Dir.
Steve Trenbirth, 2003, US/Australia , 72 mins
Voices:
Phil Collins, Jim Cummings, J. Grant Albrecht, John Goodman, Haley Joel Osment The last time we met Mowgli, in the 1967 Walt Disney classic, he was about to leave the jungle behind and follow a woman-cub back into the man village, watched by his pals, Baloo the Bear and Bagheera the Panther. However, as we discover, it's hard for a boy who has only lived with wild creatures to settle among a new breed of animal - man - and harder still to live by their rules. Mowgli enjoys his new life. He loves his little step-brother Ranjan (a character who has the same sentimental appeal as Jar Jar Binks or Scrappy-Doo!) and his best friend, Shanti, the girl he first met at the river. But Mowgli (voiced perfectly by Haley Joel Osment) still has that "Jungle Rhythm" in his feet, and adventure in his heart, and it's not long before he's off in search of his jungle roots again. Baloo (John Goodman) has been pining for his little friend and is delighted to be reunited with him. However, Mowgli is being trailed. Shanti has braved the jungle to find her friend, and behind her is Ranjan. More worryingly, though, Shere Khan (Tony Jay) knows that Mowgli is back on his territory and has a few scores to settle. Can Mowgli's friends save him from the jaws of this fearsome beast? Jungle Book 2, it has to be said, is a pale imitation of its predecessor, being constructed almost by numbers. All the elements from the original are here, including the vultures, still with their Liverpudlian accents even as Paul McCartney himself gets ready to draw his pension; the elephant patrol, Kaa the snake. The only creature missing is King Louie - what did he do so wrong, we wonder? Each element, though, is taken and given a very slight variation - the vultures have a new companion, the idiotic Lucky (Phil Collins), and Kaa entices Shanti rather than Mowgli to slip into silent slumber. And do we really need so many reprisals of "The Bare Necessities" to be reminded how great the 1967 film was? Although Jungle Book 2 does not look set to stand the test of time in the way that The Jungle Book has managed to do so successfully, that doesn't detract from the fact that this is actually quite an enjoyable little film. The animation is spot on, and the voice characterisations - possibly some of the most iconic in Disney animation - are close enough to the originals to not disappoint. The story itself is quite logical, telling the audience exactly what they want to know about what happened next to Mowgli, and the sentiment is nicely placed, not too much and not too little. But - and here I disagree with most critics - it with the new songs that Jungle Book 2 comes into its own. "Jungle Rhythm" and the Busby Berkely-style "W-I-L-D" more than compensate for any shortcomings, providing full-blown Disney numbers that should get all feet tapping. Jungle Book 2 is not a classic by any means, but it's a good opportunity for adults to get re-acquainted with some childhood friends, and should prove very enjoyable for younger audiences. Jean Lynch |
