Video Review: 'The Jungle Book'

The studio is hyping this as a restored, remastered, 30th-anniversary rerelease from Disney’s golden age of animation (it’s the last film Uncle Walt oversaw before his death). But really, it’s just the usual Disney reissue, timed to reach a new generation of children. Which isn’t to say The Jungle Book isn’t a must-see. Compared with the regal beasts of The Lion King, the jungle boy Mowgli and his animal friends might look a little primitive, and their jivey novelty songs might sound a wee bit dated. But then, what’s dated to a 5-year-old? Loosely adapted from the Rudyard Kipling classic, this cheerful Disney version is beginning to seem just as enduring. B+