William Ostrum 
Dec. 25, 1994 
William J. Ostrum, 63, Of Lower Demunds Road, Dallas, Died Sunday In 
Wilkes-barre General Hospital.

Sunday, December 25, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1E 





`Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book' follows Mowgli, Jason Scott Lee, right, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 who grows up in the jungle and is eventually drawn back into civilization
where he helps his wounded friend Major Brdon, Sam Neiill left`Jungle Book'
excels at exotic locales &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By JOE BUTKIEWICZ &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The trend among contemporary filmmakers who are adapting literary classics
is to credit the author, as in "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's a problem with "Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book," an earnest,
live-action narrative about an orphan boy raised by animals in the jungles of
India. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For a great many, unknowing audiences, "The Jungle Book" originated not
with Kipling but another author -- Walt Disney. And as they sit through the
elaborate sets and Hollywood actors in "Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book,"
they might not help but think about Disney's classic 1967 animated feature. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Or that Baloo the Bear would be a lot better with the voice of Phil Harris.
Or that the whole movie would be jazzed up with a couple of songs. How about
"The Bare Necessities" or "I Wanna Be Like You?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ironically, this new adaptation is also from the Disney studios and marks
the 100th anniversary of Kipling's collection of stories. It's a jumbo
production, with impressive, colorful footage shot near the city of Jodphur in
India. And forests, waterfalls and mountains of Tennessee and Fripp Island,
S.C., provide jungle settings that India could not. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While these beautiful places and a menagerie of wild animals make this
"Jungle Book" engaging, the movie falls short of fabulous. Director Stephen
Sommers ("The Adventures of Huck Finn"), who also had a hand in the
screenplay, struggles with little success to tell the non-verbal passages of
this story with visual images. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sommers' movie begins by establishing: the British empire ruled India;
jungle tigers ruled the British and India; and 5-year-old Mowgli can rule the
animals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In short order, that boy becomes an orphan, is lost in the jungle, presumed
dead and raised by bears, wolves and a panther. By using some efficient
editing, the director avoids telling exactly how Mowgli is raised. No
explanation would be believable, and Sommers wisely evades the issue. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 What the director focuses on is the love between the grown Mowgli (Jason
Scott Lee) and his childhood sweetheart, Kitty (Lena Headey) and the love
between Mowgli and the jungle animals. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lee, best known for the bio-pic "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," looks the
part of Mowgli, lithe and stealthy. As Kitty, Headey ("Remains of the Day") is
somewhat forgettable. (Unfortunately, so is their dialogue together. "Please
don't go," she says. "Why should I stay?" he says. Yawn, we say.) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In other roles, Sam Neill has the bearing to play the British commander and
John Cleese is all stuffy humor as the wise Dr. Plumford. Cary Elwes ("Days of
Thunder") is well cast as the vain, acquisitive British officer who puts the
lives of everyone involved in danger. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ultimately, while "Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book" lacks spice in
non-visual storytelling, it offers the allure of jungle cats, elephants and
exotic locations. Now if only Baloo the Bear had the voice of Phil Harris.... &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book' Follows Mowgli, Jason Scott Lee, Right, 
Who Grows Up In The Jungle And Is Eventually Drawn Back Into Civilization 
Where He Helps His Wounded Friend Major Brdon, Sam Neiill Left.

`rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book' Follows Mowgli, Jason Scott Lee, Right, Who Grows Up In The Jungle And Is Eventually Drawn Back Into Civilization Where He Helps His Wounded Friend Major Brdon, Sam Neiill Left.