Review of The Jungle Book 2 (2003) by Connor C — 26 Apr 2011

Disney used to be among the most respected companies in Hollywood during its heydey, right up to the last movie that Walt Disney was directly involved in, 'The Jungle Book'. But nowadays, the reputation that Disney has created for itself is one of total lack of creativity. 'The Jungle Book 2' is just one more piece of evidence proving that case. Whether it's the story, the overall movie, or even the bonus features, this unnecessary sequel falls far short of its predecessor.

Disney's rendition of the classic Rudyard Kipling story takes quite a few liberties with the tale. That's admitted in the bonus features of the first of the two movies. Disney is deserving of some respect for that. Now, considering that, it makes the sequel unnecessary. Given, the story behind 'The Jungle Book 2' does work somewhat with the first movie. But that doesn't mean it needed to be made. The first movie was wrapped up well enough that it didn't justify a sequel. So in that aspect, Disney, and the story's writers got very lucky that the movie worked, albeit only a little.

While the story worked, so much else didn't. The music and animation took so much away from the story. The comment was made in one of the dvd's bonus features that the lack of color choices limited animators in the first 'Jungle Book' movie, and that the animators for this sequel had so much more to use. But the reality is that just like an original vinyl lp playing some classic jazz, etc. the rough animation of the original 'Jungle Book' is a big part of what made that movie so enjoyable.

Speaking of music, none of the musical numbers in this movie had any heart. Much like the animation, the songs only served to make the movie feel like it was slapped together simply for the sake of milking what was a cash cow of a movie, just like it has done so many times before and after. Even the "music video" by Smash Mouth included in the bonus features doesn't really qualify as a music video, considering its length. And speaking of those bonus features, perhaps only one or two of the features are worth watching. One was a maze game that is both fun and educational at the same time. The other is a look at the legacy of 'The Jungle Book'. The other features are little more than filler thrown in to make it look like Disney cared what they were doing.

The writers behind this largely unnecessary sequel got lucky in telling the continued story of Mowgli and Baloo. But in looking at the overall pciture of the dvd presentation, and viewing experience, the writing is about the only thing that 'The Jungle Book 2' has going for it. Other than that, this is just one more sequel in the ever-growing list of movies that Disney has made that otherwise should never have come to light. It will hopefully remain lost in that giant jungle of sequels that have come before and after.