Movie Review

The Jungle Book 2 (2003)

Reviewed by Scott Brown | Feb 12, 2003

Scott Brown

Scott Brown writes the Hit List for EW and is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio -- he has the tote bag to prove it

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EW's GRADE

Details Release Date: Feb 14, 2003; Rated: G; Length: 72 Minutes; Genres: Animation, Comedy, Kids & Family; With: John Goodman and Haley Joel Osment

$\'JUNGLE\' LOVE Mowgli (Osment) gets a lift from Baloo (Goodman) The Jungle Book 2$

Image credit: The Jungle Book 2: Disney

'JUNGLE' LOVE Mowgli (Osment) gets a lift from Baloo (Goodman)

The Jungle Book 2, Disney's latest reincarnation, tries to squeeze a few more drops of milk from a sacred cow, 1967's ''The Jungle Book'' -- which has the disadvantage of being a marvelously complete and sequel-resistant fable. Nonetheless, the same money-minded dreamers who found a way to ''Return to Neverland'' have hacked a path back to Baloo heaven: Jungle-weaned Kipling stripling Mowgli (voiced by Haley Joel Osment) misses his scat-man papa bear (John Goodman, a natural successor to late Ursa Major Phil Harris) and skips out on his adoptive man-village for what amounts to a highlight reel of ''JB1'' -- including the obligatory recap of ''Bare Necessities.''

It's downhill from there: By the time Phil Collins joins the ''fab four'' vultures of the original (heresy!) and Smash Mouth covers ''I Wan'na Be Like You'' over the end credits, the whole enterprise starts to feel like a sheer con.

Originally posted Feb 12, 2003 Published in issue #696-697 Feb 21, 2003 Order article reprints

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