u/WholeChampionship687

I was impressed to find out that the first Disney live-action remake was Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book back in 1994! Even the term "live-action remake" was not commonly used back then, I guess. But today Disney pretends this adaptation never existed, though I can't see obvious reasons for that.

The movie was released theatrically, paid off for Disney, not a box office phenomenon, but the movie grossed well. Critics received it moderately favorably, so there was no negative hype around the movie, either. It was also released on VHS and DVD.

But later in the 21st century, the movie seems to have fallen into an abyss. It doesn't appear to have been released on Blu-ray. And most importantly, it's not available on Disney+! I can't believe that. What strikes more is that even the direct-to-video movie The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998) is streaming on Disney+. But Disney's very first theatrical live-action remake is kinda forgotten.

Overall, Disney is known to abandon its own content from the 1930s/1940s for reasons such as cultural unacceptability in today's world. But why Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book? Maybe I don't know something either about this movie or Disney's strategy. So I'd be really happy if you dropped your thoughts in the comments! Really interesting.

I'm wondering whether the Tom & Jerry franchise is going anywhere because what I see for now is that there's nothing high-quality since 2023, when Tom and Jerry Singapore was released as the latest good thing, as for me. And nothing more really worthwhile, as for me, hasn't been announced. I'd tell even another way: it's not about quality but about active franchise development, even regardless of technical or artistic decency. Let's talk in such terms. 2014-2023 was an active period with something new turning up actively, but now it looks like stagnation.

Here's what we have at large:

- The US theatrical release of Tom and Jerry Forbidden Compass full-length feature film later this year. But I feel no excitement about this movie.
- The Tom and Jerry Show (1975) and Tom and Jerry Comedy Show (1980) have been announced to be on Tubi TV. This is great availability news, but nothing more.
- Tom and Jerry Gokko new episodes continue to be released monthly on the Warner Japan YouTube channel.

Don't you feel the franchise is somewhat stuck? Or maybe you have some news that I don't? Happy to hear what you think of it:)

Honestly, as a kid, I watched Disney direct-to-video sequels without even knowing these were cheaper direct-to-video ones. I did it on DVD, on that kind of vintage TV set with a curved screen, you know. And because of the technical limitations of the TV, I didn't even notice a difference between the originals and sequels. I just understood a completely different tone and plots in sequels, but in terms of quality, I didn't even guess they were that subpar! Up until my adulthood. Up until I read about Disney's history on purpose.

Now watching The Lion King 2, for example, a few months ago, on a modern TV set, in full HD quality, is a completely different experience than back in childhood. Now I clearly see the technical quality difference, which is a decline compared to the original Lion King, and it's somewhat even frustrating, haha, that I can't enjoy that same sequel as I did as a kid.

Interestingly, what were your experiences about that?

Without a doubt, the Tom and Jerry shorts by Hanna-Barbera from 1940 to 1950 are artistically acknowledged as masterpieces of their time. Since the end of that golden era, many shorts and TV shows have been turning up (I don't mention full-length movies on purpose, since this format differs too much from the classics). Those series vary drastically in quality, some good, some controversial. So once the question came to my mind, "Which of those are decent successors to the Hanna-Barbera legacy? Because that legacy, of course, is actually worth having such a successor."

And I have my point on this matter. For me, there were some really worthwhile successors that don't look like a conveyor series employing the Tom and Jerry brand but are well-sustained, good-quality products on their own:

- Tom and Jerry Chuck Jones shorts - for me, it's also the classics. Good quality pieces that, alongside Hanna-Barbera shorts, do really deserve to be called pure art. Theatrical shorts that bring in new life to Tom and Jerry without breaking their concept at its core, though different aesthetically from the golden era. I'd call them "Tom and Jerry Silver Age."

- Tom and Jerry Katate Guard standalone short - a really good legacy episode, which treats the Hanna-Barbera memory respectfully, reflecting the golden era in its nature, and it's no wonder - Joseph Barbera himself was one of its producers. Unluckily, Warner Bros really disgraced this short by not including it as a bonus in the Golden Era Anthology Blu-ray edition.

- Tom and Jerry Tales - a good quality TV product of its time, fitting its audience well, respecting cat-mouse dynamics, and offering professionally done animation. Not a masterpiece, but a series with the authors' hearts and souls put into it. And here we go again, Joseph Barbera was involved as one of the producers.

- Tom and Jerry Special Shorts - a mini series, with 2 shorts in it: On a Roll and The House That Cat Built. I believe it's unfairly disregarded by deleting it from HBO Max because these two creations do a really good job respecting the original legacy. They are very close to golden classics by nature. Cat-mouse chemistry here is almost like in the originals. Again, these are not masterpieces, but high-quality creations as for me.

Drop your thoughts in the comments! Maybe you have a different stance on that topic. It's really interesting to hear:)

In Tom and Jerry's franchise, especially the Warner era, I believe there are too many lost or nearly-lost media, I mean, unavailable officially completely.

Most modern ones, officially completely unavailable:
- The Mansion Cat (2001): never released on home media or streaming. The saddest case because it's the last Tom and Jerry piece William Hanna worked on. Only available as mediocre TV recordings.
- Tom and Jerry Special Shorts (2021): used to be on HBO Max, now unavailable. Only available as pirated content.

Partially unavailable:
- The Tom and Jerry Gokko (2022-present): Couldn't find it in full officially, the newest episodes are streamed officially on YouTube, as far as I know. Available in full only as pirated content.
- Tom and Jerry Time (2025): Only 2 episodes are available officially on YouTube, though there were 2 more produced as far as I know.
- The Karate Guard (2005): It was released on DVD, but in HD, it is only available on HBO Max in some countries, not even in its home, the US.

Unavailable in HD completely:
- Tom and Jerry Fundraising Adventure (BBC Children in Need) (2014): Officially only available in SD on BBC streaming

In limbo:

- Tom and Jerry Show (1975)
- Tom and Jerry Comedy Show (1980) - announced to be on Tubi
Unofficially, only available in SD or lousy HD.

It's my brief overview, and maybe I am mistaken on some points. But wanted to know your thoughts on that? Welcome guys!

I'm wondering why Disney's symbol and the most recognized character for this brand has no full-length movie with him as the central character? Any thoughts on this? Really interesting to hear your thoughts cause it's far more valuable than AI responses:)