I am completely satisfied with my purchase of Jungle Book 2. It was received by mail soon after I purchased it online.

Baloo decides that he wants to see Mowgli again. Before he can though, he must get past the black panther (his friend) and the band of elephants. He eventually does so, once again finding Mowgli's village. Little does he know that trouble is right behind him!

Shere Khan is right in back of them for a good amount of the movie. Baloo and the animals decide to sing and dance for 5 or so minutes. Mowgli eventually ends up in a tree, waiting for something to happen. Then he spots the boy and Shanti, who gets scared when Baloo appears to "attack". She punches him in the nose, and then after finding out that it was all planned by the two "bear friends", she runs away with the child.

Soon enough Mowgli is after her and they meet up. Shere Khan is nearby and comes out of hiding. It's near the end and Mowgli is at this broken down "palace-looking" place, alone with Shere Khan. Baloo and the child run together, following Shanti, as she too arrives.

After a while of taking turns playing on the gongs to confuse Shere, they eventually meet him face to face. But you know how these Disney movies end. In a happy place. If you haven't seen the movie:

1. You didn't miss that much.
2. If you saw the first, then you might as well watch part 2.

3.5 stars.

end note: I had nothing to compare this movie to since I never saw the first.

Note: The review that follows is of the Special Edition of a film first released in 2003.

Comparisons with the earlier version released 41 years ago (featuring the voices of Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima, George Sanders, and Sterling Holloway among others) are inevitable and perhaps unfair. As I began to watch this sequel, I tried very hard to experience it and then judge it on its own merits. All issues considered, my rating of it is explained as follows: I think it offers pleasant but unexceptional entertainment (Three Stars) and several bonus features that add one Star to my rating.

My guess is that, in general, adults enjoy the special features (other than interactive games such as "Mowgli's Jungle Ruins Maze") more than children do. In the sequel, the plot remains faithful to the beloved Rudyard Kipling novel, this time featuring the voices of John Goodman, Haley Joel Osment, Mae Whitman, and Jim Cummings. Phil Collins provided the voice of Lucky. I watched this film with several of my younger grandchildren, none of whom had seen the 1967 version. Unlike their parents and grandparents, they and other children ages 4-14 seem to think nothing of watching a film they like several times either in a theatre or a DVD of it, whether or not it is a sequel.

Although a sequel offering solid entertainment to "children of all ages," I doubt if it will not have the same enduring appeal from one generation to the next as do other feature length animated films produced by Disney (e.g. Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Pinocchio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and Pixar (e.g. Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and WALL-E) nor by DreamWorks (e.g. Antz and Shrek). I agree with my grandchildren: it was fun to watch but generates no interest in seeing it again soon. It must join a long line ahead of it.

There is no shortage of comment about the relative merit or lack thereof concerning Disney's direct-to-video sequels. I'd prefer to look at each on a case-by-case basis. Several of these sequels, especially The Lion King 1 1/2, that have a lot going for them, particularly when they take the characters into interesting territory but retain the look and flavor of the original.

It's much tougher when contemporary artists, writers -- and the corporate decision makers who have multiple company initiatives to contend with -- tackle the Walt-era classics. They're being re-created with totally different artists under vastly different circumstances -- most of all, without the same budget, luxury of time and creative guidance. Taking all of this into consideration, it's a wonder that so many of them succeed as well as they do.

The Jungle Book 2 falls somewhere between the extremes. It's impossible to follow Phil Harris, but few can handle such a thankless task than John Goodman, who after all, has equally formidable voice acting skills of his own -- as Sully in Monsters, Inc. for just one example. Haley Joel Osment does a fine job as Mowgli, being after all, a highly seasoned child actor. And Mae Whitman, who plays Shanti (known as "The Girl" in the original film) must have impressed Disney staffers enough to return to direct-to-video in the history-making role of Tinker Bell in the direct-to-video feature coming in October.

The film also offers musical showpieces that rival the original in energy and execution. The only issue is, just like the 1969 Disneyland record album sequel More Jungle Book, this film kind of chews its cabbage twice. Mowgli goes back to the jungle, discovers he really doesn't totally belong there and returns to the man village this time able to revisit his old friends.

But let's face it -- where else could you take the story without sacrificing the elements expected from the first? Mowgli Goes to College? Mowgli Rules at Camp Rock? (Well, that last one just may happen.)

The DVD itself is basically a reissue of the earlier release, containing all the previous materials with one new feature: "Mowgli's Story Time Adventure," an interactive storytelling activity. Nothing seems to have been deleted from the previous DVD edition.

This 2003 sequel to the beloved 1967 Disney movie "The Jungle Book" is basically familiar territory that rarely strays far from the original as far as its characters, plot, and villains. Yet, it is an enjoyable romp that makes for a nice addition to the original. In the 5 years since its release, computer animation has come a long way, so some of the computer shadings and other effects seem almost primitive compared to what we are accustomed to; the harsh computer shading detracts a bit from the visual presentation. I don't know that I would go to a theater to view this widescreen presentation, but for a home video release, it is right on the money.

Storywise, Mowgli has been living in the village with humans for about 4 years; Baloo misses Mowgli, and Mowgli is having a hard time forgetting the jungle, despite the fact that he has become closer Shanti, the girl who enticed him to live in the jungle in the first place. Can you see it coming? Shanti's fear of the jungle causes Mowgli to renounce the village, return to Baloo, and of course, Shere Khan is not far behind. Shanti & her little brother go after Mowgli, adding two more villagers for Shere Khan and Kaa to hunt. The catchy Sherman Brothers tunes from the original are re-used ("The Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna' Be Like You") as well as a few fun new original songs, "Jungle Rhythm" and "W-I-L-D"). Closing credits have the rock group Smash Mouth doing an awesome cover version of the song "I Wanna' Be Like You." The voice talent for the movie is impressive: John Goodman fills the mighty big shoes of the late Phil Harris as Baloo; Haley Joel Osment voices Mowgli; Jim Cummings is amazing as Kaa, and seems to be channeling Sterling Holloway; singer Phil Collins does admirably as one of the vultures.

For the extras, there is a good amount of material here: Games & Activities include Mowgli's Story Time Adventure Game. This one uses the 2 dimensional shadow puppets featured in this films opening credits. Players punch the arrow keys on their remote to match what they see on screen. It's a bit of a yawn, and there are no fun prizes/extras when you complete the game. Mowgli's Jungle Ruins Maze is much better; players use their remote to find their way through a maze, and along the way they must answer questions about different animals; a nice mix of fun and education. Music Videos on the DVD include the Smash Mouth cover as well as the 2 original songs from the film, "W-I-L-D" and "Jungle Rhythm." A few deleted scenes are included along with explanation by Sharon Morrill (former head of Disney Toon Studios) and Matt Walker (Sr. VP of Music); the main reason scenes were deleted were to put the story focus back on Mowgli and not Shanti. Quick access to songs in the movie is included here, as well as a karaoke version of the movie. "Backstage Disney" includes a Reader's Digest version of the original movie and a featurette detailing the making of the movie; the featurette is really about the best bonus; it is fun to see and hear from the voice talents as well as the creative team, who does appear very excited about the movie, albeit a little self-congratulatory and over-praising.

Overall...thumbs up for the family and kids. An enjoyable film to watch with a number of fun extras.