The Jungle Book 2

Positive—My preschooler loved this film. While mom and dad found it a bit slow, the songs were engaging and the characters sweet. I would, however, caution parents of very young children due to the “scary tiger” (my preschooler’s words). Some scenes are a little intense for very young preschoolers; however, I was impressed that the ultimate demise of the “bad guy” didn’t end in his death. With so much death on the news and in the world, who wants to go home and explain that to a child?! Overall, it was a good experience and I would take my child to see it again.
My Ratings: [Nothing Offensive / 4]

Positive—Being a college student with time on his hands and an equally bored girlfriend, I decided to go see this the other day and I was pleasantly surprised. It was better than I thought it would be as it is a sequel to the first one and the storyline was simple and fun enough to just sit back and enjoy. The movie was a bit on the short side and song and dances numbers seemed a little forced at times but overall, it is one of the better movies morally that is out there today. It isn’t too bad but don’t come prepared to be impressed.
My Ratings: [Nothing Offensive / 3]

…Hurray for Disney’s G-rated family treat that will entertain a second generation with the characters moms and dads grew up loving! I enjoyed the beautiful, colorful animation and the clever songs with memorable lyrics that will remind you of just how good the original ones were. What I really enjoyed was the hilarious banter and clever one-liners between Goodman and Osment. These two pros made the characters come to life and made the movie more than just an animated story; they made it a tender tale of friendship, love and loyalty as well…

…This sequel is so unnecessary and uninteresting that, one hour into it, the children behind me were asking their father for permission to swing on the handrails lining the stairway. The songs are instantly forgettable, except for “The Bare Necessities” which gets repackaged and repeated ad nauseam. Meanwhile, the story has basic flaws that lead to a no-duh! ending. It took everything I had to keep from slapping the ball of my hand against my forehead in disbelief when Baloo and Mowgli shared a teary farewell so that Mowgli could journey back across the great social divide—a river so narrow that a child could throw a rock from one side to the other. Then the revelation: Wait! I could come over and visit now and then! And everyone goes home happy, except perhaps the parent who dropped $35 on admission and snacks. …

…Although some parents may welcome the brief running time, others are apt to feel gypped, particularly when paying for multiple admissions rather than one video rental or even purchase. The same will hold true for those who adore the original work and/or are expecting something entertaining out of the sequel. Another example of corporate greed besting art, “The Jungle Book 2” rates as just a 4 out of 10 simply for passably filling a void in cinematic offerings aimed at the very young set. …