Marble Run
Average Customer Review:
Toy
-- our price: $19.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Six chutes, plus six curves, plus nine tubes, plus three bases, plus six marbles equals a plethora of architectural possibilities. Galt's Marble Run is a sturdy, simply-put-together set in primary colors that's perfect for the beginning builder. Kids love to watch the marbles roll down the chutes, disappear into the tubes, and reappear on the curves a few inches lower. Since it can be configured any number of ways, it's a great discovery and exploration tool, providing instant feedback in the cause-and-effect department. And it's easy to take it apart and start over, too! --Julie Ubben ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not as good as it used to be ...
We have an older version of this toy.There are at least 4 different "specialty" ramps :water wheel, squiggly ramp, ==O== ramp, whirlpool drop, and perhaps 50 ramps, 20 vertical connectors, and 10 circular / base pieces.From the pictures I see on the Amazon site, this version is a heavily castrated set with less than half the fun of our set (which is circa 1995.)The version we have is called "Super Marble Run" and I wish that Amazon would carry this enhanced version - it's well worth the extra $$$.

Great fun (and educational, too)!
I bought this marble run for classroom use, but I enjoy using it myself.I'm working on my teacher's certification and bought this as an activity for a unit I designed on the six simple machines.I think it's a wonderful hands-on way for students to learn about inclines and such.Truth be told, I'm infatuated with it.The colors are very eye-catching and it's great fun to work with.I can't wait to use it in the classroom.Another reviewer suggested buying two sets, which is a good idea.If you know a child who likes building toys (blocks, Legos, etc.), get them this marble run.I loved that stuff as a child (still do) and I truly enjoy this marble run.

This would be fun and educational but Galt messed up
My children used an older version of this type of marble game and went bonkers over it. The toy we used was a friends. My wife bought Galt's version and I am ready to toss it into the garbage can. I just hope the retailer will accept a return. The problem is that Galt's materials engineers cut back on the connector strength and the pieces do not stick together well. All it takes to knock this toy down is a minor bump. My kids were totally frustrated and so was I. This was not an issue with the toy my friend had.

Galt, you saved a few pennies on plastic on each set you built but you created a useless toy. Two thumbs down!!!!!! ... Read more

Asin: B00000IVUJ
Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Activity    4. Blocks   

Floor Easel with Paper Roll
Average Customer Review:
Toy
list price: $89.99 -- our price: $89.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

With this well-designed, double-sided easel, preschoolers can enjoy theadvantages of creative expression on an upright surface. The easel's frame ismade from sturdy wood left in its natural state, with thick pressed board usedas the bases for the art surfaces. One side of the easel has a 24-by-24-inch,green chalkboard, and the other side has a 24-by-24-inch, white dry-erase board.Two removable, washable trays are included to attach to the easel (one withmolded spaces to hold paint jars and brushes). The easel requires simpleassembly, but no tools are required and all bolts and plastic bolt covers areincluded. Some thoughtful design aspects include an adjustable height feature, aconvenient, built-in paper roll dispenser (with paper), and two metal clips to attach paper forpainting. This set was a winner of the Dr. Toy Best Classic ToysAward, and it would be a winning addition to any playroom, family daycare home,or preschool. --Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Quality product
The person who complained about the height adjustment didn't understand how to put it together.The height of the easel doesn't change, the height of the trays does.It is very stable in either position.

Do not buy, not worth the money
We bought this for our son's 8th birthday.I chose this one because of the height adjustment and the size.It is a joke.It does not want to stay standing with it on the tallest height.My husband is very handy and was able to make it work.Basically though I paid for height adjustment and not able to use it.If I had known this, I would have purchased a cheaper easel.With the easel in the highest height adjustment the legs are basically like hinges and are constantly hinging and falling down.We picked it up numberous times until my husband just put it in the lower position and attached the trays where the legs attach.Also some of the screws were too long the first time we put it together, and I went exactly by the instructions.Now that we have it put together a little different, I have to go and purchase a set of longer screws.With the 79.99 price, this should not have been the case.I was going to send back, and I may still.Again, I reiterate, DO NOT BUY THIS, especially if your child is a taller child and you think you are going to get some years of use out of this.I figure one year will be it for this easel at the lowest height adjustment.SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY THE CHEAPER ONE OR EVEN ONE OF THE LITTLE TIKES PLASTIC SOLID SURFACE EASELS.

Hours of creative fun!
My daughter received this easel for her third birthday two months ago. We keep it in our main living area and she spends half an hour to an hour each day creating masterpieces in chalk, marker or paint. While one side of the easel is set up for dry erase markers, we use the included roll of paper (which fits the easel perfectly) and give our toddler washable markers instead. We also use washable paint. A tray on either side holds all the supplies your little one will need--and removes easily for clean-ups. Replacement paper rolls can be found through art supply stores.

One note: You have to "pre-season" the chalkboard by thoroughly rubbing chalk over the surface.And of course, this type of toy requires a lot of adult supervision, especially during painting sessions. ... Read more

Asin: B00005IX8K
Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Arts and Crafts    3. Easels   

25 Piece Art Set
Average Customer Review:
Toy
-- our price: $29.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Set up an art station just like those found in preschools andkindergartens with this set of high-quality painting supplies to encouragecreative expression in young artists. The set includes seven colors of washabletempera paint in 8-ounce bottles, in black, white, red, blue, yellow, purple,and green. No-spill paint pots with color-coordinated lids are also included,and the lids snap tightly shut so unused paint won't dry out. Six bristlebrushes are included, as well as three foam brushes and two foam rollers.Everything stores away in a sturdy storage crate (which itself folds flat forstorage). Early-childhood educators praise the creative value of painting foryoung children, and this set provides all the necessary materials except paper.--Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Features

• 6 bristle brushes, 3 foam brushes, 2 foam rollers
• Sturdy, fold-up storage crate
• High-quality supplies for school or home
• 7 8-ounce containers of tempera paints
• 7 no-spill paint pots with snap lids

Reviews (3)

Good quality for price
Good quality supplies made for heavy duty use.Nice big "brushy" brushes - heavy duty nylon bristles resist "flopping" and are easy to clean.Sponge applicators are easy to use and fun shapes - they don't fall apart and they wash clean. Paint is in worthwhile size containers - just need an inch or so in the cup at a time, bottle will last a long time. Lidded cups keep paint from drying out and have large brush wells. Crayons and chalk are standard issue - would be better if they were thicker, "pre-school" size.All in all - a very good basic supply.My grandson wants to "do painting" every time he visits.

Great item...
The item is great -- all the washable paints you need -- great brushes and sponges etc...

Very Nice
My kids are having fun painting and Im enjoying the less mess part :) I also thought the brushes were 'Are" very high quality!!
I would buy this again! And will for a gift very soon!! The crate is very nice also!
Thanks!! ... Read more

Asin: B00005LACO
Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Art Supplies    3. Activity   

Double Easel
Average Customer Review:
Toy
-- our price: $49.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Just like any great artist, your little one should be preparedfor that moment when creative inspiration arrives. Featuring a largechalkboard on one side and a blank pad of paper on the other, thisDouble Easel will ensure that your pintsize Van Gogh can capture amoment of inspiration before it passes. The Double Easel is made ofdurable plastic and comes with wide trays on both sides for storing artsupplies (not included), as well as a large piece of chalk and aneraser (included). A large plastic clamp on one side of the easel holdsdown a 50-sheet pad of paper (included), and the two storage trays areremovable for easy cleanup. Designed for use by one or two children ata time, the Double Easel folds together for compact storage. Measures43.5 inches tall. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Great for your little artist!
We just got this easel for our 20 month old daughter and she LOVES it!!! It comes with a piece of chalk and a large writing tablet and didn't take too long to put together. I would definitly recommend this easel to any one with a child who loves to color.

grandkids activites
I took my grandkids to a play group and they had this item they had so much fun that I went to buy one.they keep busy with all the online pictures you can copy keeps them


I loved it!!!

Entertaining Easel
My 2 year old son recently received this easel as a birthday present.I put it together, and he has been using it ever since.Even at 2, he takes his artwork very serious and thoroughly enjoys it.He has fun using the chalkboard side; drawing and then erasing.On the paper side, he has fun with his Crayola crayons, washable, of course.He picks out a crayon, tells me what color it is, then hands it to me and I write the first letter of the name of the color so that he can start associating colors and letters.A great educational and fun item. ... Read more

Asin: B00000IRTI
Subjects:  1. Arts and Crafts    2. Art Supplies    3. Easels    4. Toddler    5. Activity   

Ex Kiddio Supertrike 1
Average Customer Review:
Toy
list price: $39.99
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Reviews (47)

I love this trike
This is the best trike ever.I had a radio flyer, but it was so heavy, my 2 1/2 year-old son could bearly make it go, could hardly reach the pedals, and he never wanted to use it.Now that he has this trike, he loves riding it.He can go really fast on it, so he really feels a sense of accomplishment, demonstrated by the huge smile on his face when he rides.It doesn't tip over easily like the other trike either.One note, he is on the tall side, but we still had to use the smallest settings in order for him to reach the pedals.Lots of room to grow with this trike, but someone younger than 2 1/2 may not be able to reach the pedals at first.Once they can reach, though, it is very easy to pedal. I highly recommend this trike, and what a great price!

Tricycle
This trike was particularly nice for riding indoors in the basement.It is small enough to fit around furniture and through doorways.

Nice Trike!
We bought this Trike for our son for Christmas.We saw this same trike for $60 in a local store.It went together pretty easily.The trike is good sized, which with our tall 2 yo son, has been a problem with other riding toys.He actually has room to grow and we didn't even have to place the seat at the tallest point.It is easy for him to push the pedals and he can go pretty fast.The tires slip a little on the asphalt occassionally and sometimes he gets going so fast that his feet can keep up with the pedals.But the trike is VERY stable, doesn't tip, and is very sturdy.I would recommend this to others! ... Read more

Asin: B00004YTP0
Sales Rank: 4312
Subjects:  1. Ride-Ons    2. Pedals    3. Tricycles    4. Preschool   

Finding Nemo
by Albert Brooks Ellen DeGeneres Alexander Gould
Director: Lee Unkrich, Andrew Stanton
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (04 November, 2003)
list price: $24.99 -- our price: $22.49
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

A delightful undersea world unfolds in Pixar's animated adventure Finding Nemo. When his son Nemo is captured by a scuba-diver, a nervous-nellie clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) sets off into the vast--and astonishingly detailed--ocean to find him. Along the way he hooks up with a scatterbrained blue tang fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who's both helpful and a hindrance, sometimes at the same time. Faced with sharks, deep-sea anglers, fields of poisonous jellyfish, sea turtles, pelicans, and much more, Marlin rises above his neuroses in this wonderfully funny and nonstop thrill ride--rarely does more than 10minutes pass without a sequence destined to become a theme park attraction. Pixar continues its run of impeccable artistic and economic success (their movies include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc). Also featuring the voices of Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, and Allison Janney. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (873)

stupid 1 jokeflick!!!!!!!
I hated this movie.Myteacher loved this retarded flim . i hate u ,nemo. !#@$ you pixar.

A MOVIE WORTH SEA-ING
This is a great animated movie. It looks amazing in HD!
You'll want to add this one to your dvd collection.

good.very good.
It's about one parent's quest to find his child against all (well most) odds.Well, the father gets a lot of help from all sorts of animals.And there's a lot of luck involved.

The nice thing is that Nemo is a fish with a disability, and it's always nice to have characters whose lives are not perfect that nevertheless can find happiness and love.

I like the idealism, and the portrayal of success of characters whoare not perfect.I think the coincidences and luck are outrageous, but during the movie my suspension of disbelief managed to stay intact.

I think it's a lot healthier than a lot of other stuff that threaten to stick themselves in childrens' heads. ... Read more

Asin: B0000AQZYM
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family   

Stitch! The Movie
by Daveigh Chase Chris Sanders (III) Tia Carrere
Director: Robert Gannaway, Tony Craig (II)
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (26 August, 2003)
list price: $22.99 -- our price: $21.84
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Disney sets a record for bringing out a direct-to-video sequel after the initial film. Stitch: The Movie arrives only a year after the enjoyable Lilo & Stitch played theaters and reunites the title character (otherwise known as Experiment 626) with his earth-bound family in the warm Hawaiian sun. The story has a nice set-up: since Stitch is Experiment 626, where are the first 625 invented by Dr. Jumba Jookiba? Odds are the island paradise will soon be spaceport central for many more aliens. As with other made-for-video Disney titles, the animation is not as complex or rich. This hurts this sequel even more since the original film had such a unique, pastel beauty. Unfortunately, the other elements of the film are just as flat. Even though most of the original voice cast returns, the entire production lacks the same spirit and charm, and the story's theme is recycled (get ready for more "Ohana means family"). On the plus side, the film starts with an Elvis Presley song ("Slicin' Sand") and is only 64 minutes long. The movie sets up the Disney TV series The Adventures of Lilo & Stitch. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (75)

Ugh. Doesn't deserve Stitch's name!
Wow, this movie was awful.I am a HUGE fan of "Lilo & Stitch" so naturally I bought this movie sight unseen.Looks like Disney is just cashing the sequel checks with children being their primary target.Very low quality story. Stick with Saturday morning cartoons -- at least they're free.

Not bad for an hour
As we all know this movie was just made to set up for the animated series on disney channel so its not really a sequel per say. It does introduce the concept of stitches other 625 cousins and we are introduced to new characters as well. I know that most "movie to set up a series" are usually not that good, but this one is still pretty good. It will definately keep the kids entertained and thats what is important. So i would pick this up for not only your kids to enjoy, but the whole family as well.

If you can't compare, they can't disappoint!
When I first discovered that Disney were releasing a sequel to their greatest hit to date, Lilo & Stitch, I couldn't believe it. I remember watching the original film in theatres and have loved it ever since. So obviously I had to go out and buy the sequel as soon as it came out and was I disappointed? Hell no! Strangely not a lot of others agree so but I totally agree with the points that Rezo has made. All Disney sequels that go direct to video don't bother going through the big struggle of being better than the first. Obviously this is no exception, but it's a bloody good effort, and it's undoubtedly unfair to compare this to the original film, which is what I'm not doing.
This film is brilliant. It doesn't have the feel of a sequel when you finish watching it, and technically it is just a way to start off the TV series, but I can very easily enjoy it as both. The qualities of the first film include all the fantastic voice talents returning, which isn't that common for something that goes straight to video, especially with such names like Tia Carrere, Kevin McDonald and Ving Rhames, and the fact that its unique style of comedy that made the first film such a success has been superbly recreated here. Let's now divide its details:
Storyline
Many sequels are poor rehashes with exactly the same storyline as before, films like Jungle Book 2 for example, but this one has a clever story to it. Stitch is experiment 626, and here begins the discovery of his 625 older 'cousins'. The new evil Badguy, Dr. Hamsterviel, who you can't help but feel sorry for in the end, teams up with Gantu, who's just been fired from his job, and kidnaps Jumba for his share of the collection. But Lilo and Stitch won't stop there, because for both of them, ohana still means nobody gets left behind. And because the mention of ohana is a key element in Lilo and Stitch, the sequel spaces the feeling out for both worlds. Whereas the first film explaining the situation of Lilo's family, Stitch! The Movie is more based on Stitch's.
Animation
Because it precedes a TV show, the watercolour backgrounds of the original can't be reused. But for television and straight to video, it's not really that bad. Kids won't care as long as they have the characters they love on the screen, and adults shouldn't care as long as they have the humour of the original's brilliance.
Voices
Apart from Jason Scott Lee, who is replaced by Dee Bradley Baker as David, they all came back and they all do well. The new voice of David does a great performance, and Tia Carrere is still good as Nani. Also the dating interest seems to be getting better between them despite Nani's doubts. David Ogden Stiers and Kevin McDonald as Jumba and Pleakley spare us more wit this time around, as well as Ving Rhames (Cobra) and Kevin Michael Richardson (Gantu) being as stunningly cool as before. As for previous voices, the amazing, should-be-Oscar-nominated, Daveigh Chase is the best of the lot as Lilo for the second film running, with the Grandcouncil Woman's Zoe Caldwell coming a very close second, in front of Gantu, Cobra and Pleakley.
In the department of new voices, Jeff Bennett is hilarious as the fantastic new villian Hamsterviel, and Rob Paulsen fits the part of 625 perfectly.
Humour
A reprisal from the new style of comedy brought along by the first film that has been winningly used to offer no signs of disappointment in this area. There's also a great use of the Peter Gunn theme put in here for extra effect on those who were impressed with all the comedic nostalgia references in the first film.

To finalise, listen to everything I've said, and take some of Rezo's advice, and watch it that way. Chances are you won't nearly be as disappointed as the many others. Think of it as The Matrix Reloaded, it's not as good as number one, but definitely a necessary release as there is now a series and talk of a third film. Sandwich, anyone? ... Read more

Asin: B00008X5J4
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family   

The Jungle Book 2
by John Goodman Haley Joel Osment Tony Jay
Director: Steve Trenbirth
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (10 June, 2003)
list price: $24.99
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Editorial Review

After a delightful opening, in which jungle boy Mowgli (voiced by HaleyJoel Osment) recaps much of the original Jungle Book in a sprightlyshadow puppet show, The Jungle Book 2 swiftly turns into a carbon copy ofthe splendidly swinging previous movie. After his old pal Baloo the bear (voicedby John Goodman) draws Mowgli away from the man-village, with all its work and rules, and back into the glorious indolenceof the jungle, the movie repeats--in a less energetic form--an encounter withKaa the snake, the cockney vultures, a musical number at the monkey's palace,the menace of Shere Khan the tiger, and even the song "The Bare Necessities."The only difference is that there's a girl named Shanti along for the ride;sadly, her character is so bland that it doesn't do much to justify the movie'sexistence. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Features

• Animated
• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (37)

Getting with the Jungle Rhythm
Hi everyone!I hope everyone is doing well!I LOVED this movie and there are several reasons why.Before I go into them, let me give you a brief summary of the film.

The Plot:

This movie takes place about a month or two after the original one ended.Mowgli has been adopted by a nice family and has a new little brother, Ranjan, who idolizes Mowgli for his life spent in the jungle. The movie opens up with Mowgli telling his new family and new best friend, Shanti, about his former life in the jungle through a puppet show.As he gets to the part where he fought Shere Khan, the ferocious tiger, Ranjan decides to put his own twist on the story and in doing so, manages to destroy the set and embarrass Shanti in the process.Ranjan's comment that, "Shanti blinked her big, beautiful, brown eyes at you.And you follow her into our village,"prompts Shanti to turn red and deny she did anything of the sort.This prompts a little argument between Mowgli and Shanti, forcing Mowgli's father to break it up by revealing that his wife used the same trick on him.Shanti then makes fun of Mowgli before leaving and Mowgli tells Shanti to "watch out for Shere Khan on your way home."Shanti dismisses his warning by retorting that,"You and your stories. Everyone knows tigers don't come into the village."With that, she leaves.But Mowgli soon finds that his theory is right when Shere Khan comes back, seeking revenge against Mowgli for what Mowgli did to him.
Meanwhile, Mowgli still misses his jungle friends and they miss him.Baloo, especially.Baloo wants to bring Mowgli back to the jungle, but Bagheera won't hear it.He tells Baloo that Mowgli belongs with his own kind.Baloo disagrees and sneaks off to visit Mowgli.Meanwhile back in the village, Mowgli and Ranjan spend their day teasing Shanti and playing on her fear of the jungle and especially of tigers.But Shanti's fear is tested when Baloo is successful in whisking Mowgli back to the jungle and Shanti must save him.She is accompanied by Ranjan who wants to find Mowgli too.They encounter Kaa, who is searching for a snack and almost has one, but Ranjan stops him right when he is about to eat Shanti by hitting the snake over the head with a stick.Mowgli and Shanti are soon reunited again and must face Shere Khan together.The movie ends on a good note and not only does Shanti face her fear, but Mowgli is able to have the best of both worlds.He is able to visit his jungle friends and remain in the village with his family and Shanti, who he discovers he cares for-a lot.

The Music:

This movie had some good songs and even though the Bear Necessities was reprised three times, it was still a good song for the movie.There are also two new songs that add to the movie's greatness as well."The Jungle Rhythm", which is sung by Mowgli and his new friends in the village.This song is one of my favorites because it's really catchy and really jazzy.Mowgli sings this song to show Shanti, Ranjan and his other new friends just how happening the jungle life is.His plan almost succeeds until Shanti sees what he's trying to do and gets him grounded by accident.The other new song is "W-Y-L-D", which is sung by Baloo and several animals in the jungle.This song is not one of my favorites, only because I liked "I Wanna Be Like You" a lot more.Other than that, the instrumental score was really an attention grabber.And I also enjoyed the first and last version of "The Bear Necessities".

Musical Extras:

The DVD also has some deleted songs that you can enjoy too.The first song is called "I've Got You Beat".This song was originally done by Mowgli and Shanti as a sort of competition to see what was better.The jungle life or life in the village.Although I didn't' like the version the DVD showed, I LOVE the version on the soundtrack.The other song which is one of my absolute favorites is called "Braver".It was supposed to be in the movie, but it never made it in because the producers and writers of the movie thought the song would give too much away of Shanti.In my opinion, I think they made a huge mistake in not putting this song into the movie.It's on the soundtrack, but I like the deleted version on the DVD a whole lot better.I guess it's because I LOVE Shanti and she is my favorite character next to Mowgli, and Bagheera.I love the way they developed her character and I really think Mae Whitman brings Shanti to life and she portrays her very well.The reason I think "Braver" should have been in the movie is because it's a really pretty song and Shanti has a very pretty singing voice.The other reason is that it showed how much Shanti was willing to risk for Mowgli.She was willing to risk her fear to find him, which I think is a perfect example of what friendship really is.

The humor in this movie was easy to see too.The humorous parts for me were when Kaa, the snake, kept getting beat up.But my favorite Kaa scene was where Ranjan hits him over the head when he is trying to eat Shanti.And then after Shanti snaps out of her trance and tells Ranjan to stop, he gives Kaa another whack before doing as Shanti says!I find that totally hilarious!The other thing I really liked about the movie was the one liners between Shanti and Mowgli.I especially love the scene where Mowgli makes Shanti fall into the river and drop her water jug.The look on her face and the way she growled at him was priceless!

In conclusion I really think anyone who has seen Jungle Book, should really pick up this movie.It's a really good one and I even think it's better than the original.So get with the Jungle Rhythm and join Mowgli, Shanti, Ranjan, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, Shere Khan and all their friends for another adventure full of humor, friendship and learning where you belong.

Favorite Scene:

Mowgli (to Shanti):Well, keep your eyes and ears open and always watch your back, or the last sound you'll hear is...(Ranjan jumps out of the bushes and roars.Shanti screams and falls into the river, dropping her water jug.)When does the tiger roar?

Shanti:You're horrible!Horrible, stinky boys!Come on, Ranjan.He's a bad influence.(They walk into the village.)Now, don't move. That wasn't very nice you know.

(Ranjan growls like a tiger.)

Shanti:Stop that!You're not a jungle boy.

Ranjan:Why are you so ascared of the jungle?

Shanti:Because it's dangerous.

Ranjan:Dangerwis?But Mowgli says...

Shanti:You shouldn't listen to everything Mowgli says.

Ranjan:But I thought you like Mowgli.

Shanti:I do.I-I like Mowgli.I...I...(She turns around to see Mowgli standing there.)

Mowgli:You left this at the river.(Hands Shanti her water jug back.)

Shanti:Thank you.

Ranjan:She's in a bad mood.

Mowgli:Hey, Ranjan, want to see a little trick I learned in the jungle?

(Ranjan nods and Mowgli lassos some fruit down off a tree.)

Ranjan:That's a pretty neat trick.

Shanti:Well, here's a little trick I learned, right here at home.

(She does the same thing, but manages to get the whole lot of fruit down.)

Ranjan:Wow!That's a neater trick!

Shanti:Like I said, Ranjan, don't listen to him.

Eh....it's alright.
It seems like Disney can't keep their greedy little fingers off any original Disney film. They had already come out with a few sequels....namely "The Little Mermaid 2", "Peter Pan 2", and "Pocahontas 2", so it was only fitting that "The Jungle Book 2" would be next in line.

I have to admit that this movie wasn't horrible, but it wasn't the greatest either. The main plot/storyline is this: Mowgli misses life in the jungle, and it shows not only in his songs, but in his stories also. Baloo misses his little "man cub" too, so one night, he decides to "kidnap" Mowgli and take him back to the jungle. The upside is that both Baloo and Mowgli are happy again. The downside is that Mowgli's two new villiage friends -- Shanti and Ranjan -- miss him, and go out in the jungle to look for him. The story turns into a two-way tie....following the adventures of both Shanti and Ranjan, and Mowgli and Baloo. In the end, Mowgli realizes that his heart lies in the man villiage.

The animation seemed kinda so-so in my opinion. They obviously did their best to copy the original animation, and they achieved it in a way that I think was ok, but not great.

The voice acting was superb. John Goodman did a pretty good (but not great) Baloo, Haley Joel Osment presents himself nicely as young Mowgli, and Jim Cummings does a wonderful job of portraying the sly and sinister thoughts of Kaa the snake. (I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Cummings once when I was about 8-10 yrs. old, actually. Nice guy.)

All-in-all, it's a film that'll keep the kids on their toes clapping and laughing, but will have the parents waiting for it to end. *wink* It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that great either. I gave it three stars because I'm a "kid at heart", and I enjoyed it. *smile*

Where is the old hunter Buldeo?
The best of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories took place in the man village because that's where Mowgli meets a superstitious old hunter named Buldeo. Buldeo claims that the tiger Shere Khan is supernatural,the ghost of a wicked old money lender.When Mowgli says that Shere Khan is only a very disagreeable tiger Buldeo threatens to spank our young hero.

When Buldeo learns that Mowgli has a vendetta with the tiger and a black panther as his personal body guard the old man tells the other villagers that Mowgli is a demon child who is able to turn himself from a boy to a wolf, and back to a boy at will.This is great story telling.But where is Buldeo?He isn't in the movie at all!It's like leaving the Wicked Witch out of the movie version of "The Wizard of Oz".

On a side note, in the Kipling stories the black panther Bagheera has a secret so shameful he can tell no one but Mowgli. Bagheera was born in a zoo, chained and keep in a cage for the amusement of men.But rather than blame Mowgli for the cruelty he suffered in captivity Bagheera sees the boy as a kindred spirit.They were both separated from their own kind at an early age.Once we have that bit of information the relationship between the boy and the panther makes sense. We are able to understand Bagheera's total devotion to the Mowgli.But the movie never explains that.I realize that the movie shouldn't follow the book completely. But since the book was so much richer the movie seemed like a let down. ... Read more

Asin: B00008Y47S
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family