THE JUNGLE BOOK 2 (2003). The new chapter to the 1967 Disney classic (based on the Rudyard Kipling tales) is an earnest follow-up. This time the young Indian boy Mowgli (voice of Haley Joel Osment) begins his adventures in the safe haven of a village compound, but after a reprimand from his new family, he returns to the jungle, where he reunites with Baloo (John Goodman), the boisterous blue bear who raised him. There are plenty of frolicking musical numbers, and danger lurks in the form of Shere Khan (a sinister Tony Jay), the evil tiger with a score to settle. The animation remains affectionately loyal to the film's old-school roots, and the expansion of Shanti (Mae Whitman), the girl who coaxed Mowgli from the wilds, into a potential love interest is a favorable upgrade. Phil Collins checks in as a goofball vulture and Connor Funk voices Ranjan, Mowgli's scene-stealing little stepbrother. Not as moving as the original, JB2 is nonetheless a respectful rehash that should charm a new generation of kids. (78m)

Click for a full review.

Now playing at: