Admirable film.

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

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 isn't one of the most well written films I have seen in a long time, with some very noticeable flaws and a forgettable ending, but one thing makes this movie worth an 8/10 and its John Leguizamo. To date my favorite performances and the ones I feel were the standard for playing a character who is in some form mentally handicapped were, Leonardo Di'Caprio (the only movie he has actually done anything worth mentioning in to date) in "Whats Eating Gilbert Grape", and Sean Penn in "I AM Sam". Now there is a third to add to this list. John Leguizamo in this film. I almost am willing to say that this tops the other two performances, but it is a close call. Up until this role I had yet to see a decent job done in a movie by Leguizamo, feeling that he was a one trick pony, only knowing how to do comedy. After this film, I won't think that ever again. He puts in a brilliant performance, that stands head and shoulders above this good cast that played with him in this movie, and surpasses a lot of performances for the year. All I can say is he saved this movie from being a total bore, and he definitely did his research! Great performance, and this movie should be watched simply for his performance and how well he nails it!

KING OF THE JUNGLE (2001) ** John Leguizamo, Julie Carmen, Rosie Perez, Cliff Gorman, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, Marisa Tomei, Rosario Dawson. Leguizamo gives another credible performance this time as a mentally challenged man who lives with his activist mother (Carmen) in New York City and her lesbian lover (Perez) who must come to grips when a horrible crime is committed. Despite a chock-block blend of an ensemble the film meanders from one point to the next and is only buoyed by the exuberant turn by Leguizamo. (Dir: Seth Zvi Rosenfeld)

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.