Number Nineteen: The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book

1967

I’m moving to the jungle. It’s official. I’m packing my bags right now. I wonder if I get wifi in the jungle. Well, if I discover I don’t, I guess this would be the last you’ll ever hear from me again.

Mowgli has a name I hate to spell. He was also a child who was raised by wolves. The former fact is more important, to me anyway. The latter however is a key plot point, so I’ll talk about that instead. One day this panther named Bagheera (another terrible name to spell) finds a baby in a basket. So he gives it to some wolves to raise. After a while, this baby turns into the boy named Mowgli I just talked about.

Because he is old now, the jungle animals decide he has to go back to the man village, or the tiger Shere Khan will eat him. Om nom nom! Why didn’t they just return him to the man village at the beginning? Wouldn’t have that made the most sense? Well I guess I wouldn’t expect a panther to be the most logical of creatures.

Bagheera volunteers to return Mowgli to the man village, so off they go through the jungle on an adventure! Yay! I love adventures! Who doesn’t? Actually, lots of people, and I seem to be friends with most of them. Humph.

As they are tramping throughout the forest, they stumble upon a variety of creatures, such as the terrifically trippy Kaa, a snake who can hypnotize you with his eyes that look like they are made from Easter eggs. He tries to eat Mowgli, whose name I’m almost going to give up on typing right, but Bagheera saves him, and they continue on through the jungle.

Next they meet Baloo, (Not Balloon, as spellcheck wishes he was named). He’s a fun loving easy going laid back bear. And he’s the coolest thing, pretty much ever. I want to be his friend, if that is possible. When I escape to the jungle I’ll try to find him.

Baloo doesn’t think Mowgli should return to the man village, so he attempts to raise him. Mowgil (GAHHHHH I give up on this stupid kid’s name!!!!). Unfortunately, Jungle Boy is kidnapped by a bunch of monkeys. Baloo fails as a parent.

All the monkeys wanted Mowgli to teach them how to make fire, but since he wasn’t raised by humans, he has no clue how to do it. Everything works out though, Baloo and Bagheera rescue him, and destroy the monkeys living quarters, all in one fell swoop! What on earth does that saying mean anyway? After googling, I learn it is Shakespearian. I should have guessed.

Now that he has been saved from the monkeys, it’s time that Mowgli be eaten by a tiger! Doesn’t that sound exciting? Mowgil (Ha, that sounds like a cow fish! Right? Please tell me that Mowgil makes you think of a cow fish. That’s it, I’ve lost it) has a falling out with Baloo because he decided Mowgli needed to go to the man village after. Determined to make it on his own, Jungle Boy runs off, and meets up with Shere Khan, the evil tiger.  He tries to kill Mowgli, because he is a man. All men want to kill tigers with either fire of guns, according to Shere Khan, so he eats them. Or tries to. He is unsuccessful in his attempts to eat Mowgli, as he has some help  from vultures that were supposed to be the Beatles, and Baloo, who has returned. Yay!

After the attack, Mowgli sees a human girl for the very first time. Baloo tries to warn him they are nothing but trouble, but Mowgli doesn’t listen. He’s hooked, and goes off to live in the village forever. Bagheera and Baloo happily walk back into the forest. JUNGLE. I mean jungle. My poor brain. The end.

As long as I don’t have to spell anything from this movie, I love it. It paints a lovely picture of what it is to be carefree and free spirited. And it has elephants. Really. That’s all I aks for in a movie.

Movie Watching Budd(y)(ies): No one. That’s right. Well, my mom, aunt and sister were in the room, but they were all reading, so they do not count. Aren’t I pathetic? Feel bad for me.

Best Song: “Bare Necessities.” Ahh, so much love for this song.

Best Part: “What do you want to do today?” “Uhh I don’t know, what do you want to do?” This was said by the almost Beatles vultures, and really, I don’t know how many times I’ve had that exchange with my friends over my lifetime, it’s just an awesome quote.