The Jungle Book vs. The Lion King – No Contest

Here it is, folks, the movie review you’ve been waiting for since 1994 when The Lion King first appeared.  It was inevitable that someone would eventually compare it with The Jungle Book, a classic Disney film from 1967.  For those of you who haven’t made the leap yet, both The Jungle Book (1967) and The Lion King are both coming-of-age tales, that is, both movies attempt to present the growth and maturation of two males of their species, Mowgli the Man Cub and Simba the Lion King.

Although both movies attempt to show the two characters coming of age, only one succeeds.  The other fails completely.  Can you guess which?

Why Now?

“Why now?” is a good question.  Is it that I have a thirteen-year-old daughter in the prime of her animated movie existence, her cartoon wheelhouse, and having watched every Disney film a dozen times or more – thanks, streaming – she has a sharp eye for the nuances of story development?  Or Is it my perennial adolescence, my own perpetual immaturity that prompted me to examine these two stories?

Either way, it’s an analysis that is long overdue.  The demand from blog-readers everywhere has been overwhelming.  That’s one of the reasons I post so infrequently now: I’m inundated with fan mail begging for this comparison.  The only topics close to this are my definitive ranking of chocolate chip cookies and my exposé of nut butters.

Before I get started, let me be up front.  Without a doubt, hands down, no questions asked, my favorite Disney movie of all time is The Jungle Book.  I love everything about it: the artwork, the story, the characters, but especially the music.  How do you beat vintage Louie Prima singing “I Wanna’ Be Like You”?  You can’t.  There’s no way.  Add in Phil Harris singing “The Bare Necessities” and you can’t miss.

Putting my jungle bias aside, here’s the real reason why The Jungle Book is a better movie than The Lion King…

Coming-of-Age

Both movies are coming-of-age tales, that is, they depict both characters, Mowgli and Simba, on their journey from cubs, man-cub in Mowgli’s case, to adults, and even in Simba’s case, to the King of the Jungle.  Mowgli never ascends to regal heights, so we should by rights, judge Simba’s journey more harshly.  After all, shouldn’t the king’s journey be more challenging than a simple villager?

It should, but despite that I’ll apply the same standard to both: is the character arc believable?  Do I believe that Mowgli has grown and he’s ready for the next phase of his life, a simple villager?  Do I believe that Simba has done enough to earn the right to be king?  What obstacles do they overcome that make me believe that they have grown and matured and are ready for the next step?

The Jungle Book

Mowgli has it tough from the beginning.  Orphaned in the jungle, Bagheera the panther finds him and instead of devouring him for breakfast – Baghee must have feasted recently on a chinkara – he transports him to a family of wolves to raise.  This is all right for a while, but when news arrives that Shere Khan the tiger is in the vicinity and has sworn to kill Mowgli, the wolf pack meets at Council Rock and decides Mowgli must go back to his own people.

Bagheera volunteers to guide him to the Man-Village and that’s when the fun begins.  His first encounter is with Kaa, an enormous python, who hypnotizes him, and he’s nearly eaten until Bagheera intervenes.  In this first trial, he fails.  He’s not ready to take on Shere Khan.  This makes sense.  He needs to grow up and become a worthy opponent.  He must earn the right to confront Shere Khan and defeat him.

Next, he has a run-in with Colonel Hathi, the elephant, and his marching herd, but he doesn’t fit in with them.  This is one of the themes: he’s neither a wolf nor an elephant.  He needs to find his own kind.  In the next stage of his journey, he meets another seeming accomplice, Baloo the Bear.  Baloo is an affable mammal, but once again, being a bear he’s not someone who can provide appropriate guidance to Mowgli.

Baloo winds up losing Mowgli to King Louie and his royal court of monkeys.  King Louie, a hip orangutan, wants to know how to make fire.  This is critical.  Being able to make fire and control it is what distinguishes man from the apes, and the king wants this secret knowledge.  Mowgli doesn’t have that knowledge yet, however.  Gaining that knowledge will be crucial to conquering Shere Khan, but Mowgli is still not ready.

My favorite scene in any Disney film follows as Baloo and Bagheera team up to rescue Mowgli from the apes.  It’s a wonderful, chaotic musical sequence, which leads to the ruin of an ancient temple.  Their mission successful, Mowgli thinks he and Baloo are going to pal around, but Baloo sides with Bagheera and agrees that Mowgli has to go to the Man-Village.  Mowgli escapes from the two of them and he’s on his own.

Prior to his final confrontation with Shere Khan, Mowgli has another meeting with Kaa, who comes close to swallowing him, but Mowgli manages to escape, not entirely on his own, but an improvement.  The last group of jungle animals that Mowgli attempts to fit in with are the vultures, the Beatles-looking, barbershop-quartet-singing vultures.  They haze him, but take pity on him and invite him to join them.

Before Mowgli can announce to the world that he self-identifies as a winged, carrion-eater, Shere Khan arrives.  The showdown is here, but unlike Simba, Mowgli is ready for it.  He’s run with the wolves, marched with the elephants, partied witht the apes, travelled with a panther and a bear, and hung with the vultures.  He’s ready for this challenge.

Despite Shere Khan’s ferocity, he has one weakness: his fear of fire.  What King Louie desired, what sets man apart, Mowgli’s power, is his ability to control fire.  During the chaotic battle that ensues, where the vultures, Baloo, and Mowgli combine forces, a lightning bolt sets a branch afire.  Mowgli ties the branch to Shere Khan’s tail and the frightened tiger runs away.  Mowgli has earned his victory.

The Lion King

Simba, in contrast with Mowgli, is born a future king.  He’s the son of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, who rule over the Pride Lands.  After his evil uncle Scar kills the king, he convinces Simba that it was his fault and that he should leave the Pride Lands and never return.

Here’s a great opportunity for him to prove himself.  He leaves the pride, goes out on his own, and has to learn how to survive.  There were so many possibilities.  Instead, he runs into Timon, the meerkat, and Pumbaa, the warthog, at an oasis, and his entire process of becoming an adult is reduced to a song: “Hakuna Mutata”  (“no worries” in Swahili).

No worries?  Are you kidding me?  This lion just lost his father and got kicked out of his pride.  Where do the writers have him grow up?  At an oasis?  An oasis!?!  Talk about easy living.  Where’s the struggle?  Where’s the hardship?  Where are the obstacles he must overcome before I can believe he’s capable of challenging Scar for the kingship of the Pride Lands?  Instead of gorging himself on the two prey animals, they teach him how to eat bugs!  Bugs?  Why not sip latte’s in a Brooklyn coffee shop sporting a mane-bun?  What’s next a claw-cure at a Vietnamese nail salon?

To prove how ill-equipped he is to take over the reins of power, his old girlfriend Nala comes along and attacks Timon and Pumbaa.  When Simba, the spoiled rich lion who’s been hanging out in clubs and squandering his father’s good name, attempts to defend them, she pins him.  He can’t even beat up a lioness!  That’s how lame he is!  Totally unworthy of a kingdom.  Go take another bong hit, Simba.  Listen to some more Grateful Dead.  You’re worthless.

We’re supposed to believe he can take on the wily Scar and his hyena buddies?  Not a chance.  Big disappointment.

Conclusion

The Jungle Book (the original, haven’t seen the remake) beats The Lion King hands down.  It isn’t even close.  I haven’t even touched on the music, which is also about a hundred times better.  All in all, The Jungle Book stands alone, a much better coming-of-age tale than The Lion King, and much better movie overall.