The Jungle Book 2 (2003)
Mowgli has been living in the man-village with his little stepbrother Ranjan and his best friend Shanti. But the man-cub still has that jungle rhythm in his heart, and he misses his old buddies Baloo and Bagheera. When Mowgli wanders back to the wild for some swingin' fun, he soon finds the man-eating tiger Shere Khan is lurking in the shadows and planning his revenge.
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So much average
Simply Perfect
A lot of fun.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
A terrible rehash of the original Jungle Book, where everything is worse, and they lead characters ever so often do song and dance numbers, even less motivated than in the original film.John Goodman as Baloo is maybe passable (but different from the original version, of course), Haley Joel Osment is OK as Mowgli, Phil Collins is great and the other actors do a decent day's work, but the story stinks, and a lot of the scenes and ploys are reused from the original movie. Although those involved in the making of this howler pride themselves of the fact that the technology used in this movie was so vastly better than that used in the original movie, it sure is one of the worst Disney movies I've seen, and I've seen a lot, the last 60 years of my life!Thanks to huge advances in technology, and script-writing, movies this bad are just not made by Disney nowadays!
The Jungle Book 2 is one of Disney's most artificial movies in the last few decades and one of the most shameless cash-ins on a story, already more than thirty years old. The film is thin, vacant, free of substance, laughs, and fun. At a mere sixty-six minutes, minus credits, it somehow managed to get a theatrical release, and still charge you for a full length experience.The film doesn't even try to hide the fact it is a cash-in because it repeats the same old story, with the same old song. Mowgli (now voiced by Haley Joel Osment) is now living in the Man Village with his crush Shanti, her brother Ranjan, and their parents. Despite being fond of his new home, he still misses the atmosphere and free spirit of the jungle and the friends he made there.What does he do? After getting in trouble, Mowgli is frustrated (even though he was wrong in the first place) and runs away to search for his friends in the jungle. He runs in to good ol' Baloo the Bear (voiced by John Goodman), and they're off to have a number of adventures involving excitement in peril, or, whatever you can really do sixty-six minutes.If you don't knock it for rehashing the old formula, you can at least say the film is dull and noneventful more than it should be. The first twenty-five minutes are nothing close to exciting, and the danger isn't as frightening as the film would like to believe. It's monotonous, dry, and utterly predictable.When it comes to voice acting, the film vaguely redeems itself. Osment does a nice job as Mowgli, and while Goodman is welcomed as Baloo, it isn't close to the original Phil Harris voice, which was deep, insightful, and addicting. Not to mention, the colors are vibrant and welcoming, giving the false impression they are used in the efforts to create a fun and memorable experience.The problem with films like The Jungle Book 2 is that they aren't healthy for children, and are relentlessly boring for adults. Mainly because they are sugarcoated, lack insight and whimsicality, mistake a gentle appearance for a sense of wholesomeness, and are too short to even find compelling or enjoyable. The original Jungle Book is a wonderful film, mainly because it is soft, fresh, and simple. The only thing hurting it is Disney's inability to keep a DVD of their classics out for more than a year before they are sealed back in "The Disney Vault" only to be seen online, commanding outrageous prices. The Jungle Book 2 is nothing more than an unnecessary rehash that should've and would've been bound for an immediate DVD release had not Disney seen dollar signs in front of the film's poster.Voiced by: Haley Joel Osment, John Goodman, Mae Whitman, Connor Funk, Bob Joles, and Tony Jay. Directed by: Steve Trenbirth.
What I like is how well drawn and well animated JUNGLE BOOK 2 is.It combines had drawn animation with computer generated backgrounds and special efx giving it a very special human quality. I would almost put it on a par with Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin.Mowgli and Baloo the Bear are so likable as are all the characters in this wonderful film.Our 7 year old son loved the music and was actually up dancing around the Living Room during the closing credits to the jazzy beat of JUNGLE RHYTHM.Fun for the whole family.
Review Summary: A dull Disney effort that should have been released straight to video.It's sounds rather strange that Disney was once the maker of all these childhood treats, yet know, it seems that they are also the makers of these nightmares. Cash-grabs that is! How do you explain JUNGLE BOOK 2? It's a movie so desperate in its attempt to cash in on the audiences of the oft-called classic original that it forget that it should have been released straight to video, not that it matters. Either way it's just bad, really bad. Kids may love it though. God help us! I should say this sequel picks up where the original left off, but I should be honest. This is nothing more than a rehash of the first film, with more gratuitous musical numbers, more annoying talking animals and even sillier slapsticks, Disney-style. Since we left Mowgli (voiced by Haley Joel Osment), he was finally at home in the "Man-village" while Baloo (voiced by John Goodman) and Bagheera (voiced by Bob Joles) are safely back in the jungle, away from the menacing Shere Khan (voiced by Tony Jay). Of course, in any sequel, no story comes to a close for long. Pretty soon, little Mowgli longs to be back in the jungle. Luckily, good ol' Baloo is missing him badly and decided to pay him a little visit. And not so luckily, Shere Khan's back with a vengeance.The animation, despite a few bright spots, has nothing to it. It's just pedestrian. But the animation is the least of the problems. How about story? About a fresh new take on the characters? How about a wider appeal? Nothing. Just pure cornball Saturday-matinée animation for the kids. The voice cast is pretty good, but they give nothing to the picture they serve on. Goodman's good-guy voice is just getting really tiresome now. The late Tone Jay does provide a nice accent on the villainy of Shere Khan, too bad it's just regrettably forgettable.It sure ain't worth on the big screen, but is it worth a rental? Unless it's the only family movie available other than BABY GENIUSES or the like, you might as well.Rating: * out of 5.