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The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo

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Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book:
Mowgli & Baloo
DVD cover
Directed byDee McLachlan[a]
Written byBayard Johnson
Matthew Horton
Based onThe Jungle Book
by Rudyard Kipling
Produced byRaju Patel
Mark Damon
Starring
CinematographyAdolfo Bartoli
Edited byMarcus Manton
Music byJohn Scott
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • May 16, 1997 (1997-05-16)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$346,056[1]

Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo is a 1997 American adventure film starring Jamie Williams as Mowgli, with Roddy McDowall and Billy Campbell in supporting roles. It is a live action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (loosely based on The Second Jungle Book, as its title would suggest). The film was adapted for the screen by Bayard Johnson and Matthew Horton.[2][3]

It was shot in Kandy Central Hills, Sri Lanka in July to September 1996 and features some well known Sri Lankan actors like Wijeratne Warakagoda, Sunil Hettiarachchi and Raja Sumanapala.

Plot

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10-year-old Mowgli has been raised amongst a wolf pack as well as Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther in the Jungles of India. Mowgli is the target of the notorious bandar-log (monkey people) who frequently attempt to kidnap him to teach them the ways of man. However, his greatest enemy is Shere Khan the tiger, who killed the boy's father.

Mowgli is soon spotted by an American traveler named Harrison, who wishes to take the man-cub to his circus in America. Mowgli escapes from Harrison and brings along Timo, the pet monkey of Harrison's companion named Chuchundra. Harrison enlists the help of a wealthy man named Buldeo to help him find Mowgli. Buldeo is none other than Mowlgi's paternal uncle - Mowgli is the rightful heir to his father's inheritance. For this reason, Buldeo seeks a snake charmer named Karait who owns Kaa the python, in order to kill Mowgli, pretending to use the snake to simply track the boy.

Mowgli is banished by the wolves for bringing home Timo, who is believed to be a cousin of the bandar-log. Timo is later kidnapped by the bandar-log - Baloo and Mowgli arrive at the Ancient City, the home of the bandar-log to save Timo but Baloo is trapped in the process. Harrison, Buldeo, Karait and Chuchundra successfully capture Mowlgi and bring him to their camp. At night, Shere Khan attacks the camp and Mowgli escapes when fighting him off. However, he is ambushed by Buldeo who attempts to kill him but fails thanks to Harrison's intervention. Baloo escapes from the bandar-log and rescues Mowgli. The two then return to the Ancient City and manage to save Timo whilst encountering King Murphy who wishes to make Mowgli king. The four men arrive at the Ancient City and split up to find Mowgli. Harrison attempts to help Mowgli, along with Timo who are down in a temple with cobras, after having escaped from King Murphy and the Bandar-log, but is injured by Buldeo leaving him with a broken leg who finally reveals his true intentions of wanting to murder his nephew.

Buldeo is confronted by Baloo and Bagheera who arrive to help Mowgli with the wolves. He hides in a canon which is lit by the bandar-log, being sent to the other side of the jungle where he is killed by Shere Khan. Meanwhile, Mowgli is rescued by Harrison Karait who used Kaa to get the boy out of the cobras' temple and returns Timo to Chuchandra. King Murphy realizes that Mowgli is leaving and he tells him that because he can't stay with him, the whole city can be his and he finally understood that it belongs to the jungle and says goodbye to him telling him that one day he will find his place in the world. Harrison offers to take Mowgli back to raise him as his own by offering him a home in the United States, having changed his mind about wanting the boy to be living in a circus. Mowgli instead decides to run with the wolves with Harrison and Chuchandra bidding him farewell.

Cast

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Reception

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The film mostly received negative reviews from critics. McDowall was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor for this film at the 1997 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards but lost to Jon Voight for Anaconda.

Soundtrack

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The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
John Scott
Released1997
GenreSoundtrack
Length68:36
LabelJOS Records
The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleLength
1."Main Title"3:03
2."Pursued By Bogh And One Eye"3:23
3."The Harmony Of The Jungle"3:08
4."Shere Khan On The Prowl"2:21
5."The Train Adventure"3:42
6."Mowgli and Timo Go Hunting"3:44
7."The Blue Danube (Strauss)"1:36
8."The Bandar-Log"1:03
9."Chimps On A Roll"2:00
10."Peaceful Night"1:17
11."Banished From The Wolf Cave"2:58
12."Terror In The Lost City"6:17
13."Captured By Kaa"3:02
14."Circus Life"2:53
15."Chasing The Tiger"2:01
16."Baloo Rescues Mowgli From The Cage"2:01
17."Finding Timo"1:05
18."King Murphy's Court"3:38
19."In The Temple Of The Cobras"4:30
20."Crack Shot Buldeo Misses Again"1:00
21."Animals To The Rescue"3:30
22."Snake Lift"3:19
23."Buldeo Gets Fired From A Cannon"2:54
24."Harmony Returns To The Jungle"4:11
Total length:68:36

Notes

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  1. ^ Credited as Duncan McLachlan.

References

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  1. ^ The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo (1997) - Box Office Mojo
  2. ^ "Are Films Using Names in Vain?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 22, 2010.[dead link]
  3. ^ Barnes, Mike (February 12, 2016). "Bayard Johnson, 'Tarzan and the Lost City' Screenwriter, Dies at 63". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  4. ^ Jayasekera, Bandula (August 23, 1998). "Grover: bad man turns good". Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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