Jungle Book (1942)

Written by r96sk on March 22, 2021

I didn't find entertainment watching this 'Jungle Book'. I will say, as many others have, colour-wise it looks real neat.

I'm admittedly not a huge fan of any adaptation of this classic story yet, though do thoroughly enjoy the 1994 and 2016 versions; as well as liking the 1967 animated attempt, of course. This 1942 film is my least favourite so far.

The way it is all told didn't interest me all that much. The stuff with the animals looks - welfare concerns aside - good, but what hampers it most in my opinion is that it puts heavy focus on the humans. I didn't feel satisfied watching any of the onscreen talent. The performances of Sabu (Mowgli), Joseph Calleia (Buldeo) & Co. didn't do anything for me. There's also, as you might expect, inappropriate casting/make-up.

It's not a terrible film, just one of those that drags as it never excites or intrigues - for me, at least.