Customer Reviews

King of the Jungle [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I can't think of any other actor who could have played John Leguizamo's character in King of the Jungle; Leguizamo is brilliant yet again. He plays a 25 year old 'retarded' man, Seymour, who lives with his lesbian mother and loves to play basketball. After his mother is murdered, he struggles to find the killer... It's a great story, and I have gained even more respect for Leguizamo... It's great to see him in a small budget made for HBO film. It just proves that he acts for the joy of acting, not money. If you like John Leguizamo or great plots and great acting, this movie is for you. He definately plays the part well; I felt sorry for Seymour.

This 2001 film stars John Leguisamo as Seymour, a mentally challenged young man on the tough streets of New York. He has the mind of a five year old, and yearns to be accepted. His mother, Julie Carmen, a civil rights activist, babies her son and tries to protect him. His divorced father, Cliff Gorman, tries to deny that anything is wrong with his son. Rosie Perez, his mother's lover, tries to help him. And so does a friend, Jeff Rappaport, who tries to teach him to fight and see himself as "king of the jungle."

Seymour's troubled world is shattered when his mother is murdered. That's when everything seems to spin out of control. The story pulled me in and kept me there because I wanted to see how it would all play out. Marisa Tomei plays a small role as a tough detective. And Annabella Sciorra plays the murderer's mother. It's a fine cast and they all do a good job.

I liked the film. It's tight, moves fast, and introduces some unique and interesting characters. And John Leguisamo shines in a difficult role. Recommended.

this movie is great. it conveys the feel of new york city's streets with an excellent 'urban' cast including rosie perez and michael rappaport. john leguizamo has turned out to be an excellent actor as well.

I saw this film at Vistas film festival in 2000(?), and I was knocked out by it.

I expected it to be released and do fairly well commercially , but I never heard another word about it.

I 've been looking for it ever since then.

John Lequizamo is brilliant- absolutely riveting- as a mentally challenged kid living in a tough neighborhood.

There are other strong performances including Rosie Perez in a different kind of role than one might expect and Cliff Gorman who starred in the Broadway production of "Lenny".

I'm so glad this movie is finally available. GET IT!

Update: The DVD has now been released. It includes audio commentary with John Lequizamo, Rosie Perez and director Seth Zvi Rosenfeld. All of these artists grew up in the same kind of neighborhood where this movie is set. Perhaps that's why this film feels so real.

I don't know, I was expecting a little more from this movie. I like Seth Rosenfeld, and I thought that he would've taken this film to a better place. His movies always has good actors. Although, at times it seems he doesn't know what to do with them. The story is interesting, but the overall product could've been better. To me, it seemed as if it were rushed. You never know that could've been the case. Either way, I will always support Seth Rosenfeld. He's got a gift. I can't wait to see more from him--he's growing.

This is by far the worst movie I have ever seen - bad acting combined with a ridiculous plot. It's highly recomended for adults who still read comic books.

We finally have the cinematic J.D. Salinger: director Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, who presents urban Darwinism through a mental handicap and his parents who hope to find social justice or art, in a city of Survival of the Fittest. Survival of the Fittest soon turns out to be Survival of the Cruelest, and the random violence against the weak stands in stark contrast with Seymour's final outburst of violence against the world that he does not understand. Like Salinger's stories, the movie isn't for everyone. You get it or you don't. There is no grandeur, no pretty people. There's not even a hint of big city glamor--only 'jungle' as far as the eye can see. John Lequizamo's performance is historic.

i had very low expectations being a fan of leguizamos comedic performances. it was incredible. he does a good job playing seymour a mentally retarded guy. his mom gets shot and runs away from home to find his moms killer. he lerns to survive and he is a great actor. trust me i cried because i know what its like to be a retard since i used to be one.

This movie is all over the place. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take from it besides confusion. This movie had to have the single worst ending I have ever seen. Don't waste your time.