Mowgli Jungle Book 2 Barefoot

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (also known and stylized on screen simply as Mowgli) is a 2018 adventuredrama film directed by Andy Serkis with a screenplay by Callie Kloves, based on stories collected in All the Mowgli Stories by Rudyard Kipling. The film stars Rohan Chand, Matthew Rhys, and Freida Pinto, along with voice and motion capture performances from Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, and Serkis.

Talks of a new Jungle Book film from Warner Bros. Pictures began in 2012 and various directors, including Steve Kloves, Ron Howard, and Alejandro González Iñárritu, were approached before Serkis was confirmed in March 2014. Much of the cast signed on that August and principal photography began in March 2015. Filming took place in South Africa and at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England.

Originally scheduled to be released in October 2016 by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film was delayed numerous times to work on the visual effects and to create space between itself and the April 2016 release of Walt Disney Pictures' own Jungle Book adaptation. In July 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures sold the rights for the film to Netflix. The film was released in select theaters on November 29, 2018, followed by its subsequent digital Netflix release on December 7, 2018. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast, visual effects, and Serkis' direction, but many compared it unfavorably to the Disney film and criticized the uneven tone, calling it a 'messy—if ambitious—misfire'.^[2]

• 2Cast

Plot[edit]

In the jungle, Kaa, a Indian python seer, watches as Shere Khan, a crippled Bengal tiger, breaks jungle law by hunting down a family of humans, with only a child escaping. Bagheera, a panther drawn to the scene, rescues the man-cub, Mowgli, and takes him to a family of Indian wolves being raised by Nisha and Vihaan, only for Tabaqui, Shere Khan's hyena lieutenant, to find the boy before he is chased off. They take the infant Mowgli before the wolf council and Akela, the leader of the pack, to decide his destiny with Bagheera buying his life with a kill and Baloo strong-armed into agreeing. Shere Khan arrives to kill Mowgli, but Akela stops him, saying the boy is now under the protection of the pack and forces Shere Khan to leave. Shere Khan swears he would return when Akela misses his prey.

For many years after, Mowgli lives amongst the wolf pack. One day, Mowgli goes swimming alone and encounters Shere Khan. He manages to escape the tiger but then falls into a pit and is saved by an Indian elephant missing a tusk. Bagheera finds Mowgli and takes him home. Though Bagheera reveals to Mowgli that he is a human and he will be safe if he goes to the Man-Village, Mowgli declares that he wishes to be a wolf. He declares that he will only go if he fails the pack's trial, which would determine if he can become a full member of the pack.

During the trial, Bagheera, acting as a predator to chase the young wolves and test their strength, continually chases Mowgli and causes him to fail when he would have come in first. As Baloo scolds Bagheera for being too aggressive, Mowgli is kidnapped by the Bandar-log on Tabaqui's orders for Shere Khan. Shere Khan attempts to kill Mowgli while he is unconscious but is stopped by Baloo and Bagheera. During their battle with Shere Khan's monkey minions, they are overwhelmed, only for Kaa herself to appear and save Mowgli.

Mowgli learns that Kaa has been watching him the whole time and that she believes that he has the power to change the jungle. She then directs him to face Shere Khan, who is again challenging Akela for Mowgli when he finally missed his prey. Mowgli stops the tiger and Akela's challengers with fire taken from the Man-Village but shames himself in Akela's eyes and is forced to leave the pack. At the Man-Village Mowgli is captured by the villagers when British colonial hunter John Lockwood knocks him out. Bagheera visits him and sadly tells him to stay, encouraging the boy to gain their trust, as Bagheera once did to escape captivity when he was young. Mowgli slowly comes to enjoy human and village life, being raised by the kindly Messua and learning hunting skills from Lockwood.

However, Mowgli's attitude towards Lockwood changes when he sees that Lockwood hunts for sport and has killed Bhoot, an albino wolf cub friend of Mowgli. He also learns that Shere Khan has driven the wolves loyal to Akela to the edge of the jungle after being informed by Gray Brother. Mowgli meets with Baloo, Bagheera, and the wolf pack, declaring that Shere Khan must die. The animals feel obligated to remain out of the conflict as it would break jungle law to fight Shere Khan.

Regardless, Mowgli proceeds with his plan and lures Shere Khan to the edge of the village, where with the help of the bull elephants, he mortally wounds the tiger while Tabaqui flees. However, Lockwood accidentally injures Mowgli with a bullet while trying to kill the tiger and shoots Akela when the wolf saves Mowgli from Shere Khan. Lockwood is killed by the broken-tusked elephant before he can do more harm and the other animals rally to Mowgli upon seeing his resolve. Akela gives Mowgli his blessing to lead the jungle's creatures and the wolf pack before he dies peacefully. Mowgli decides to leave the village behind and returns to the jungle, where he stabs the wounded Shere Khan, finally killing the tiger and ending his reign of terror. Mowgli is re-accepted as a member of the jungle.

Kaa goes on to say that with Shere Khan and Lockwood gone, Mowgli gave the jungle a voice. As long as Mowgli lived and watched over it, there was peace in the jungle.

Cast[edit]

• Rohan Chand as Mowgli, a feral boy who is raised by wolves.
• Matthew Rhys as John Lockwood, a colonial hunter who hunts for trophies and comes to hunt Shere Khan.
• Freida Pinto as Messua, a woman who takes in Mowgli.

Voice and motion-capture cast[edit]

• Christian Bale as Bagheera, a black panther who is one of Mowgli's teachers and was born in human custody.
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, a Bengal tiger with a crippled front leg who is Mowgli's arch-nemesis.
• Cate Blanchett as Kaa, an Indian Python who is the jungle's seer, one of Mowgli's mentors, and the narrator of the film.
• Tom Hollander as Tabaqui, a derangedstriped hyena who is Shere Khan's companion.
• Andy Serkis as Baloo, a brown bear who is one of Mowgli's teachers.
• Peter Mullan as Akela, an Indian wolf who is the leader of his pack.
• Naomie Harris as Nisha, an Indian wolf who is Mowgli's adopted mother.
• Eddie Marsan as Vihaan, an Indian wolf who is Mowgli’s adopted father.
• Jack Reynor as Gray Brother, an Indian wolf who is the oldest and most loyal of Mowgli's wolf brothers.
• Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Bhoot, an albino Indian wolf cub in Akela's pack.

Production[edit]

A number of writers, directors, and producers were connected with the film during its development. In April 2012, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that it was developing the film with Steve Kloves in talks to write, direct, and produce it.^[3] It was reported in December 2013 that Kloves would produce the film, and Alejandro González Iñárritu was in talks to direct, from a screenplay by Kloves' daughter Callie.^[4] However, in January 2014, Iñárritu left the project due to scheduling conflicts with Birdman and The Revenant.^[5][6] In February 2014, it was reported that Ron Howard was in talks to direct, and would produce the film with Brian Grazer through their Imagine Entertainment company.^[6] The next month it was announced that Andy Serkis would direct and produce the film with collaborator Jonathan Cavendish of The Imaginarium, and Serkis would also perform the role of Baloo.^[7] Production designer Gary Freeman, editor Mark Sanger, and costume designer Alexandra Byrne were hired.^[8]

In August 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch joined the film to voice the villain role of Shere Khan.^[9]Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Eddie Marsan, Peter Mullan, and Rohan Chand were announced the following day.^[10]Jack Reynor was added to the cast in March 2015 as Mowgli's Brother Wolf.^[8] It was announced in April 2015 that Matthew Rhys was in talks to play the human role of John Lockwood.^[11] In May 2015, it was reported that Freida Pinto would be playing an unspecified live-action role along with Rhys and Chand,^[12] later confirmed to be Mowgli's adoptive mother.^[13]

Principal photography began on March 9, 2015.^[8] It was filmed in South Africa and at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in England.^[14]

Release[edit]

The film, originally titled Jungle Book: Origins, was initially set for an October 2016 release by Warner Bros.^[1] In December 2014, Warner Bros. shifted the date to October 2017, allowing more time for further work on the visual effects.^[15] In April 2016, just before the wide release of Disney's The Jungle Book, the film's release date was moved to October 19, 2018.^[16] In October 2017, Andy Serkis revealed the working title of the film to be Mowgli: Tales from the Jungle Book.^[17] In December, the official title was changed to Mowgli.^[18] Serkis stated that the film would be 'darker' and more 'serious' in tone than previous Jungle Book adaptations, thus closer to that of Kipling's original works.^[19] In March 2018, Serkis said first footage would be released 'very soon.'^[20] The first trailer and a behind-the-scenes featurette premiered on May 21, 2018.^[21][22]

In July 2018, it was announced that Netflix had purchased the worldwide distribution rights of the film from Warner Bros., and would set a 2019 release date, including a theatrical 3D release.^[23] At the time of the announcement, Deadline Hollywood described the film as 'over-baked and over-budget' and said it allowed Warner Bros. to avoid 'Pan-like box office bomb headlines' and saved them millions of dollars for not needing to promote the film.^[24] Speaking of the move, Serkis stated:

'I'm really excited about Netflix for Mowgli. Now, we avoid comparisons to the other movie and it's a relief not to have the pressure. I've seen the 3D version, and it's exceptional, a different view from the 2D version, really lush and with great depth, and there will be some kind of theatrical component for that. What excites me most is the forward thinking at Netflix in how to present this, and the message of the movie. They understand this is a darker telling that doesn't fit it into a four quadrant slot. It's really not meant for young kids, though I think it's possible that 10 or above can watch it. It was always meant to be PG-13, and this allows us to go deeper, with darker themes, to be scary and frightening in moments. The violence between animals is not gratuitous, but it's definitely there. This way of going allows us to get the film out without compromise.'^[23]

On November 7, 2018, Netflix released a new trailer for the film, announcing a new title change, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, as well as its limited theatrical release on November 29, 2018, and its subsequent streaming release on December 7, 2018.^[25] The film had its world premiere in Mumbai on November 25, 2018, the first time a Hollywood film premiered in India.^[26]

Reception[edit]

On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 52% based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critical consenses reads, 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle brings impressive special effects to bear on the darker side of its classic source material, but loses track of the story's heart along the way.'^[27] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.^[28]

Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a 'C+' and wrote: 'Too dark for kids, too tame for adults. Stunning effects, occasionally wretched motion-capture. The technology may be there, but that doesn't mean it's been utilized to its full, feeling powers. It's a coming-of-age story unable to push forward in all the ways that really matter.'^[29] Similarly, The Atlantic's reviewer David Sims claimed the film suffers from weak visual effects and bland story.^[30]

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com awarded Mowgli two stars, criticizing the film's motion capture effects and comparing the film unfavorably to Favreau's The Jungle Book.^[31] Olly Richards of Empire gave the film 2/5 stars, writing that 'for all his ambition, Serkis can't find the right tone for Mowgli and it becomes a very confused beast, neither fun enough for all ages to enjoy nor complex enough to be the visceral, grown-up thriller he nudges at.^[32]The Observer's reviewer Wendy Ide awarded the film 3/5 stars, praising the film's visual and technical effects but opining that there was too much trauma and animal violence to attract family audiences.^[33]

David Fear of Rolling Stone gave the film 3/5 stars, describing Mowgli as 'a harsher, darker, more CGI-heavy look at 'The Jungle Book'.' While criticizing the film's CGI effects, Fear praised Christian Bale, Andy Serkis, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cate Blanchett for their voicework as Bagheera, Baloo, Shere Khan, and Kaa.^[34] Michael Sullivan of The Washington Post awarded the film 4/5 stars, praising Andy Serkis for combining motion capture animation with live action footage while cautioning parents not to watch it with their kids due to its adult themes and violence.^[35] Additionally, Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times praised Mowgli for incorporating the darker and more mature elements of Kipling's The Jungle Book; also favorably comparing the film to Disney's two family friendly Jungle Book iterations and describing Mowgli as 'the movie equivalent of a whiskey chaser after a sugary shake.'^[36]

Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times awarded Mowgli 4/5 stars, praising Serkis for delivering 'a nuanced, visually dazzling update of the Jungle Book for Netflix.' While praising the film for its technical effects and mature themes, Naahar expressed disappointment with the under-representation of Indians in the main cast apart from Freida Pinto.^[37]Collider's Matt Goldberg described the film as a 'blood-soak version of the Jungle Book.' Goldberg criticized the film's level of violence and unsatisfactory CGI effects, giving the film a D rating.^[38]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abMcNary, Dave (1 August 2014). 'Andy Serkis' 'Jungle Book: Origins' Set for October 2016, A Year After Disney's 'Jungle Book''. Variety. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
2. ^Fujitani, Ryan (29 November 2018). 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle Is Ambitious but Uneven'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
3. ^Fleming Jr, Mike (27 April 2012). 'Steve Kloves To Write-Direct 'The Jungle Book' For Warner Bros'. Deadline. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
4. ^Sneider, Jeff (4 December 2013). 'Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu to Direct 'Jungle Book' Movie for Warner Bros'. TheWrap. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
5. ^Fleming Jr, Mike (9 January 2014). 'No 'Jungle Book' For Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu At Warner Bros'. Deadline. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
6. ^ ^abSiegel, Tatiana; Kit, Borys (14 February 2014). 'Ron Howard in Talks to Direct Warner Bros.' 'The Jungle Book''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
7. ^McNary, Dave (20 March 2014). 'Andy Serkis to Direct 'Jungle Book' for Warner Bros.Dave McNary'. Variety. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
8. ^ ^abcLesnick, Silas (9 March 2015). 'Production Officially Begins on Warner Bros.' The Jungle Book'. ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
9. ^Kit, Borys (19 August 2014). 'Benedict Cumberbatch Joins 'Jungle Book' for Warner Bros'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
10. ^Kit, Borys (20 August 2014). 'Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett Join 'Jungle Book: Origins''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
11. ^Jaafar, Ali (1 April 2015). 'Matthew Rhys In Talks To Join 'Jungle Book: Origins' For Warner Bros'. Deadline. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
12. ^Tartaglione, Nancy (8 May 2015). 'Freida Pinto Swings Into Andy Serkis' 'Jungle Book: Origins' At Warner Bros'. Deadline. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
13. ^Murphy, Desiree (3 March 2016). 'EXCLUSIVE: Freida Pinto Reveals the Role She's Playing in 'Jungle Book: Origins''. Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
14. ^'Andy Serkis' Jungle Book Gets A PG-13 Rating For Bloody Images'. CulturedVultures.com. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
15. ^Kit, Borys (11 December 2014). 'Warner Bros. Pushes Release Date of 'Jungle Book: Origins''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
16. ^Ford, Rebecca (6 April 2016). 'Warner Bros. Pushes 'Jungle Book' to 2018, 'Wonder Woman' Gets New Date'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
17. ^Houghton, Rianne (20 October 2017). 'Andy Serkis reveals the working title of his Jungle Book movie'. Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
18. ^Stauffer, Derek (19 December 2017). 'Andy Serkis' Jungle Book Retitled Mowgli; Official Synopsis Released'. Screen Rant. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
19. ^'Mowgli, Robin Hood Rated PG-13 by MPAA'. Comingsoon.net. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
20. ^'First Trailer For Andy Serkis' Mowgli Is Coming 'Very Soon''. Screenrant.com. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
21. ^'Mowgli trailer: first look at Andy Serkis's dark Jungle Book film'. The Daily Telegraph. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
22. ^Pedersen, Erik; Pedersen, Erik (21 May 2018). ''Mowgli' Trailer: Andy Serkis' Dark 'Jungle Book' Tale With Big-Name Cast'.
23. ^ ^abFleming Jr, Mike (27 July 2018). 'Netflix Acquires Andy Serkis-Directed 'Mowgli' From Warner Bros & Plans 2019 Global Streaming Release'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
24. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (29 July 2018). ''Mission' Accomplished: 'Fallout' $61M+ Opening Reps Record For Tom Cruise Franchise – Sunday'. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
25. ^Sinha-Roy, Piya (8 November 2018). 'Watch Netflix's new trailer for Andy Serkis' dark twist on The Jungle Book tale, Mowgli'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
26. ^Nyay Bhushan (26 November 2018). 'Netflix Picks India for World Premiere of 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
27. ^'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
28. ^'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
29. ^Erbland, Kate (28 November 2018). 'Mowgli' Review: Andy Serkis' Impressive Effects Can't Mask Unappealing Remake'. IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
30. ^Sims, David (29 November 2018). 'It's No Wonder Netflix's Mowgli Took Forever to Be Released'. The Atlantic. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
31. ^Seitz, Matt Zoller. 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle'. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
32. ^Richards, Olly (29 November 2018). 'Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle Review'. Empire Online. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
33. ^Ide, Wendy (30 November 2018). 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle review – a stunningly strange beast'. The Observer. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
34. ^Fear, David (3 December 2018). ''Mowgli' Review: Welcome to the Jungle (Book)'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
35. ^O'Sullivan, Michael (4 December 2018). 'This new 'Jungle Book' movie is just as stunning as the recent Disney one — just don't take your kids'. The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
36. ^Adele, Robert (28 November 2018). 'Review: Andy Serkis' 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle' is a walk on the wilder side'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
37. ^Naahar, Rohan (7 December 2018). 'Mowgli Legend of the Jungle movie review: Christian Bale brings Dark Knight darkness to Netflix's dazzling Jungle Book'. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
38. ^Goldberg, Matt. ''Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle' Review: A Blood-Soaked Version of 'The Jungle Book''. Collider. Retrieved 21 December 2018.

External links[edit]

• Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle on Netflix
• Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle on IMDb

The Jungle Book 2 is a 2003 animated film produced by the Australian office at DisneyToon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. The theatrical version of the film was released in France on February 5, 2003, and released in the United States on February 14, 2003. The film is a sequel to Walt Disney's 1967 film The Jungle Book, and stars Haley Joel Osment as the voice of Mowgli and John Goodman as the voice of Baloo.

The film was originally produced as a direct-to-video film, but was released theatrically first, similar to the Peter Pan sequel Return to Never Land. It is the third animated Disney sequel to have a theatrical release rather than going direct-to-video after The Rescuers Down Under in 1990 and Return to Never Land in 2002. The film is a continuation of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling and is not based on The Second Jungle Book. However, they do have several characters in common. When released, it was criticized mainly for the quality of its animation and the similarity of its plotline to that of the original film.

• 5Release

Plot

Mowgli is living in the Man Village with the girl who lured him in, Shanti, his adopted brother Ranjan, and Ranjan's parents. However, Mowgli wants to return to the chaotic adventures of the jungle, and after nearly leading the other children of the village into the jungle, is punished by his adopted father for putting them in danger. Meanwhile, in the jungle, Shere Khan has returned to Baloo and Bagheera's part of the jungle seeking retribution on Mowgli. Baloo breaks into the Man Village and persuades Mowgli to live in the jungle; however, unbeknownst to them, Shere Khan has followed Baloo into the village, only to be chased off by the village people. In the ensuing battle between villagers and the tiger, Shanti and Ranjan sneak into the jungle to rescue Mowgli, believing that Baloo is a rabid animal who has kidnapped the boy.

Bagheera learns of Mowgli's escape from the village when the humans search the jungle for him, and immediately accuses Baloo. Mowgli instructs Baloo to scare off Shanti should she appear, and bemoans about the minutiae life he had in the Man Village. Baloo and Mowgli journey to King Louie's old temple (King Louie is mentioned to have moved out), for a party. However, when the animals of the jungle mock Shanti and other aspects of Mowgli's life in the Man Village, the boy angrily leaves. He finds Shanti and Ranjan, but Baloo scares Shanti as Mowgli wanted him to. When the truth comes out that Mowgli ordered Baloo to scare her, Shanti and Ranjan run away, abandoning Mowgli.

Baloo realizes that Mowgli misses his old life, but when Mowgli tries to make amends with his human friends, they are cornered by Shere Khan. The tiger chases Mowgli and Shanti to an abandoned temple built above a lake of lava, Baloo instructs Bagheera to protect Ranjan while he goes to save Mowgli and Shanti. After confusing Shere Khan by banging several different gongs, Shanti's presence is revealed to Shere Khan. Baloo tackles Shere Khan to the ground, allowing Mowgli and Shanti enough time to escape, but the tiger chases the two children to a statue across a pit of lava. Shere Khan is trapped within the statue's mouth, and it plummets onto a large stone that resides in the lava below. With his nemesis finally defeated, Mowgli returns to the Man Village with Shanti and Ranjan, but they return to visit Baloo and Bagheera in the jungle on a daily basis.

Voice cast

• Haley Joel Osment as Mowgli, a young boy raised in the jungle, who wants to return there.
• John Goodman as Baloo, a lazy-yet-good-hearted bear and Mowgli's best friend.
• Mae Whitman as Shanti, a young girl who is Mowgli's love interest.
• Bob Joles as Bagheera, a panther and Mowgli's friend, who is determined to stop Baloo from getting Mowgli out of his village.
• Tony Jay as Shere Khan, a man-eater tiger who wants revenge on Mowgli. Jay reprises his role from the TV series TaleSpin.
• Phil Collins as Lucky, a dim-witted vulture who mocks Shere Khan.^[2]
• John Rhys-Davies as Ranjan's father
• Jim Cummings as Kaa / Colonel Hathi / M.C. Monkey
• Bobby Edner as Hathi, Jr.
• Connor Funk as Ranjan
• Jeff Glen Bennett as Buzzy
• Brian Cummings as Flaps
• Jess Harnell as Dizzy and Ziggy

Additional voices provided by Jeff Bennett, Baron Davis, Jess Harnell, Devika Parikh, Veena Bidasha, Brian Cummings, and an uncredited J. Grant Albrecht.

Hidden appearances

• During one attempt at the classic song The Bear Necessities from the first film, two prickly pears land on and stick to Kaa's head, making him look like Mickey Mouse. This is an example of a Hidden Mickey.
• During 'W-I-L-D', Timon and Pumbaa can briefly be seen dancing until Baloo bounces them off with his backside.

Songs

Songs from the first film were composed by Terry Gilkyson and Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman with new songs by Lorraine Feather, Paul Grabowsky, and Joel McNeely.

1. 'I Wan'na Be like You' – Smash Mouth
2. 'Jungle Rhythm' – Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan
3. 'The Bare Necessities' – Baloo
4. 'Colonel Hathi's March'
5. 'The Bare Necessities' – Baloo, Mowgli
6. 'W-I-L-D' – Baloo
7. 'Jungle Rhythm (Reprise)' – Mowgli
8. 'The Bear Necessities (Reprise)' – Baloo, Mowgli, Shanti
9. 'Right Where I Belong' – Windy Wagner

Production

In the 1990s, screenwriting duo Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir submitted a Jungle Book 2 screenplay in which Baloo ventured to save his romantic interest from a poacher. Disney ultimately went in a different direction for the sequel.^[3]

John Goodman recorded his voice work in New Orleans while Haley Joel Osment recorded his in California. Due to a legal dispute, the character of King Louie from the original Jungle Book could not be included in this film. However, he makes a non-physical appearance as a shadow puppet in the beginning of the film and is briefly mentioned in the middle of the film.The decision was made to keep Shere Khan in shadow during the beginning of the film to 'reflect his 'wounded pride'.

Release

Critical reception

The Jungle Book 2 received generally negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 19% based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, 'This inferior rehash of The Jungle Book should have gone straight to video.'^[4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 38 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating 'generally unfavorable reviews'.^[5]

Box office

The film was released on February 14, 2003 and opened at #4 in its 4-day opening weekend with $14,109,797.^[6] At the end of its run, the film grossed $47,901,582 in the United States and $87,802,017 in foreign countries totaling $135,703,599 worldwide. It could be considered a box office success, based on its $20 million budget.^[1]

Home media

The Jungle Book 2 was released on both VHS and DVD on June 10, 2003. The bonus features included the behind-the-scenes, some music videos, 'W-I-L-D', 'I Wan'na Be like You' and 'Jungle Rhythm', and deleted scenes. It was re-released again on June 17, 2008 on 'Special Edition' DVD.^[7][8] In the United States, the 2008 DVD release sold 126,593 units and grossed $1.83 million in two weeks.^[9] The film was released on Blu-ray on March 18, 2014, following its prequel's first HD Blu-ray release.^[10]

References

1. ^ ^abcd'The Jungle Book 2 (2003)'. Box Office Mojo.
2. ^Phil Collins. Not Dead Yet. London, England: Century Books. p. 269. ISBN978-1-780-89513-0.
3. ^Armstrong, Josh (2012-03-05). 'Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir on the Rise and Fall of Disney's Circle 7 Animation'. Animated Views. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
4. ^'The Jungle Book 2 (2003)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
5. ^'The Jungle Book 2 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
6. ^'Weekend Box Office Results for February 14-17, 2003'. Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database (which is owned by Amazon.com). February 18, 2003. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
7. ^'The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition'. Amazon.com. June 17, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
8. ^Cedeno, Kelvin. 'The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition DVD Review'. UltimateDisney.com. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
9. ^'The Jungle Book 2 (2003) - Video Sales'. The Numbers. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
10. ^'The Jungle Book 2 [Blu-ray]'. Amazon.com. Retrieved August 14, 2015.

External links

• The Jungle Book 2 on IMDb
• The Jungle Book 2 at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• The Jungle Book 2 at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Jungle Book 2 at Metacritic