The Jungle Book
Adapted from the stories by Rudyard KiplingHere's an energetic dramatization of the classic tale of Mowgli, the man-cub, who was abandoned as a baby in the jungle and raised by wolves. With Baloo, the bear, and Bagheera, the panther, as mentors, the growing boy has no trouble avoiding Shere Khan, the tiger, who wants to eat him. But when his two protectors leave him alone in the jungle to test his mettle, Mowgli suddenly finds he's got more trouble than he knows how to handle. The monkeys kidnap him and haul him off to the Forbidden City. Then two hyenas, who love trouble, trick Mowgli into an encounter with the vicious White Cobra. And when the members of an expedition searching for gold and jewels arrive, Mowgli suddenly is torn between humans and animals and must find a way to reconcile his dual natures. Craig Sodaro's spirited adaptation of this lovely coming of age story offers wonderful opportunities for a large cast of young actors.