Wilkins
Stefan Kalipha
Buldeo
Ron Donachie
Harley

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Stephen Sommers
Writers: Ronald Yanover, Mark Geldman, Stephen Sommers
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Jungle Book Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Stephen Sommers, shot by Juan Ruiz Anchía. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Basil Poledouris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bob Ducsay shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jason Scott Lee and Cary Elwes and Lena Headey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The legend will never be the same.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0110213 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Stephen Sommers directs. Juan Ruiz Anchía behind the camera. Basil Poledouris scores. Bob Ducsay cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

132 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "The Jungle Book Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Stephen Sommers, shot by Juan Ruiz Anchía. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Basil Poledouris. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bob Ducsay shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jason Scott Lee and Cary Elwes and Lena Headey carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The legend will never be the same.".
8IMDB entry: tt0110213 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Juan Ruiz Anchía
Original score: Basil Poledouris
Editing: Bob Ducsay
Production design: Allan Cameron
Costume design: John Mollo
Stunt coordinator: David R. Ellis
Runtime: 111 min · 1h 51m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $27,000,000
Box office: $53,508,356
Return: 198% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Jungle Book (1994)

Part of

The Jungle Book Collection

Live action movies based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book

Also by

Stephen Sommers

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-10-02
★ 8/10
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.
Wuchak2021-07-09
★ 7/10
Mowgli Jones of the Jungle From 1887 to the turn of the century a boy is raised by wolves in the jungles of India where Shere Khan the tiger dwells and threatens. With assistance from Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther, Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) learns the "Law of the Jungle” before going back to civilization and learning the strange ways and corruptions of humanity, as well as love. Sam Neill, Lena Headey, Cary Elwes and John Cleese are on hand. "The Jungle Book" (1994) mixes the sweet innocence of Rudyard Kipling's fables with “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan” (1984) and Indiana Jones. Don’t expect talking animals as this is a relatively realistic adventure with some cute animal reactions, but not overdone. While I prefer “Greystoke” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” it’s at least on par with “Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade.” It needed more human interest to keep the attention of adults, but has enough I reckon. Some people have complained that Jason Scott Lee was miscast, but it’s assumed Mowgli’s mother (whom we never see and died when he was born) was of Asian descent. Keep in mind that, geographically, Southeast Asia is right around the corner from the Indian subcontinent, not to mention Nepal/China to the north, and so mixed marriages weren’t exactly unheard of. Meanwhile Lee himself is a mix of Polynesian & Chinese blood. For the movie, making Mowgli part-Asian made him an outsider to both the British and the Indians, which works for me. The beautiful Lena Headey does well in her role while Elwes is effective as the odious Brit snob. Lee, of course, kicks total axx while the live-action animals and spectacular locations are worth the price of admission. The film runs 1 hour, 51 minutes, and was shot in Jodhpur in northwestern India (scenes featuring monkeys and elephants), as well as Bombay (Mowgli's urban interaction scenes), Tennessee (Fall Creek Falls & Ozone Falls) and South Carolina (Fripp Island & nearby Beaufort). GRADE: B/B-