The Jungle Book 2 (Special Edition)

Delivery Time: 7 to 15 Working Days Format: DVD

'Man Cub' Mowgli (voice of Haley Joel Osment) is back in this animated sequel to the 1967 classic. Mowgli 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 and together they meet Baloo and friends for more adventures. The fun-loving, jovial bear is overjoyed to see his old friend, and together they share some spirited JUNGLE BOOK moments.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.
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