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Official Synopsis:
The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition –
Walt Disney's jumpin' jungle classic continues in this special edition of The Jungle Book 2 - with all your favorite characters from the original, toe-tappin' classic and more swingin' songs! Mowgli has been living in the man-village with his little stepbrother Ranjan and his best friend Shanti. But the man-cub still has that jungle rhythm in his heart, and he misses his old buddies Baloo and Bagheera. When Mowgli wanders back to the wild for some swingin' fun, he soon finds Baloo isn't the only one waiting for him - the man-eating tiger Shere Khan is lurking in the shadows and planning his revenge. If he is to defeat his nemesis, Mowgli will need the help of both his old friends and his new family. With an all-new Mowgli's Story Time Adventure Game, music videos and more, The Jungle Book 2 Special Edition will have the whole family roaring for more!
The Sword In The Stone: 45th Anniversary Edition –
Humor, spectacle and magic rule in Walt Disney's legendary classic tale The Sword In The Stone - now celebrating its 45th Anniversary with exciting new bonus features! Embark on an adventure-filled quest for an unlikely hero! According to legend, only someone with honor, decency and inner strength can claim the throne of England - by pulling out the enchanted sword that lies locked in a massive stone. Many brave knights have tried, so it seems impossible that a young apprentice known as Wart could succeed. But with the guidance of the wizard Merlin, help from some hilarious friends and true strength of character, Wart just might become England's greatest king. There's even more wizardry fun with marvelous new bonus features, including the all-new Merlin's Magical Academy Game, animated shorts, "Disney's" song selection and much more! The Sword In The Stone 45th Anniversary Edition DVD is a magical experience your whole family will want to share again and again!
Our Take:
Here we have two new Disney special edition DVD’s, The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition and The Sword In The Stone: 45th Anniversary Edition, neither of which that are all that special. Don’t get me wrong, both films are enjoyable in different ways. The Sword in the Stone is classic Disney, and the telling of the tale of young King Arthur is probably how most people first encountered the legend of the future leader of Camelot. I’ve always had a soft spot for the film, even if it isn’t among the biggest of the big of Disney’s canon. The Jungle Book 2 is a decent direct-to-video sequel (something which apparently Disney no longer plans to produce) that revisits Mowgli, Baloo, and Bagheera while introducing a few new characters. Like many of the Disney DTV sequels, it doesn’t live up to the magic of the original film, but it’s a fun outing and kids will like it.
However, unlike the studio’s Platinum series DVDs (and even those aren’t as great as they used to be), both of these new special edition DVDs are anything but special. Rather, it’s clearly been the allotted seven years in the Disney Vault that every film gets, and so the time is ripe for a reissue. Each DVD has been loaded up with some features that were previously available alongside new games and coloring book activities that are aimed solely at the kidlets, but there’s really nothing new of substance added for Disney’s adult fans.
Here are the extra features included on each DVD:
The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition –
Games & Activities -
* New! Mowgli's Story Time Adventure
* Mowgli's Jungle Ruins Maze
Music Videos -
* "I Wanna Be Like You" Performed by Smash Mouth
* "W-I-L-D"
* "Jungle Rhythm"
Deleted Scenes -
* "I Got You Beat"
* "Braver"
The Sword In The Stone: 45th Anniversary Edition –
* New! Merlin's Magical Academy Game
* Bonus Movie Shorts
* Disney Song Selection
* Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers
I’m an unabashed Disney fan and I think their animation is second to none, I just wish they’d put the same care into their DVD releases as they do in creating action figures and merchandise for every film in their stable. These are solid DVDs that are great for kids, and if you don’t already own them on DVD they’re each worth picking up, but there’s nothing spectacular about either The Jungle Book 2: Special Edition or The Sword In The Stone: 45th Anniversary Edition.
Overall Picture:
Movie:
The Jungle Book 2: B-
The Sword in the Stone: B+
DVDs: B-
- Mike Spring
Editor
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