The Jungle Book 2

Picking up almost precisely where the 1967 original Disney classic left off, this relatively unimaginative sequel finds jungle boy Mowgli living with a kindly foster family in a village but still hearing the call of the wild beyond its walls. Meanwhile, his old pal Baloo the bear is lonely and wants his man-cub back, while villainous tiger Shere Khan seeks vengeance. Complications bring all of them, along with Mowgli's girlfriend Shanti and her little brother Ranjan, together for a big cliffhanger of a finale at the old temple. Though the artwork is fine and the voice talent (including Haley Joel Osment and John Goodman) capable, The Jungle Book 2 seems thin, even at little more than an hour; in fact, the old tune “The Bare Necessities” is repeated no fewer than three times before the credits end--fitting testimony to the sequel's lack of inspiration. Still, it's a harmless, inoffensive movie, overall, that will probably please small fry enchanted by the earlier picture and nostalgic boomers. Recommended, with reservations. [DVD extras include the 14-minute featurette “The Legacy of The Jungle Book,” a three-minute synopsis of the original film, “Mowgli's Jungle Ruins Maze” game, 10 “Disney Song Selection” segments with optional onscreen lyrics, an onscreen “Sing With the Movie” sing along track, two deleted scenes with intros by Sharon Morrill and Matt Walker, the music videos “W-I-L-D,” “Jungle Rhythm,” and “I Wanna Be Like You” by Smash Mouth, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a passable sequel.] (F. Swietek)[DVD Review—June 24, 2008—Walt Disney, 72 min., G, $29.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2003's The Jungle Book 2 (Special Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. This new release includes all of the previous release's extras, plus a new “Mowgli's Story Time Adventure” DVD game. Bottom line: if you own the original release, you can skip this minor upgrade.]