After a delightful opening, in which jungle boy Mowgli (voiced by Haley Joel Osment) recaps much of the original Jungle Book in a sprightly shadow puppet show, The Jungle Book 2 swiftly turns into a carbon copy of the splendidly swinging previous movie. After his old pal Baloo the bear (voiced by John Goodman) draws Mowgli away from the man-village, with all its work and rules, and back into the glorious indolence of the jungle, the movie repeats--in a less energetic form--an encounter with Kaa the snake, the cockney vultures, a musical number at the monkey's palace, the menace of Shere Khan the tiger, and even the song "The Bare Necessities." The only difference is that there's a girl named Shanti along for the ride; sadly, her character is so bland that it doesn't do much to justify the movie's existence. --Bret Fetzer
(36 votes)
2.
Disney's "Man Cub" Mowgli (voice of Haley Joel Osment) is back in this animated sequel to the 1967 classic. Mowgli, now living with an adopted family in a nearby jungle village, is homesick for his jungle adventures and his good friends, like Baloo the Bear (voice of John Goodman) and Bagheera the Panther (voice of Bob Joles). But because the villagers believe that the jungle is a dangerous place for children, Mowgli isn't allowed to visit. Bored and lonely, he dreams of his carefree days in the jungle and finally runs away from his new home to visit the jungle and the friends he left behind. This time he is followed by his neighbor Shanti (voice of Mae Whitman) and together they meet Baloo and friends for more adventures. The fun-loving, jovial bear is overjoyed to see his old friend, and a little jealous of Shanti, but together they share some spirited JUNGLE BOOK moments, to the tune of original classics like "Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You" and new hits like "W.I.L.D." Mowgli is thrilled that things in the jungle haven't changed, until he realizes that Shere Khan (voice of Tony Jay) the Tiger is thirsty for revenge and threatening to harm his jungle family. Together with Shanti, Baloo, Bagheera, and some new faces like Lucky the Vulture (Phil Collins) Mowgli must fight Shere Khan one last time.
(38 votes)
3.
The man-cub now lives in the village among humans, learning about the love of a family for the first time in his life. His new life includes his little stepbrother, Ranjan, and his best friend Shanti, the girl that initially wooed him from the jungle. But living in the village means following human rules, a new concept that encroaches on the freedoms he enjoyed during his upbringing in the jungle.
Moreover, Mowgli’s still got that jungle rhythm in his heart. He misses his old buddy Baloo, who likewise pines for his little man-cub pal. While the wise panther, Bagheera, and Colonel Hathi’s Elephant Patrol attempt to keep Baloo from disturbing Mowgli’s new-human existence, Mowgli is putting the jungle bug in the ear of the village children — during the rousing musical number, "Jungle Rhythm." The children have been lectured since birth about the dangers of the jungle, and have been forbidden to enter its mysterious foliage. But Mowgli’s infectious song innocently leads the village children toward the jungle — only to be halted by Mowgli’s stepfather, who promptly punishes Mowgli for his disobedience.
Meanwhile, Baloo isn’t the only one hoping to see Mowgli again soon — the man-eating tiger Shere Khan impatiently awaits revenge for his humiliation. Shere Khan slips into the man village hoping to find the man-cub just as Mowgli is sneaking away to the jungle with the help of Baloo. Shanti is so worried about Mowgli that she overcomes her own fear of the jungle and goes after him — followed, unbeknownst to her, by the irrepressible Ranj an.
Baloo sets forth to convince the man-cub that his place is in the jungle, taking his quest to musical extremes with the show-stopping, Busby Berkeley-style musical number, "W-I-L-D." But the fun can’t last. With the hypnotic snake Kaa seeking a snack, Shere Khan out for vengeance and the villagers scouring the jungle, the chase is on to find Mowgli and get him to safety. In the end, Shanti and Baloo must team up to help their mutual pal defeat the nefarious tiger, and Mowgli is faced with deciding between old friends and new family.
(35 votes)
4.
"An absolute delight from beginning to end." -Clay Smith, Access Hollywood
From Disney's wildly popular The Jungle Book comes a thrilling, all new animated feature film. The jungle is jumping again as Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, and the rest of your favorite characters return in the fun filled musical adventure The Jungle Book 2. "It's a work of such charm and imagination it should enchant children of all ages" (Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times).
Mowgli (Haley Joel Osmont) has been living in the village among humans. His new life includes his new stepbrother, Ranjan, and his best friend, Shanti, but the man club still has that jungle rhythm in this heart, and he misses his old buddy Baloo (John Goodman). When Mowgli wanders back into the wild for some swingin' fun, he soon finds Baloo isn't the only one waiting for him- the man eating tiger Shere Khan is lurking in the shadows and planning his revenge. If he is to defeat his nemesis, Mowgli will need the help of both his old friends and his new family.
With a host of original toe-tappin' tunes paired with a bonus DVD game, music videos, and deleted scenes, The Jungle Book 2 has something to delight the entire family.
(32 votes)
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