1 Getting with the Jungle Rhythm
Hi everyone! I hope everyone is doing well! I LOVED this movie and there are several reasons why. Before I go into them, let me give you a brief summary of the film.
The Plot:
This movie takes place about a month or two after the original one ended. Mowgli has been adopted by a nice family and has a new little brother, Ranjan, who idolizes Mowgli for his life spent in the jungle. The movie opens up with Mowgli telling his new family and new best friend, Shanti, about his former life in the jungle through a puppet show. As he gets to the part where he fought Shere Khan, the ferocious tiger, Ranjan decides to put his own twist on the story and in doing so, manages to destroy the set and embarrass Shanti in the process. Ranjan's comment that, "Shanti blinked her big, beautiful, brown eyes at you. And you follow her into our village," prompts Shanti to turn red and deny she did anything of the sort. This prompts a little argument between Mowgli and Shanti, forcing Mowgli's father to break it up by revealing that his wife used the same trick on him. Shanti then makes fun of Mowgli before leaving and Mowgli tells Shanti to "watch out for Shere Khan on your way home." Shanti dismisses his warning by retorting that, "You and your stories. Everyone knows tigers don't come into the village." With that, she leaves. But Mowgli soon finds that his theory is right when Shere Khan comes back, seeking revenge against Mowgli for what Mowgli did to him.
Meanwhile, Mowgli still misses his jungle friends and they miss him. Baloo, especially. Baloo wants to bring Mowgli back to the jungle, but Bagheera won't hear it. He tells Baloo that Mowgli belongs with his own kind. Baloo disagrees and sneaks off to visit Mowgli. Meanwhile back in the village, Mowgli and Ranjan spend their day teasing Shanti and playing on her fear of the jungle and especially of tigers. But Shanti's fear is tested when Baloo is successful in whisking Mowgli back to the jungle and Shanti must save him. She is accompanied by Ranjan who wants to find Mowgli too. They encounter Kaa, who is searching for a snack and almost has one, but Ranjan stops him right when he is about to eat Shanti by hitting the snake over the head with a stick. Mowgli and Shanti are soon reunited again and must face Shere Khan together. The movie ends on a good note and not only does Shanti face her fear, but Mowgli is able to have the best of both worlds. He is able to visit his jungle friends and remain in the village with his family and Shanti, who he discovers he cares for-a lot.
The Music:
This movie had some good songs and even though the Bear Necessities was reprised three times, it was still a good song for the movie. There are also two new songs that add to the movie's greatness as well. "The Jungle Rhythm", which is sung by Mowgli and his new friends in the village. This song is one of my favorites because it's really catchy and really jazzy. Mowgli sings this song to show Shanti, Ranjan and his other new friends just how happening the jungle life is. His plan almost succeeds until Shanti sees what he's trying to do and gets him grounded by accident. The other new song is "W-Y-L-D", which is sung by Baloo and several animals in the jungle. This song is not one of my favorites, only because I liked "I Wanna Be Like You" a lot more. Other than that, the instrumental score was really an attention grabber. And I also enjoyed the first and last version of "The Bear Necessities".
Musical Extras:
The DVD also has some deleted songs that you can enjoy too. The first song is called "I've Got You Beat". This song was originally done by Mowgli and Shanti as a sort of competition to see what was better. The jungle life or life in the village. Although I didn't' like the version the DVD showed, I LOVE the version on the soundtrack. The other song which is one of my absolute favorites is called "Braver". It was supposed to be in the movie, but it never made it in because the producers and writers of the movie thought the song would give too much away of Shanti. In my opinion, I think they made a huge mistake in not putting this song into the movie. It's on the soundtrack, but I like the deleted version on the DVD a whole lot better. I guess it's because I LOVE Shanti and she is my favorite character next to Mowgli, and Bagheera. I love the way they developed her character and I really think Mae Whitman brings Shanti to life and she portrays her very well. The reason I think "Braver" should have been in the movie is because it's a really pretty song and Shanti has a very pretty singing voice. The other reason is that it showed how much Shanti was willing to risk for Mowgli. She was willing to risk her fear to find him, which I think is a perfect example of what friendship really is.
The humor in this movie was easy to see too. The humorous parts for me were when Kaa, the snake, kept getting beat up. But my favorite Kaa scene was where Ranjan hits him over the head when he is trying to eat Shanti. And then after Shanti snaps out of her trance and tells Ranjan to stop, he gives Kaa another whack before doing as Shanti says! I find that totally hilarious! The other thing I really liked about the movie was the one liners between Shanti and Mowgli. I especially love the scene where Mowgli makes Shanti fall into the river and drop her water jug. The look on her face and the way she growled at him was priceless!
In conclusion I really think anyone who has seen Jungle Book, should really pick up this movie. It's a really good one and I even think it's better than the original. So get with the Jungle Rhythm and join Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, Shere Khan and all their friends for another adventure full of humor, friendship and learning where you belong.
Favorite Scene:
Mowgli (to Shanti): Well, keep your eyes and ears open and always watch your back, or the last sound you'll hear is... (Ranjan jumps out of the bushes and roars. Shanti screams and falls into the river, dropping her water jug.) When does the tiger roar?
Shanti: You're horrible! Horrible, stinky boys! Come on, Ranjan. He's a bad influence. (They walk into the village.) Now, don't move. That wasn't very nice you know.
(Ranjan growls like a tiger.)
Shanti: Stop that! You're not a jungle boy.
Ranjan: Why are you so ascared of the jungle?
Shanti: Because it's dangerous.
Ranjan: Dangerwis? But Mowgli says...
Shanti: You shouldn't listen to everything Mowgli says.
Ranjan: But I thought you like Mowgli.
Shanti: I do. I-I like Mowgli. I...I... (She turns around to see Mowgli standing there.)
Mowgli: You left this at the river. (Hands Shanti her water jug back.)
Shanti: Thank you.
Ranjan: She's in a bad mood.
Mowgli: Hey, Ranjan, want to see a little trick I learned in the jungle?
(Ranjan nods and Mowgli lassos some fruit down off a tree.)
Ranjan: That's a pretty neat trick.
Shanti: Well, here's a little trick I learned, right here at home.
(She does the same thing, but manages to get the whole lot of fruit down.)
Ranjan: Wow! That's a neater trick!
Shanti: Like I said, Ranjan, don't listen to him.
2 Eh....it's alright.
It seems like Disney can't keep their greedy little fingers off any original Disney film. They had already come out with a few sequels....namely "The Little Mermaid 2", "Peter Pan 2", and "Pocahontas 2", so it was only fitting that "The Jungle Book 2" would be next in line.
I have to admit that this movie wasn't horrible, but it wasn't the greatest either. The main plot/storyline is this: Mowgli misses life in the jungle, and it shows not only in his songs, but in his stories also. Baloo misses his little "man cub" too, so one night, he decides to "kidnap" Mowgli and take him back to the jungle. The upside is that both Baloo and Mowgli are happy again. The downside is that Mowgli's two new villiage friends -- Shanti and Ranjan -- miss him, and go out in the jungle to look for him. The story turns into a two-way tie....following the adventures of both Shanti and Ranjan, and Mowgli and Baloo. In the end, Mowgli realizes that his heart lies in the man villiage.
The animation seemed kinda so-so in my opinion. They obviously did their best to copy the original animation, and they achieved it in a way that I think was ok, but not great.
The voice acting was superb. John Goodman did a pretty good (but not great) Baloo, Haley Joel Osment presents himself nicely as young Mowgli, and Jim Cummings does a wonderful job of portraying the sly and sinister thoughts of Kaa the snake. (I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Cummings once when I was about 8-10 yrs. old, actually. Nice guy.)
All-in-all, it's a film that'll keep the kids on their toes clapping and laughing, but will have the parents waiting for it to end. *wink* It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that great either. I gave it three stars because I'm a "kid at heart", and I enjoyed it. *smile*
3 Where is the old hunter Buldeo?
The best of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories took place in the man village because that's where Mowgli meets a superstitious old hunter named Buldeo. Buldeo claims that the tiger Shere Khan is supernatural, the ghost of a wicked old money lender. When Mowgli says that Shere Khan is only a very disagreeable tiger Buldeo threatens to spank our young hero.
When Buldeo learns that Mowgli has a vendetta with the tiger and a black panther as his personal body guard the old man tells the other villagers that Mowgli is a demon child who is able to turn himself from a boy to a wolf, and back to a boy at will. This is great story telling. But where is Buldeo? He isn't in the movie at all! It's like leaving the Wicked Witch out of the movie version of "The Wizard of Oz".
On a side note, in the Kipling stories the black panther Bagheera has a secret so shameful he can tell no one but Mowgli. Bagheera was born in a zoo, chained and keep in a cage for the amusement of men. But rather than blame Mowgli for the cruelty he suffered in captivity Bagheera sees the boy as a kindred spirit. They were both separated from their own kind at an early age. Once we have that bit of information the relationship between the boy and the panther makes sense. We are able to understand Bagheera's total devotion to the Mowgli. But the movie never explains that. I realize that the movie shouldn't follow the book completely. But since the book was so much richer the movie seemed like a let down.
4 'Jungle Book 2' DVD (Walt Disney Studios)
Can the Walt Disney people still assemble a good animated movie or what?I've just recently even become aware of this sequel to the 1967(was it?)original.Well,THAT movie will always have a special place in my heart as I remember seeing it when it first came out when I was,like ten.The 'Jungle Book 2',I thought had a real good storyline and production.Most of the beloved jungle characters return here,like Baloo,Bagheera,Kaa,Sonny(the baby elephant),Shere Khan and the two vultures(did they even have names?).The animation is(as always,of course)top rate.My two favorite scenes were where Mowgli and Baloo step over to King Louie's temple to join everyone else for a memorable dance number while there were animals strutting their stuff on EVERY square inch of the temple's foundation and the dramatic/eerie scene where Mowgli,the girl and Baloo try to draw Shere Khan away by secretly banging on the temple's ancient gongs and the tiger ends up being trapped...(you'd have to see the movie yourself).Their remake of "The Bare Necessities" was good.A movie that the whole family could enjoy on especially a rainy night.By the way,whatever happened to King Louie?
5 my son love this movie
My 2 1/2 year old son loves this movie. He dances and sings (and marches) with all the songs, and he loves the little boy. If you, as an adult, remember the original and are going to be annoyed about different voices, songs, etc., by all means, skip this one! But your kids will be missing out on a cute, fun movie. (To my son, this is an original!)
6 "Isn't it ironic that your name is 'Lucky'?"
One of the best Disney "obligatory" sequels. Nice continuity. It looks and sounds good. John Goodman and the rest of the new voice-cast do a decent job. The songs are so-so, catchy for kids. Plus, the plot is basically harmless. Nothing politically correct nor is it a guilt trip. The movie just tries to entertain the small fry, and it does it very well as my kids have made me sit through this movie no less than 30 times. Not to be overlooked, but nothing to scream about, either...
7 Has Kid Appeal
This rating is based on my kids' (four and two) perspectives. They love it--especially the four-year-old. To me, however, this film is lacking that "Disney Magic." In fact, it smacks of direct-to-video release material. I can't believe this actually appeared in theaters.
It's interesting that some reviewers comment on the lack of plot. The original JB plot is lacking, as well. Get the boy out of the jungle and to the man-village to escape Shere Khan. That lack of plot in both films, however, magnifies the difference between the two. JB1, interestingly, is the first Disney film where the actors actually played a part in the development of the characters. Phil Harris IS Baloo. Same goes for Louis Prima (King Louie), Sebastian Cabot (Bagheera), George Sanders (Shere Khan) and Sterling Holloway (Kaa).
How can John Goodman, et al, compete? In most instances, they cannot. Goodman was awesome in Monsters, Inc., but here his performance seems lackluster and uninspired. Same goes for most (but not all) of the other characters.
It is interesting to note that Jim Cummings who provides Kaa's voice in JB2 also is the "modern voice" of Pooh. And, that Sterling Holloway who provided Kaa's voice in JB1 was the "original voice" of Pooh. Cummings does a good job as Kaa in JB2.
Overall, there was no way for Disney to satisfy us adults, who grew up on the original JB (and like me who recently shelled out big bucks to get the original on DVD), but it does work on the kids' level. And, that's what matters in my book.
8 Pleasantly Surprised
The story of Jungle Book 2 is basically a do-over of the original Jungle Book. Mowgli once again finds himself in the jungle having a grand adventure with all of the old characters. The only real difference is that this time he brings along two others from the "man village". But that's okay. The story was good the first time, and because of decent writing and great casting, the story is good a second time also. Re-doing the story was a much better choice than trying to make some wierd interpretation, or just a lazily written sequel.
The casting in this movie is really good, with voices that sound authentic enough that you don't bother comparing them to the original. Doubtless that was a big help to making this a best-ever sequel.
The music in this movie was also very good. Reusing some of the old music, tinkering around with some new mixes, and adding some brand new scores brought together a totally fun soundtrack. The Smashing Pumpkins never before sounded this good.
While not of the same calaber as the original Jungle Book, JB2 comes in a close second and is far better than I really expected of a sequel considering Disney's reputation for stupid, cheap, straight-to-video sequels. There is also an option on the DVD to play just the music scores of the movie, which the children really enjoy. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by this sequel and hope that Disney will take this as a new standard for their sequels.
9 The 5 stars is to even out my 2 star prereview (I'd put 4)
I'll be honest. I wrote the 2 star prereview called "Why did this happen?" But I rented this movie and I liked it alot (It's in my top 3 Disney sequels even), and even ended up getting it. I might like it more than the first one because it is much more colorful. The voice actors do a good job, even though the plot is simple and has been done before (Lady and the Tramp 2). This is a definate movie to buy for kids under 8, even who haven't seen the original, but if you're over 8 and want to see it, rent or borrow it first.
10 Disney Makes Excellent Movies!!
Hi, I'm Chen, In February 2003, I went to the movie theater with my mom and my two sisters, and it was great! I bought the DVD in June 2003 when it first came out. When I got home, I watched it in my PS2 system, and it was GREAT! This movie is so awesome. I will have some of my friends come to my house and watch it if they liked it. I also like the songs in this movie. I know how to sing "Jungle Rhythm". I also seen the original The Jungle Book like hundreds of times since when I was like age 5. The original The Jungle Book is great, too! But I think the second one is better than the original Jungle Book, because especially Shanti, the little girl, she reminds me of my girlfriend. This movie also kind of reminds me of the Harry Potter series. YOU SHOULD GET THIS MOVIE ON DVD SOMEDAY.
11 A "Bare Necessity" for your Disney Library!
The movie starts out recapping what happened in the original Jungle Book movie, with a swingin' beat! (My girls, ages 4 & 5, were dancing all the way thru it!)
Mowgli is voiced by Haley Joel Osment, and he does a wonderful job! Mowgli is fed up with the rules of the man-village and longs for his old pal Baloo (voiced very well by John Goodman) and the jungle life. When Baloo strays into the man-village one night looking for Mowgli, Shanti (a girl from the man-village) spies him and screams "wild animal!" The villagers all come to her aid, but spy Shere Khan (voiced by Tony Jay) in the village instead of Baloo. This enables Baloo and Mowgli to slip into the jungle, unseen by anyone, except Shanti. Shanti follows them, seeking to "rescue" Mowgli. This is when the "fun" begins!
The songs are addictive! (and annoying if your 5 yr old sings them for days on end!) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, as did my kids! We've watched it numerous times and would recommend it to all! It is a delightful story and a joy to watch!
1smileycat :-)
12 My kids love it, and so do I!
I'll admit that I was hesitant to buy this one, mostly because I'd read bad reviews of it. Boy, am I glad I did. My kids absolutely love this movie, and I like it even better than the original Jungle Book. They cast the perfect actors to do the voices, especially John Goodman, who does a wonderful job as Baloo. Also, to be perfectly honest, I like the story line of this movie better than that of the original; I think it appeals to kids more. If you've been thinking about trying Jungle Book 2, I definitely recommend buying a copy soon, before it goes back in the Disney vault! You won't be sorry.
13 Leaves A Bad Taste in Your Mouth
If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and don't. I refuse to even buy it for my daughter, lest she possibly become instilled with poor taste. I was so upset after wasting money on it at the theatre that I wrote a nasty letter to my local newspaper for recommending it.
Sequel's rarely exceed the original, but in this case that still left plenty of room for a good film. However this sequel is actually so bad that it pollutes the memory of the great original film. If Walt were alive this would surely make him sick to his stomach. Disney does a great job at snuffing out bad press but the smell of this one is so great they will certainly need to bury it...
14 Nothing special about it... a waste of time
For being the sequel to the last movie that Disney himself was involved in, this movie doesn't help itself much. Save for the voices of the actors and the extended color palette (that's what the two stars are for), for the most part the movie is a poor extension of the original without anything to add to it. As a matter of fact, the storyline is very much a refried version of the original: no new villains, no new challenges, still Mowgli confronting his nemesis Shere Khan the tiger, even the monkey scene is refried, but mimicking it with children this time. Not worth renting, much less buying.
15 No more Direct-to-video movies
If you are going to make a movie, do it right. This effort is an embarassment to the wonderful Jungle Book. It has fine actors, so they are not to blame. They just don't have a movie to make, or a story to tell.
Walt said it best, 'You have to tell a story. Without a story, there is no reason to do anything else.'
16 Well, the kids seem to like it
I try to watch Disney sequels objectively- I enjoyed "Return to Neverland" and "Lion King II" (I only liked the 3rd installment of "Aladdin" because they wisely brought back Robin Williams). But "Jungle Book 2"...eh, not my cup o' tea.
The opening sequence is promising- Mowgli (Haley Joel Osment) is telling his tales from the Jungle in shadow puppet form to his friend Shanti (Mae Whitman, the adorable urchin from "One Fine Day", and "State of Grace"), the young girl who originally lured Mowgli into the Man village in the 1st movie. It is not clear how the people in the village are related, but there is also a young boy named Rajan who idolizes Mowgli and is fascinated with tigers. When Mowgli starts missing his old "Papa Bear" Baloo (John Goodman), the movie cuts to Baloo, who is missing Mowgli and plotting to nab him from the man village. From here, the "2" movie is pretty much like the first, except that Shanti and Rajan are along for the ride. The vultures are also back, but their addition to this movie is pretty much just so they can add Phil Collins name to the starring bill- they add no relevance to the storyline. This movie is fun for the kids, but falls flat for the fans of the original- perhaps we are too biased to accept a retelling of an old tale (because that's what this pretty much is). The original had it all- the late, great Phil Harris as Baloo, better musical numbers, and the legendary Louis Prima as King Louie! That's a tough act to beat. At least Jim Cummings ("Kaa") is a decent replacement for Sterling Holloway (he was the original voice for Winnie-the-Pooh, and died in 1992). The DVD extras try to revive the original movie, but also add a fun interactive game featuring Mowgli. My kids love this movie, so how I feel about it is irrelevant (it's very wierd hearing Smash Mouth sing their rendition of "I Wanna Be Like You"). It's currently on Pay-per-view, so spend four bucks before you spend 20 and decide for yourself.
17 pleasantly surprosed
I bought JB2 for my pre-schooler and she loves it. It has some old favorites (songs) from the original plus some pretty good new songs. Over all, we enjoy watching it at least once a week and so far it hasn't gotten on my nerves, which I think says a lot...being a parent of a young child who loves to watch movies over and over! I liked the original JB and I like the sequel equally well.
18 Can new voices be accepted by the audience
I spent the time reading the Publisher's review, which was very interesting and encouraging. BEWARE--when you get to the end you find something very common in these reviews. THE REVIEW IS OF A VERSION THAT YOU CAN'T BUY. WHY SHOULD WE WANT TO READ SUCH A REVIEW? IF PUT IN AT ALL, AT LEAST THE STANDARDS OF DECENCY WOULD PUT THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T REFER TO WHAT YOU ARE ABLE TO BUY. I have the original, and will very likely buy this one, but I resent having my time wasted reading a glowing review of something that DOESN'T EXIST. I will look at whose voice is used in major characters.
19 A Very Poorly Made Disney Sequel.
I actually purchased this movie after hearing the decent reviews it received. It admittedly wasn't the most horrible sequel ever. But it came pretty close. The story is all rehash. The one quote by Mowgli's foster father: "YOU DELIBERATELY DISOBEYED ME!" is ripped right from the "Lion King," where Mufasa tells Simba the same exact thing. The story itself is feeble at best. Shanti is a shallow character who can't really remind you of anyone becuase she's just...there. There's no feeling or creativity in her. I have seen decent Disney sequels with characters I've actually been able to feel for (ie, "101 Dalmatians II" & "Cinderella II"), but this unfortunately isn't one of them. The songs are...how shall we put this, corny? Cheesy? One of those food-related words that generally means "bad" but not "painful to listen to, just annoying."
Okay, the one song with the monkeys (WHY did they not include King Louie, I liked him?!) is all right. Kind of catchy--if I remember correctly. I can't think of the tune right now. But the voice of John Goodman as Baloo just doesn't fit. He's done alot of characters and done them well (ie, Sulley from Monsters Inc, NOT MIKE WAZOWSKI, who was played by Billy Crystal), but Baloo's character doesn't mesh with his voice; the two don't work together. *shrug* It's difficult to explain. It just does not sound right, it's not a good mix.
Ths plot is basically just a redo of the original, with Shere Kahn out stalking Mowgli for revenge and a pretty dumb new vulture named Lucky. The humor is almost not present; I can't remember laughing. It kept me moderately entertained for maybe an hour, then I kinda wished it was over, then I decided I'd probably never end up watching it again and regretting that I'd bought the thing! This movie did have a FEW things going for it, I do know that much....I just can't seem to recall what they were. Which means it gave me a bad impression. Which means it was pretty awful overall.
20 Better then the Country Bears
I bet a lot of people are wondering, when is Disney going to get tired of making sequels? I don't know for sure, or when they will get tired of making sequels. While the orginal was out in 1967, this movie was released this year. The movie takes place after Mowgli has left the jungle and moved to a man villiage. The movie has 2 songs from the first movie, and one of them is I want to be like you peformed by Smashmouth. And it has new songs like Jungel Ryhtem. And both Baloo and Mowgli doing solos. As the movie opens, Mowgli (Haley Joel Osment) is telling his life story, as much as he knows of it. And he is missing the jungle, and he is not allowed to cross the water. While in the jungel, Baloo (John Goodman) is missing Mowgli, and can't not cross the water to visit or bring Mowgli back to the jungle. When a girl named Shanti (Mae Whitman) catches Mowgli crossing the river, with kids including his step-brother (Connor Funk), she screams stop, and then Mowgli's father comes running, and orders the kids back to the land including Mowgli, and when Mowgli does follow his father's orders, he grounds Mowgli to his room without his supper. Almost every character from the first movie, is back expect for King Louie, and a lot of them has a bigger part including Shere Khan (Tony Jay) who is back in the jungel, looking to get revenge on Mowgli.
21 Kids will dig it, Adults will hate it
A die-hard Disney fan, I grew up with the original Jungle Book. The music, the voices, and the animation entrenched themselves so deeply into my psyche that no sequel could have done the original justice. The producers of this one must have understood that there are many like myself. So instead of tackling the challenge of producing a film to rival Walt's original masterpiece, Disney took the easy road. The result is no more than a delightly animated saturday morning kids cartoon that will keep a kid busy for an hour but will leave their parents rather frustrated. If you're looking for a tribute to- or even a continuation of- the original Jungle Book, you won't find it in this film.
First let me tell you what I liked about the movie: The animation is great! In this aspect (and this aspect only) the producers have replicated and improved on the animation of the first. The jungle is enchanting as ever, the leaves greener. Also brilliant is the voice of Jim Cummings as Kaa and Col. Hathi. Non voice-buffs will never be able to tell the difference between Cummings and the legendary Sterling Holloway of the original. I have never seen a voice duplicated so well. Cummings himself has cut himself out to be a modern Disney classic.
But other than those two things, JB2, however nicely animated, is a case of misguided nostalgia. Either the writers have never seen the original JB, or they have completely ignored its story. While my 2-yr-old is bedazzled by the dancing animals, I scratch my head as the list of inconsistancies gets longer and longer.
We are told by one of the producers in a bonus feature on the DVD that JB2 takes place just 5 days after the original ends. How then, after living 8 years in the jungle with animals, has Mowgli completely adapted to human life? I mean, they could have cut out 2 minutes of the dancing animals and explained to me how Mowgli learned the man language just 5 days after meeting a human for the first time. Keep in mind also that Mowgli would have known Baloo for a measely couple days- yet in risking his life to re-enter the jungle, he has no desire whatsoever to revisit the pack of wolves that protected and raised him in the jungle for 8 years.
Also frustrating is the utter lack of musical creativity. I counted 2 original songs here- Osment's butchering of the lackluster "Jungle Rhythm," and the song the animals dance to at King Louie's (who, mysteriously, doesn't bother to make an appearance in this sequel). You'd think that in the 36 years that separate these films, the folks at Disney might be able to come up with some decent music. Nah, Disney's musical genius has been lagging behind for several years now, and JB2 is living proof.
My last beef with this movie- John Goodman as Baloo. Ok, I know he did a great job as Sully on Monsters, Inc., but he doesn't hold a candle to the brilliance of Phil Harris. Not that anybody could, but you think with their pool of talent they could at least come close. Goodman has talent, yes. Unfortunately it's not in cartoon voicing or singing. Goodman seems lost with Baloo; the character completely eludes him. This could be because he was the wrong voice for the character. Ed Gilbert, who voiced Baloo in the "Tail Spin" cartoon, could have done a whole lot better.
Bottom line: Rent it for your kid, but be ready to cringe. Another awful Disney sequel.
22 Jungle Book 2
This is a good movie but it could have been a little better. Very enjoyable; I liked the music (Jungle Rhythm) Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) plays a good Mowgli and Mae Whitman (ABC Family's State of Grace) does an excellent job as Shanti.
23 possibly the best Disney sequal to date
When i say sequal, i mean excluding Resculers Down Under and Toy Story 2, just to put that straight.
I hate the sudden Disney sequels. There a insult to the orignals, they bring down the quality of Disney cartoons, and sitting through most of them, to me, is like having a root canel.
Then came this one. It was giving to me as a gift, much to my disapproval, and couldn't be returned. I decided to just throw it in a see how much i clinged, which i did once. Oddly, i found myself laughing at certain parts. They actually did a decent job finding voices that matched, tho i kept on hearing "i see dead people" in my head. It wasn't the best, but it was, compared to the other sequals, half way decent.
The story is basically about Moguli's life after the jungle in the village, with his new family, including a step brother (who is adorable) and a best friend. But he becomes home sick, and with the help of Baloo, goes back into the jungle, with his best friend and step brother going in after him to find him.
The songs get old FAST - they could have cut out most of them to me. The new charcters - esp Lucky, a vulture who lives up to his name - are good. The old charcters have the same feel to them that they did in the orignal.
Now, the orignal Jungle Book has never really been a favorite of mine in the Disney collection. However, i do actually think that maybe Disney, as much as i DON'T want to see more, is actually getting a clue on how to do a decent, straight to video (tho this one was in theatres for about a week) sequals.
24 Nice little sequel
We liked it! I thought John Goodman did a great job as Baloo -- he's got the spirit down. And I'm not overly fond of Haley Joel Osment but his Mowgli is very close to the original. This movie isn't showing us much of anything new, but that's okay; no one's nominating it for an Oscar. My toddler loves it, and my husband and I like it just fine, except we do miss King Louie -- I guess they realized absolutely no one could step into Louis Prima's shoes.
25 The Bare Neccesities (Do Not Include this DVD)
Uck! Sure I pretended to like it but this movie is horrible! It's not just horrible, it's CRAPTACULAR! Seriously! Why does Disney spoil us with Lilo and Stitch and Lizzie McGuire and then throw this crap at us without even asking, "can we please release this"? Sure, "Jungle Rythm" Is 15% catchy, but it only accounts for 1/97 of the whole movie. It's not that I totally hate the movie, (that's a lie) it was just going back to school and hearing how cool Daredevil was, and how THEIR parents let THEM see it, and that I should see it, and that Jungle Book 2 is so dorky, and how they feel sorry for me, and that there's this cool part in the subway when... (this is when I sneak away.) Oh well, maybe I could watch Return to Never Land... AS IF! Blech. Blech. Double, triple, quadruple, quintuple, octa, yada yada
BLEECCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
26 Still fun for all ages on DVD
While Jungle Book 2 isn't in the same league as the original, it's a pleasantly surprising sequel. Why pleasantly surprising? Well, the writing, animation and production values are all quite good and consistent with the stuff we've seen in the more cutting edge Disney vehicles. The voice casting is quite good as well; the actors chosen don't imitate so much as reinterpret the roles.
Songs in Disney movies have been a problem since the death of Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin). Ashman was the consumate lyricist--his witty, informed lyrics never sounded forced. Tim Rice's lyrics for the Elton John penned Lion King music came close on occasion (as did Rice's single contribution to Aladdin). While Rice isn't quite in the same league as Ashman, his words would have made these songs better. The music doesn't sound as recycled and second hand as the direct-to-video material for Aladdin and the 40 Thieves. They also don't have the freshness that the Sherman brothers or any number of other composers might have brought to the project. While Randy Newman's material might have sounded out of place here, I could see Lyle Lovett coming up with material (please, no more Phil Collins or Sting stuff).
The DVD has some nice extras including a brief recap of the original film. The DVD I purchased came without a booklet (or even an insert with chapter listings). If Disney is getting this cheap about issuing their material on DVD, I'll be reluctant to purchase other Disney films. I find these inserts useful for the kids. I also enjoy the artwork, too.
Jungle Book 2 is an enjoyable sequel to the classic original. While it lacks the distinctive feel of the original, it makes for it with a more contemporary pace and character interactions. It's a nice addition to any Disney collection and enjoyable and appropriate for the whole family.
27 Great Sequel for Family Viewing
Our family thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie! It was highly approriate for very young children as well as entertaining...not just for the little ones, but for the parents who sat and watched beside them. The animation and music are extremely well done, and the story line is easy to follow and understand for children. Shanti, the new girl character, exhibits a strong side in showing persistence and dedication to finding her friend Mowgli when he is supposedly lost in the jungle. The little boy, Raji (sp?) is hilarious and is representative of many sweet and adventurous little 3 year olds. We are so glad to have this movie as part of our sparse DVD collection. Hopefully, we can find the soundtrack because the music is so enjoyable! It's a great movie, and don't let the comparisons to the original stop you from purchasing this well done sequel.
28 Utter disappointment
I like to consider myself one of the ultimate Disney fans, and I thought this movie was just awful. Mowgli was so much more whiney and obnoxious, and Haley Joel Osment did not have the same attitude as the voice in the first one. The tunes are not at all catchy, most of them are just annoying. And, with all due respect to John Goodman, you are not Phil Harris. You can't compare the Baloo in this one to the Baloo in the first. This movie seems like more of a Disney money maker than a real classic. It's especially disappointing after awesome movies like Lilo and Stitch and Treasure Planet.
29 Pleasing sequel to classic original
Some of the reviews here appear abit premature (the last couple I read were from people who hadn't even seen the movie--they judged it from the trailer!). In many respects Jungle Book 2 could, on the surface, look like a cash-in similar to the Peter Pan sequel Return to Neverland (that film had been planned as a direct-to-video release originally but turned out looking so good that it was released theatrically). That's hardly the case with Jungle Book 2.
The animation uses many of the design elements from the original film and incorporates some nice computer generated imagery as well. It's a bit surprising that folks expect the voices of the original actors. The original Jungle Book was released in 1967 (if memory serves) and all the original actors have been dead for quite some time.
The voice casting for the sequel is quite good. Haley Joel Osmond (A.I., The Sixth Sense)makes a fine Mowogli and John Goodman as Baloo captures his character perfectly without imitating the late Phil Harris. Equally good are Jim Cummings (in dual roles as both Col Hathi and the snake...whose name escapes me at the moment. Cummings also is the present day voice for Winnie The Pooh). Bob Joles manages to recall Sebastian Cabot in his portrayal of Bagheera. It's a pity his character isn't more central to the story like in the original. Phil Collins steps in as Lucky a new Vulture to torture Sheer Khan with bad puns, jokes and timing. It's ironic that Collins plays the role as the quartet of vultures from the original film were caricatures of The Beatles.
The script is both witty and the pacing swift. Children won't get bored and, yes, adults just might be entertained. Jungle Book 2 isn't a sequel as much of an update of the original film with more contemporary references. The conflict is once again between Mowgli and Shere Khan; Shere Kahn has returned to the jungle looking for revenge against the man cub. Baloo (brilliantly played by John Goodman)is bored out of his mind and rushes out to find Mowgoli again as he misses his buddy. Mowogli takes to the jungle again with Baloo when Shanti (the little girl who tempted Mowogli into the man village in the first place)alerts the town to Baloo's presence. She believes Baloo to be a dangerous wild animal. At the same time Shere Kahn has entered the village looking for Mowogli and is attacked by the villagers who believe he is the wild animal Shanti alerted them to.
Shanti, feeling guilty for her treatment of her best friend Mowogli, goes in search of Mowogli. In the process, she becomes lost in the jungle but proves she's every bit as tough as Mowogli. The film rushes to a showdown between Shere Kahn, Baloo Mowogli and Shanti in the city of ruins.
The songs are engaging (and, yes, a number of classic songs turn up again slightly jazzed up for modern audiences. These classics manage to retain their flair and charm despite the passage of 35 years). The fluid animation, acting and witty script are not captured very well in the trailer that played late last year and early this year. The Jungle Book 2 is every bit a worthy sequel to the original. While it doesn't quite live up to the original film's spectacle and songs, it recaptures much of the fun of the first film without pandering to its audience.
My children were captivated by the film and I found it enjoyable as well. I have to admit I had my doubts but this fine production quickly won me over. It's definitely worth a visit to the theater to catch.
30 Not even close!
Jungle Book 2 did not even come close to the first. You don't remember the songs when you walk out of the theatre either. It was a disappointment.
Sher Khan was not supercilious, just mean in this one. Baloo was not as adorable as in the first. Bagheera was an "extra" in this one!! Mowgli was not as fearless as in the first one either! The characters had the same names, but were not the same.
But "Ranjan" (the little kid) was cute though.
31 Why did this happen?!
I love the 1st Jungle Book and watch it frequently. I definatly did NOT want them to make a Jungle Book 2. You can't just pin a sequel on a classic movie made nearly 40 years before! (They did that to Peter Pan and that movie was very stupid.) Well anyways, I saw the commercial and the voices aren't the same and the animation is DEFINATELY not the same. I'd personally just settle for the 1st Jungle Book re-release. I will probably see this when it comes to DVD because I like the 1st one so much, but I have pretty low expectations.
32 Jungle Book 2
I live in Tanzania, East Africa. I saw Jungle Book 1 in Drive In Cinema and it was wonderful night some 15 years ago. The beauty was ehnanced further as Tanzania has lot of Jungle and the practically all scenes seen in the Movie, Including night scenes with moon shining over lake / River are in Real Life here.
The Jungle Book 2 will take those things many steps further and it is a film worth watching over and over again. I think that DVD is the best thing ...
33 I can't believe this.
I can't believe Disney had the gall to do this. I am judging the concept only, as I have not seen the movie (I don't even think it's ouy yet). This won't even SOUND similar to the first! Just look at those big names for the voiceovers. I'm sorry, but I really don't think John Goodman can fill Phil Harris' shoes when it comes to the voice of Baloo.
There actually was a second jungle book by Rudyard Kipling, but judging by what I see on the promotional poster, this will have nothing to do with it. I liked the original Jungle Book movie by Disney, even though it was not faithful to Kipling's tales (which are beyond compare). Disney's lust for money from sequels is just going too far.
