The Jungle Book 2 facts for kids

The Jungle Book 2 is an animated movie that came out in 2003. It was made by DisneyToon Studios in Sydney, Australia. Walt Disney Pictures released the movie. It first came out in France on February 5, 2003, and then in the United States on February 14, 2003.

This movie is a sequel to Walt Disney's original The Jungle Book from 1967. In The Jungle Book 2, Haley Joel Osment is the voice of Mowgli. John Goodman voices Baloo. The movie was first planned to go straight to video. But Disney decided to release it in movie theaters instead.

This film is not based on The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. That book was published in 1895. However, both the movie and Kipling's book share some of the same characters. When the movie was released, some people said the animation was not very good. They also felt the story was too much like the first movie. Disney later released the movie on VHS and DVD on June 10, 2003. A special edition DVD came out on June 17, 2008.

The Story of Mowgli's Return

Mowgli lives in a human village, but he feels like he doesn't quite fit in. One day, his bear friend Baloo comes to visit him. Mowgli decides to leave the village with Baloo and go back to the jungle.

Meanwhile, Mowgli's friend Shanti thinks he has been taken away. She follows him into the jungle to find him. The dangerous tiger, Shere Khan, is still looking for Mowgli. This puts Mowgli, Shanti, and Baloo in danger. Mowgli then has to choose where he truly wants to live. He must decide if he wants to stay in the jungle with Baloo or go back to the village with Shanti.

Making the Movie

• John Goodman recorded his voice for Baloo in New Orleans. Haley Joel Osment recorded his voice for Mowgli in California.
• The character of King Louie from the first Jungle Book could not be in this movie. This was because of a legal issue. However, he is mentioned briefly in the middle of the film.
• The filmmakers decided to keep Shere Khan mostly in shadows at the start of the movie. This was to show his "wounded pride" after the events of the first film.

Meet the Characters

Characters from the First Movie

• Mowgli, voiced by Haley Joel Osment
• Baloo, voiced by John Goodman
• Bagheera, voiced by Bob Joles
• Shanti, voiced by Mae Whitman
• Shere Khan, voiced by Tony Jay
• Kaa, voiced by Jim Cummings
• Colonel Hathi, voiced by Jim Cummings
• Hathi, Jr., whose voice actor is not known.
• Buzzie, Flaps, Dizzie, & Ziggy (the vultures), voiced by Jim Cummings, Jeff Bennett, Baron Davis, and Jess Harnell.
• Flunkey (the baboon), voiced by Jim Cummings.

New Characters in This Movie

• Lucky (a vulture), voiced by Phil Collins
• Ranjan (a boy from the village), voiced by Connor Funk
• Ranjan's Father, voiced by John Rhys-Davies
• Messua (a woman from the village), whose voice actor is not known.

Animals in the Film

• Humans: Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan, Ranjan's Father, Messua, Nathoo, and other villagers.
• Sloth Bear: Baloo
• Black Panther: Bagheera
• Tiger: Shere Khan
• Indian Python: Kaa
• Asian Elephant: Colonel Hathi, Hathi Jr., and the Elephant Patrol. Some elephants are also seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Indian Vultures: Buzzie, Flaps, Dizzie, Ziggy, and Lucky.
• Baboon: Flunkey
• Indian Rhinoceros: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Parakeets: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Hippopotamus: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Indian Mongoose: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Ocelot: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Water rat: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Insects: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Earthworms: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Crane: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Cuckoo: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Kookaburra: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Gazelle: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Langurs: The Bandar-log (monkeys).
• Owl: Seen by Shanti in the jungle.
• Vampire Bat: Seen attacking Shanti.
• Macaque: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Meerkat: Seen in King Louie's old palace.
• Warthog: Seen in King Louie's old palace.

Hidden Fun in the Movie

• During a song, two prickly pears land on Kaa's head. They make him look like Mickey Mouse. This is a special hidden image called a Hidden Mickey.
• In the "W-I-L-D" song, Pumbaa from The Lion King can be seen dancing briefly. Then Baloo bumps him away.

Movie Music

The band Smash Mouth recorded a new version of the song "I Wanna Be Like You." This song was originally from the 1967 movie. Smash Mouth's version is on The Jungle Book 2's soundtrack.

Interesting Facts

• This is the second Disney sequel that starts right after the first movie ends. The first was The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
• Kaa is the second character whose voice actor changed from Sterling Holloway to Jim Cummings. The first character was Winnie-the-Pooh.

See Also

In Spanish: El libro de la selva 2 para niños