Disney's latest is barely necessary

Going into a kid's movie one must keep in mind that it wasn't made to entertain a college student. Similarly, there can be movies that can entertain both child and adult, for example "The Lion King" or "Toy Story."\nSo even though I was unsure making a sequel to the original "Jungle Book" was too smart of an idea, it had a few things going for it. Firstly, Disney rarely releases sequels into theaters, the last one in memory being "Toy Story 2." Secondly, John Goodman (as Baloo) and Haley Joel Osment (as Mowgli) are two very fine actors who give excellent renditions of those from the 1967 original.\nBut "Jungle Book 2" lacks the same magic as the original, which illustrated the theme that if one listens closely, the beat or rhythm of the jungle echoes throughout, making the jungle itself musical. While the sequel does touch on this now, it is a much different time than before. Whereas the original was jazzy and full of swing music, the music of the sequel is more forced and seems like the writer just tossed in songs because it's a Disney movie. \n"Jungle Book 2" is the story that happens after Mowgli leaves the jungle to live in the village. There he is friends with the girl who first attracted him to civilization. Occasionally this leads to romantic tension that would seem awkward to most adults while going over the head of the young children. Mowgli returns to jungle when Baloo comes to visit him, but a pursuing Shere Kahn (the tiger) causes them trouble. All the old characters return except for Louie, King of the Apes, who's only reference is that he is gone, leaving Baloo to his old castle. Two songs also reappear: "The Bare Necessities" and a remixed version of "I Want To Be Like You" over the end credits. \nThough overall the film was disappointing, the sequel did make me happily nostalgic and appreciate the original so much more than I ever did as a child.