Rating: 
Summary: Nice little sequel
Review: We liked it! I thought John Goodman did a great job as Baloo -- he's got the spirit down. And I'm not overly fond of Haley Joel Osment but his Mowgli is very close to the original. This movie isn't showing us much of anything new, but that's okay; no one's nominating it for an Oscar. My toddler loves it, and my husband and I like it just fine, except we do miss King Louie -- I guess they realized absolutely no one could step into Louis Prima's shoes.
Rating: 
Summary: possibly the best Disney sequal to date
Review: When i say sequal, i mean excluding Resculers Down Under and Toy Story 2, just to put that straight.I hate the sudden Disney sequels. There a insult to the orignals, they bring down the quality of Disney cartoons, and sitting through most of them, to me, is like having a root canel. Then came this one. It was giving to me as a gift, much to my disapproval, and couldn't be returned. I decided to just throw it in a see how much i clinged, which i did once. Oddly, i found myself laughing at certain parts. They actually did a decent job finding voices that matched, tho i kept on hearing "i see dead people" in my head. It wasn't the best, but it was, compared to the other sequals, half way decent. The story is basically about Moguli's life after the jungle in the village, with his new family, including a step brother (who is adorable) and a best friend. But he becomes home sick, and with the help of Baloo, goes back into the jungle, with his best friend and step brother going in after him to find him. The songs get old FAST - they could have cut out most of them to me. The new charcters - esp Lucky, a vulture who lives up to his name - are good. The old charcters have the same feel to them that they did in the orignal. Now, the orignal Jungle Book has never really been a favorite of mine in the Disney collection. However, i do actually think that maybe Disney, as much as i DON'T want to see more, is actually getting a clue on how to do a decent, straight to video (tho this one was in theatres for about a week) sequals.
Rating:
Summary: OK, another sequel by Disney
Review: When I wrote these lines, there were 4 reviews on Amazon.com. None of the reviewers seemed to have seen the movie. - Well, I have seen it with my 2 1/2 year old son. I also know Disney's first Jungle Book movie. Now here is what I think: This movie is fine for kids. They will have fun. There are no scenes that I think are too scary for small children. My son was doing fine. He enjoyed the song and dance scenes a lot and I think this is why most people like the first movie. Since the "Bear Necessities" is such a great song, it is played about three times (make your own thoughts about that). So, if you want your kids to have a good day at the movies, send them to this one. From an adult point of view I must say that the story is not very exciting. Don't forget, this is a Disney sequel again. Disney used to release their sequels only on video and DVD (e.g. Pocahontas 2, Arielle 2, etc.). But lately they think that they should show them in movie theaters. It's too bad that Disney tries to warm up successful stories. If you don't have kids that you want to take to the movies, don't watch this one unless you go into the theater not expecting too much. The movie is not bad but it's just not as great as the guys at Disney think it should be. My top 3 Disney animated movies are:
1. Aladdin (just fabulous!!!!!)
2. The Beauty and the Beast
3. The Little Mermaid
(This list does not include the computer animated movies, of course.)
Rating:
Summary: Still fun for all ages on DVD
Review: While Jungle Book 2 isn't in the same league as the original, it's a pleasantly surprising sequel. Why pleasantly surprising? Well, the writing, animation and production values are all quite good and consistent with the stuff we've seen in the more cutting edge Disney vehicles. The voice casting is quite good as well; the actors chosen don't imitate so much as reinterpret the roles. Songs in Disney movies have been a problem since the death of Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin). Ashman was the consumate lyricist--his witty, informed lyrics never sounded forced. Tim Rice's lyrics for the Elton John penned Lion King music came close on occasion (as did Rice's single contribution to Aladdin). While Rice isn't quite in the same league as Ashman, his words would have made these songs better. The music doesn't sound as recycled and second hand as the direct-to-video material for Aladdin and the 40 Thieves. They also don't have the freshness that the Sherman brothers or any number of other composers might have brought to the project. While Randy Newman's material might have sounded out of place here, I could see Lyle Lovett coming up with material (please, no more Phil Collins or Sting stuff). The DVD has some nice extras including a brief recap of the original film. The DVD I purchased came without a booklet (or even an insert with chapter listings). If Disney is getting this cheap about issuing their material on DVD, I'll be reluctant to purchase other Disney films. I find these inserts useful for the kids. I also enjoy the artwork, too. Jungle Book 2 is an enjoyable sequel to the classic original. While it lacks the distinctive feel of the original, it makes for it with a more contemporary pace and character interactions. It's a nice addition to any Disney collection and enjoyable and appropriate for the whole family.
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