I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I don't know too much about Jungle Taitei, nor had I watched the original television series, but this movie was good enough that I probably don't need to. The animation was quite expressive for the most part, and the few times that they utilized recycled animation or had the backgrounds be bit static during the running scenes could all be easily forgiven. The style was quite nice and reflective of its time. There's a few musical segments but they did not detract nor distract. They were well-placed and well-suited. The characters were quite likeable and memorable. I found myself rootingfor Leo. The main antagonists were also quite a nice surprise to my expectations. They paced it well (and wrote it well). Not a single minute feels wasted; not even the two-minute narrated introductory segment that was lifted from the original TV series.

It's a pretty good watch. I haven't read the manga, but I'd say this movie can certainly stand on its own two feet, and it provided a good enough introduction to Jungle Taitei for me.