Bagheera (voiced by Sebastian Cabot) happens upon the crying baby as he is walking through the jungle one day. Unable to leave the helpless child, he brings him to a family of wolves, who raise him as one of their own. Some 10 years pass, and the dreaded tiger Shere Khan (George Sanders) returns to this part of the jungle. The wolf pack decides that Mowgli must return to the human village, lest Shere Khan kill him and all who protect him. Bagheera, long-time trusted friend of the boy, agrees to take him back to where he belongs. But once Mowgli realizes he is to leave the jungle for good, he resists, insisting he can survive in the jungle. They come across Baloo the Bear (Phil Harris), fun-loving party guy of the jungle. Baloo agrees to take Mowgli on as his best bud, and of course, they must sing songs about this, and Bagheera, in his frustration, leaves the frolicking pair. Soon, they encounter a group of menacing monkeys, led by King Louie (Louis Prima) and they kidnap Mowgli and take him back to their village. Soon Baloo and Bagheera must join forces to not only rescue Mowgli from the monkeys, but also to rid the jungle of Shere Khan, once and for all and to insure that Mowgli safely arrives at the man-village.
Along the way, the group will meet random memorable characters like the elephant infantry, a group of vultures who do a darn good impression of the Beatles and the most delightful of all, the sinister but bungling snake, Kaa (Sterling Holloway AKA Winnie the Pooh).
Throughout the film, which has been beautifully restored and remastered to produce richer and more vibrant colors and sounds, characters sing delightful and memorable classic Disney songs such as "The Bare Necessities" which I can still recite from childhood memory, and "I Wan'na Be Like You." In addition to the feature film, which alone is definitely worth the cost of admission, there are a ton of special features in this 40th Anniversary Edition. Everything from a long-lost character and deleted songs (all wisely deleted by Mr. Disney, I might add) to fun and games, Disney style! Plus, all the background info on this timeless classic rendered into Disney splendor that a fan could want. Personally, I sit and wait for each Disney release on DVD and this is no exception. Bundled together with all these extras, its simply a no-brainer. Whether you have kids that have never experienced this wonderful film or you're just a big kid yourself (guilty!), add Walt Disney's The Jungle Book: 40th Anniversary Edition to your library. After all, its simply a Bare Necessity!
