King of the Jungle (2000)

King Of The Jungle is a mediocre urban drama. As far as the storyline goes, it's a bit meandering like it's predecessor and (I assume) inspiration, the overrated Mean Streets.John Leguizamo is a superb actor who always rises above the material he's given and delivers excellent performances. A few examples include Empire and George A. Romero's Land Of The Dead. However, King Of The Jungle is an exception.Leguizamo plays the mentally handicapped Seymour and overacts in the extreme. During the scene where Michael Rappaport tries to teach Seymour to stand up for himself he actually drools while in a state of distress! Many times (usually towards the end) he appears more demoniacally possessed than mentally challenged. When he starts waving around a gun, talking in a half growl he appears more frightening than sympathetic.One thing that got on my nerves was the subplot involving Seymour's mother's community activism. I hate cops just as much as the next guy but why is it that when a policeman is stupid and ends up killing someone, everyone takes to the streets in protest but when some worthless creep kills a person in cold blood it's greeted with a collective yawn. Where was the outcry over Seymour's mother being killed and where were the throngs of people looking for Seymour when he vanished?Another thing I disliked was Seymour's folk singing dad. He was a really obnoxious douche bag!

This really seemed from the packaging, summary, & trailer that it had potential. Great actors, great location, great storyline. But clocking in at just over eighty minutes the whole thing felt incredibly rushed.The acting was considerably decent given that John Leguizamo carried more than 95% of the running time (very well nonetheless) on his shoulders. However, the story line has a minimum of a dozen plot holes & even more areas where additional insight into the major elements of the story were missing. John is the only one that benefits from any real character development, or, over development.Not usually one to spout off & generally very casual when approaching & even more easy-going with reviewing and recommending movies, I truly felt like this could have been so much more & am slightly frustrated that it was obviously as rushed as it was. Supporting this, at least twice in the 'Behind The Scenes' featurette on the DVD the director refers to his actors (Marisa Tomei, etc.) having 'a small window of time'.Adjust your expectations, check it out casually and enjoy it for what's it's worth. An over-the-top John Leguizamo showcase that does at the very least & at the expense of all others involved, well represent his range as an actor.

Part of a great story is knowing how to mix drama with comedy. This movie had me laughing out loud many times - and I don't laugh in movies. John Leguizamo is fascinating to watch, very sympathetic, and much smarter than everyone around him thinks. The whole cast is enjoyable. The writer/director really knows what he's doing.

Saw this movie on the 5th of Nov.. It's a look into the heart of the urban jungle with an outstanding cast operating on all cylinders. John Leguizamo gives a tour de force performance as a retarded young man trying to cope with overwhelming problems, including his mother's violent death.Rosie Perez, Marisa Tomei and Anabella Sciorra are among an all star cast that breathe fire and passion into this intense drama.