Law of the Jungle (1942)

Mantan Moreland is the only reason to watch this movie., 29 November 2008

I won't even bother with a plot description. The plot isn't the reason anyone today is going to watch Law of the Jungle anyway. The only reason to watch this movie and the only thing its got going for it is Mantan Moreland. As un-PC as it is in today's world, Moreland's brand of comedy is often laugh-out-loud funny. While he's not given material in Law of the Jungle that's as good as he had in some of his other movies (For example, I think he's given better, funnier lines in King of the Zombies.), I still found a laugh or two and always a smile on my face. As for the rest of the movie, it's largely forgettable. From the ridiculous night club in the middle of the jungle to the completely unrealistic man-in-a-gorilla suit to star John "Dusty" King's wooden performance, there's little besides Moreland to recommend. The rating I've given Law of the Jungle (5/10) is based almost entirely on Mantan Moreland.

One final thing, maybe I've missed something, but it seems a bit odd to me that Mantan Moreland's character's name is Jefferson "Jeff" Jones. If you go through his filmography, you'll notice that Moreland often played a character named Jefferson Jones or Jeff Jones or simply Jeff. Is this supposed to be the same person? It has no real bearing on Law of the Jungle, just something I noticed and thought was strange.

5/10