SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE JUNGLE BOOK 2

"THE JUNGLE BOOK 2"
(2003) (voices of Haley Joel Osment, John Goodman) (G)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
None	None	Extreme	*Moderate	Minor

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	Mild	Heavy	None	None

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Minor	None	Mild	Mild	Moderate

QUICK TAKE:: Children's Animated: A jungle boy longs to return to the wilderness and join his former animal friends, unaware that a menacing tiger wants to kill him.

PLOT:

Young Mowgli (voice of HALEY JOEL OSMENT) now lives with a human Indian family in a village just outside the jungle where he was raised by a bunch of wolves and then befriended by a fun-loving bear, Baloo (voice of JOHN GOODMAN). The two miss each other terribly, and thus Baloo, despite attempts by Bagheera the panther (voice of BOB JOLES) to stop him, sets out to find and retrieve his young friend.

That ends up putting the boy in danger since the menacing and vengeful tiger, Shere Khan (voice of TONY JAY), wants to kill Mowgli for earlier embarrassing him. The repeated taunting by Lucky (voice of PHIL COLLINS) the vulture doesn't help Shere Khan's already nasty disposition.

As Mowgli heads back into the jungle with Baloo, he's followed by Shanti (voice of MAE WHITMAN), the young girl who initially lured him out of the jungle, as well as their young and fearless friend Ranjan (voice of CONNOR FUNK), both of whom set out to find the jungle boy.

As Ranjan's father (voice of JOHN RHYS-DAVIES) worries about all of them, and a hungry and large snake, Kaa (voice of JIM CUMMINGS), eyes all of them as tasty appetizers, Shere Khan stalks his intended prey. From that point on, it's up to Mowgli's friends to protect the boy.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of the original "Jungle Book" movie/video or simply like Disney's animated offerings, it's a good bet they will.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G: For not containing material to warrant a higher rating.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: It's debatable whether kids view animated characters, particularly non-human ones, as role models, but here's a quick look at the major characteristics of those that are present.; MOWGLI is a young jungle boy who doesn't feel like he fits in with his adoptive human family and thus returns to the jungle to hang out with his friends.
BALOO is the fun-loving bear who wants his old friend Mowgli back in his life.
SHANTI is the young girl with whom Mowgli is smitten (and vice-versa), although both try to act as if that's not true.
RANJAN is a young and fearless boy who likes to act as if he's a wild animal.
BAGHEERA is a black panther who disapproves of Baloo's attempts at contacting Mowgli again.
SHERE KHAN is the menacing and vengeful tiger who wants to kill Mowgli.
KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; BALOO is the fun-loving bear who wants his old friend Mowgli back in his life.
SHANTI is the young girl with whom Mowgli is smitten (and vice-versa), although both try to act as if that's not true.
RANJAN is a young and fearless boy who likes to act as if he's a wild animal.
BAGHEERA is a black panther who disapproves of Baloo's attempts at contacting Mowgli again.
SHERE KHAN is the menacing and vengeful tiger who wants to kill Mowgli.
KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; SHANTI is the young girl with whom Mowgli is smitten (and vice-versa), although both try to act as if that's not true.
RANJAN is a young and fearless boy who likes to act as if he's a wild animal.
BAGHEERA is a black panther who disapproves of Baloo's attempts at contacting Mowgli again.
SHERE KHAN is the menacing and vengeful tiger who wants to kill Mowgli.
KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; RANJAN is a young and fearless boy who likes to act as if he's a wild animal.
BAGHEERA is a black panther who disapproves of Baloo's attempts at contacting Mowgli again.
SHERE KHAN is the menacing and vengeful tiger who wants to kill Mowgli.
KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; BAGHEERA is a black panther who disapproves of Baloo's attempts at contacting Mowgli again.
SHERE KHAN is the menacing and vengeful tiger who wants to kill Mowgli.
KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; SHERE KHAN is the menacing and vengeful tiger who wants to kill Mowgli.
KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; KAA is a large snake that repeatedly tries to eat several human children, but is always foiled in various slapstick style ways.
LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.; LUCKY is a vulture who repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a quick look at the content found in this G-rated kids film. Despite that rating, various scenes - including those involving a menacing tiger stalking and then attempting to kill a boy - may be unsettling, suspenseful or downright frightening to younger kids. That, of course, depends on the viewer's age, level of maturity and tolerance for and/or past exposure to such material.

Violence consists of that menacing tiger threatening or manhandling others, some brief animal fighting, and various instances of slapstick style material. Several characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, some brief, imitative behavior is present, and a human boy doesn't feel that he fits in with his adoptive, human family.

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: None.

BLOOD/GORE: None.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Mowgli gets mad at Shanti for her yelling to make him stop from entering the jungle (and getting him in trouble with his dad). He later disobeys orders not to return to the jungle.
Shere Khan wants to kill Mowgli for embarrassing him earlier.
Lucky repeatedly mocks Shere Khan.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: The following may or may not be tense, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers (all depending on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for/past exposure to such material).
A shadow puppet of Shere Khan's mouth with sharpened teeth is briefly seen.
Whenever Shere Khan is seen, ominous and/or suspenseful music plays and he sports a menacing look and voice. We also hear that he wants to get his deadly revenge on Mowgli.
We also see him menacingly squash a coconut that's supposed to represent Mowgli.
Mowgli's human father shows some tiger scratch scars on his arm when telling Mowgli how dangerous the jungle can be.
We see Shere Khan's shadow as the tiger moves through the village looking for Mowgli (as everyone sleeps and with some ominous music playing). The men are finally alerted and then come at the tiger with spears and torches (the tiger jumps out of the village). Various humans then cross a river and head into the forbidden jungle at night.
A large snake repeatedly tries to get Mowgli during a song and dance number (but it's mostly played for laughs rather than suspense).
Shanti slowly makes her way through the jungle at night where she appears frightened by all of the strange sounds and encounters with various animals (such as bats flying around her head, etc.). Kaa (a large snake) then puts a hypnotic spell on her and is prepared to eat her (even going around her), but Ranjan stops that.
Shere Khan grabs Kaa by the neck and squeezes quite tight, all while trying to get info out of him. Later, he has Lucky the vulture by the neck. We then hears sounds of violence (after the tiger notes the irony of the vulture's name), but don't see anything.
Shanti looks scared as Mowgli talks to her and we then see that Shere Khan is behind them. The tiger then states that he can't let Mowgli live. He, Shanti and Ranjan then run away as the tiger chases after them. Mowgli then attempts to jump across a lava-filled ravine over to a ruin and barely holds onto the other side. Moments later, Mowgli and Shanti try to hide from the tiger as he slowly looks for them (as some thunder echoes around them). The two of them and Baloo then attempt to confuse the tiger by banging on gongs on opposite sides of an ancient courtyard, but Shanti's then falls to the ground, exposing her. Shere Khan menacingly approaches her but then charges at Mowgli who steps out. Baloo knocks the tiger aside, and then tackles him, but the tiger pushes him away and chases after them. The two kids and the tiger then end up barely holding onto a large stone structure (above the earlier lava). The tiger then approaches them, but the structure then falls away and toward the lava with all three also falling toward it. Baloo saves the two kids and Shere Khan ends up apparently squashed by the structure (but we then see that it only has him pinned beneath it on a rock in the middle of the lava).

GUNS/WEAPONS: Spears: Carried by some villagers.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Horrible, stinky boys," "Screwy," "Consider that girl scare-ified," "You dig?" "Schnoozle" (nose) and "Man, alive."
Ranjan likes to act as if he's a tiger (growling, sporting a rope for a tail, etc.).
Mowgli squeezes a banana so that it squirts out and into Ranjan's mouth.

JUMP SCENES: Baloo suddenly pops up and surprises Mowgli.
An owl surprises Shanti.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: None.

SEX/NUDITY: Ranjan shakes his little behind to imitate what he thinks was the thing that Shanti used to lure Mowgli into the village (all while saying she batted her brown eyes at him, something Mowgli's father says was the same trick his wife used on him).

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Mowgli doesn't feel at home with his adoptive human family, and thus returns to the jungle to be with his animal friends (but his human family worries about him).

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Adoption and trying to feel that you belong with a new family.
Life in or around the jungle.
Revenge.
Following parents' rules.

VIOLENCE: Some slapstick style material has Ranjan sending himself through the air (via a large, makeshift slingshot) and knocking Mowgli from a beam to the floor. Later, Bagheera and an elephant fall into a river after the horizontal tree they're on breaks, while a large snake, Kaa, is repeatedly bashed or struck as it tries to get Mowgli during a song (all played for laughs, such as when a large rock lands on the snake's head or when it gets prickly pears on its face). Shanti unknowingly lets her torch heat up Kaa's belly and the snake then bangs his head. Later, the snake bounces down a series of rocks and coconuts land on its head. Several elephants crash into each other and Mowgli later accidentally falls onto Baloo's head.
Ranjan repeatedly bangs Kaa the snake just as he was preparing to eat Shanti (but ends up swallowing a large rock instead).
Shere Khan grabs Kaa by the neck and squeezes quite tight, all while trying to get info out of him. Later, he has Lucky the vulture by the neck. We then hears sounds of violence (after the tiger notes the irony of the vulture's name), but don't see anything.
Shanti punches Baloo on the nose after he acts menacingly toward her (on Mowgli's orders to try to scare her).
Shere Khan menacingly approaches Shanti but then charges at Mowgli who steps out. Baloo knocks the tiger aside, and then tackles him, but the tiger pushes him away and chases after them. After some perilous moments, a large stone structure appears to squash Shere Khan, but we then see that it only has him pinned beneath it on a rock in the middle of some lava.

Reviewed February 8, 2003 / Posted February 14, 2003

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