I WAN’NA BE LIKE YOU

It was only a matter of time before we got to a Disney film, and The Jungle Book is one of my all time favourites, and is another film in this feature filled with great, memorable songs, which have stood the test of time.

The I Wan’na Be Like You sequence has it all. The jazz style fits perfectly to the character of King Louis, it has a catchy tune, and the underlying threat of the character shines through.

The main reason for my including this song ahead of some of the films other, is just how funny it is.

From the moment Baloo enters, however, dressed in a ramshackle Monkey costume, to the end of the song when said costumes falls apart, is comedy gold. The final few seconds where Baloo continues dancing, none-the-wiser that his ruse is up, followed by the slow, daunting, realisation, is genuinely great slapstick comedy.

This comedy was something which was largely missing from the 2016 version. Christopher Walken’s King Louis - in this adaption a Gigantopithecus rather than an Orangutan - goes for threat over humour, resulting in a largely lacklustre sequence with no real energy to speak of.

I Wan’na be like you is not only one of the most memorable songs from the Jungle Book, but from the entire Disney back catalogue, spawning a number of high profile cover versions from Robbie Williams and Olly Murs, to Craig David.