The theme is echoed in the triumph of protagonists including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and The White Seal over their enemies, as well as Mowgli's. One of Reitherman's trademarks was repurposing animation from previous animated films, including his.

Rama (रमा رما Ramā; water buffalo) – A large water buffalo that Mowgli herds when living with humans and rides upon during the final confrontation with Shere Khan. units by January 1994, becoming the bestselling international VHS release in overseas markets, including sales of 4.

Colin Greenland reviewed The Jungle Book for Imagine magazine, and stated that "the last film the old boy worked on himself and I reckon the last good animated feature in his traditional mode - not least because of some rather jolly jazz which, legend has it, Walt himself resisted, and was added after his death. The drivers follow the elephants' tracks into the forest and find a newly cleared glade, showing that Little Toomai has told the truth. In the record, Baloo (Harris) is missing Mowgli ( Ginny Tyler), so he teams up with King Louie (Prima) and Bagheera ( Dal McKennon) to take him from the man village. Andrew Barker of Variety felt that this version "can't rival the woolly looseness of Disney's 1967 animated classic, of course, but it succeeds on its own so well that such comparisons are barely necessary".

Elements of The Jungle Book were recycled in the later Disney feature film Robin Hood, [89] such as Baloo being inspiration for Little John (who not only was a bear, but also voiced by Phil Harris). Used in trailers is the track "Take A Bow" by English alternative rock band, Muse, from their 2006 album, Black Holes and Revelations. This film won accolades for achievements in visual effects at the 89th Academy Awards, 22nd Critics' Choice Awards, and 70th British Academy Film Awards. Favreau felt that Elba's voice "wields tremendous presence in a room", [9] and that "[Elba]'s got such gravity and brings his steely presence, a deep timbre that echoes in a larger-than-life way. Mowgli gives him the derisory epithet "Thuu" (meaning "it has dried") upon discovering that the supposedly deadly cobra's fangs are in fact withered and dried up from age and disuse.Won-Tolla (Indian wolf) – An outlier who warns Mowgli's tribe of the dholes who killed his mate and cubs. In a letter written and signed by Kipling in or around 1895, states Alison Flood in The Guardian, Kipling confesses to borrowing ideas and stories in the Jungle Book: "I am afraid that all that code in its outlines has been manufactured to meet 'the necessities of the case': though a little of it is bodily taken from (Southern) Esquimaux rules for the division of spoils," Kipling wrote in the letter. However, Shere Khan, who was eavesdropping on Bagheera and Hathi's conversation, is now determined to hunt and kill Mowgli. The song "The Bare Necessities" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 40th Academy Awards, losing to "Talk to the Animals" from Doctor Dolittle. He had also always wanted to work with Murray, having been a huge fan of his work, though he was aware of how hard it is to contact him.