Plot: What’s it about?
Seymour (John Leguizamo) is a good young man, but he has the mind of a child thanks to some mental handicaps. His life revolves around the New York Knicks, sneaking out for some smokes, and above all else, his mother Mona (Julie Carmen). She is a civil rights activist and a loving mother, which makes Seymour’s rather limited life that much better. Seymour has a special interest in the small pleasures of life, but he is sent into a tailspin when a tragic turn of events lands him alone in the world. In front of his own eyes, his mother is gunned down and left for dead, shattering his existence to the core. As if that extreme loss wasn’t enough, his friend Francis (Michael Rapaport) is taken off and this leaves Seymour almost by himself. His mind overloaded and unable to understand things in complete form, Seymour is filled with rage and one driving thought, to settle the score with those who took his mother. With a gun in his hand and vengeance in his mind, Seymour sets out to find the killer, but the streets are crowded with bad people, some of whom want to silence Seymour once and for all.
I had high hopes for this movie after reading some positive reviews, but in the end, I found King of the Jungle to be average at best. The storyline is solid and even takes some unexpected turns at times, but it simply isn’t enough. I found King of the Jungle to be a good movie, but it dips often and then comes back, which gives it an inconsistent texture. If the film could maintain the better scenes over the course of the picture, it would have been much better, but as it stands, it is a decent, but heavily flawed production. I think the blame falls on the shoulders of director Seth Zvi Rosenfeld (A Brother’s Kiss), as he unable to keep things balanced and consistent, which a writer/director has to do in order to succeed. I think the main reason to see King of the Jungle is the performance of John Leguizamo, who is fine form and we also have a good supporting cast, with such names as Rosie Perez, Rosario Dawson, Marisa Tomei, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, and even more gifted workers. I would recommend this as a rental, but HBO has given us a full frame only transfer and as such, there’s no reason to give this disc a look.
Although he is best known for his more comedic, often annoying performances, John Leguizamo can also handle dramatic roles. In truth, I find his dramatic work to be more enjoyable, as he doesn’t push himself as hard to succeed. His comic roles often wind up forced, as Leguizamo tries too hard to be humorous, instead letting his own comic presence and the material allow the humor to come through. His effort in King of the Jungle is a terrific one, as he has a difficult character to work with, but turns in a fine performance. Not his best work, but he does handle the part well and adds a lot to the picture. Other films with Leguizamo include The Pest, Summer of Sam, Spawn, Moulin Rouge, and Collateral Damage. The cast also includes Rosie Perez (Perdita Durango, Fearless), Michael Rapaport (Deep Blue Sea, Higher Learning), and Julie Carmen (In the Mouth of Madness, Fright Night Part II).
Video: How does it look?
King of the Jungle is presented in a full frame transfer, which seems to be an open matte presentation. As some clips in the included featurette are shown at 1.85:1, I assume that is the intended format and I am displeased with this treatment. I am unsure of HBO’s motivation for only giving us this incorrect version, but I do know that even fans won’t want to purchase this disc, thanks to this lackluster effort from HBO. The colors and contrast look terrific, but without a proper widescreen version, the visuals simply don’t come across and intended, which leaves me to score this one on the low end of the scale.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround option is a solid, effective mix that steps up when it needs to and provides a memorable experience. As the material has minimal audio needs toward the start, the surrounds remain unused, but once the film heads toward the halfway point, the speakers come to life and give us some excellent presence. The surrounds are used often and with powerful results, as even the subwoofer gets to chime in with deep comments at times. The dialogue is clean and clear however, so it never gets overpowered by the more impact based elements. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an audio commentary track with director Seth Zvi Rosenfeld and stars John Leguizamo & Rosie Perez, which turns out to be an informative session. It is interesting to hear about all the memorable events that happened during the shoot, as well as Rosenfeld’s personal connections to the material. This disc also includes some talent files, a brief behind the scenes featurette, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
