he Jungle Book 2 makes clever use of its opening credits to recap the Disney original with animated shadow puppets, as Mowgli reminisces longingly about his previous adventures. These days, Mowgli's living in a village separated from the jungle by a narrow river. Mowgli's homesick for his jungle days, and returning to them is as close as a short walk across the river's steppingstones. But crossing the river is strictly forbidden by the grownups in the village, so Mowgli is stuck pining for his past. Nobody understands that the jungle is part of who Mowgli is.
Meanwhile, Baloo the Bear misses Mowgli, so he slips into the village at night for a visit. It happens to be the same night Mowgli's enemy, Shere Khan the Tiger, comes looking for revenge. When the villagers fight off Shere Kahn, Baloo and Mowgli high-tail it for the jungle as Mowgli's village playmates, Shanti and Ranjan, give chase. Shanti's a pretty girl who's terrified of the jungle and soon falls into the clutches of Kaa the Snake. Ranjan, a tiny tyke with the heart of a lion, comes to her rescue.
While Mowgli dances and sings and eats mangoes with Baloo in the jungle, he's pursued by Shere Khan (who wants to kill him), Shanti and Ranjan (who want to bring Mowgli back to the village), and the villagers (who are searching for Shanti and Ranjan, as well as Mowgli).
Mowgli misses Shanti and the village, finding himself torn between the jungle life he loves and the people he misses. Knowing he's being pursued, Mowgli convinces Baloo to put a scare into Shanti to avoid facing her. On one hand, Mowgli's smitten with Shanti and wants to be with her. On the other hand, he's afraid she can convince him to leave the jungle he loves.
Will Mowgli stay in the jungle with his animal pals? Or will he return to civilization?
A sequel born of the barest of necessities
When Disney's The Jungle Book was released in 1967, it was hip and exciting, drawing upon Rudyard Kipling's fiction while capturing the essence of the beatnik culture of the '60s. Some of that era's coolest voices stopped the show: Phil Harris (as Baloo the Bear) made "Bare Necessities" unforgettable, and Louis Prima (as King Louie of the Apes) made "I Wan'na Be Like You" swing, swing, swing.
It's a tough act to follow.
While The Jungle Book 2 is competent, it's a small story better suited for Saturday-morning TV. The original film has a mythic and epic feel that's missing in its sequel. Mowgli never attempts to explore new paths. Sure, there are a few new human characters, but the story uses the same villain with the same agenda. Likewise, we see almost all the same jungle characters, but Baloo's beatnik rap and the mop-topped vultures with Liverpool accents seem strangely out of place on the big screen now that we've entered a new millennium.
Although there are some new songs, they're easy to forget. It's telling that "The Bare Necessities" is reprised more than once in The Jungle Book 2 and a new Smash Mouth version of "I Wan'na Be Like You" plays during the closing credits.
Haley Joel Osment is one of the most gifted actors of our time, and his performance as Mowgli is charming. The animation of Mowgli captures Osment in an eerie and effective way. John Goodman steps up to the plate and delivers a solid Baloo, but sadly, there's too little for Baloo to do. While the original is very funny and creative, the sequel is only mildly amusing.
Sequels are always difficult to make, and it's common to make a sequel that fails to measure up. The Jungle Book 2 isn't a bad movie, but it isn't a very good movie, especially when compared to the original gem.
