Gentle Ben 2

***Gentle Ben 2*** (also known as ***Gentle Ben: Danger on the Mountain***, released as ***Gentle Ben: Black Gold*** in the United Kingdom) is a made-for-television film and a sequel to *Gentle Ben*. It was produced by Animal Planet in association with Alpine Media and Hallmark Entertainment and premiered on January 5, 2003.

## Plot

Some time has passed since the events of the first film, and Mark has become accustomed to living in the wilderness while regularly hanging out with Ben and Ashley. However, he still lives in fear of disappointing his uncle Jack; after celebrating his birthday, he returns from school after failing an algebra test and lies that he passed it. Meanwhile, Ashley's father Fog enters a deal with Cal Striker in drilling for water deposits and expanding on his property to open a spring water business, and, to his daughter Ashley's embarrassment, begins flirting with Dakota, who is revealed to have had a past relationship with Cal.

On the way home from school, Mark receives an evaluation letter from Social Services to Jack regarding the finalizing his custody of Mark and hides it along with his algebra test. Jack and Pete begin to investigate Fog's business with Striker out of concern that their drilling is threatening the environment after Jack returns with a sick goat. In order to make up for lying to Jack, Mark decides to enter an essay contest for school which awards a thousand dollars to the winner. Acting on advice from hermit Cully, he decides to play hero by looking for peppermint on Fog's land to give to the goat but is caught by Fog with the mint and confused for holding drugs. Jack later finds the algebra test hidden under Jack's bed and grounds him. After being informed by Mark of the oil men on Fog's property, Jack confronts Fog, who explains he is throwing a party at his house to celebrate his plans for his company; Dakota decides to attend to keep an eye on Cully, while Jack is skeptical of Fog's claims. Mark then deletes a phone message from Ms. Washborough, the woman from Social Services who visited previously, and throws the letter from them in the garbage to keep Jack from knowing about it and sneaks out of his room to meet with Cully. After healing the goat with the peppermint and noticing that Ben is also sick, he decides to write an essay of the effect of oil on the environment, while Cully uses purified water and peppermint to heal Ben and the other animals. Jack and Peete leave to investigate the work area.

During the party, Ashley finds one of the tankers to be leaking a toxic substance and calls Mark to take pictures as proof of Cal's illegal work. Jack later returns and finds the Social Service letter in the garbage and comes to think that Mark does not want to stay with him. Fog explains his plans to Dakota. After sending Pete to investigate the party, Jack finds dead fish and oil around the lake and leaves to confront Fog, which is interrupted by Ben appearing and getting in the food. Striker, who had witnessed Jack at the drill site, vandalizes the well to frame Jack for sabotaging their equipment, and turns on the valve so that it pours water, rather than oil like Ashley claims. Jack is taken in by the Sheriff for questioning while Pete is sent back to check on Mark.

Mark informs Pete of the pictures he took of the oil tanker and leaves to get them developed when they find Striker attempting to leave. Striker catches them in the act, leaving Mark tied up while Pete offers himself as a hostage to lead him through the backroads. Ashley arrives and frees Mark, and they take the sheriff's car to follow Striker. The children also alert the Sheriff, Jack, Dakota and Ms. Washborough as they pass by, leading to a high-speed chase until Fog, who was called and informed by Ashley of the situation, appears to block Striker's way long enough for the police to arrive and inform Fog of how Striker has been using the business deal as a cover to dump toxic chemicals. Pete gets out of the car to join the others, while Jack punches Striker for framing him, and Striker is arrested. Sometime later, Mark learns that he has won the essay contest and a trophy that he gives to Jack, who has gained custody of his nephew and entered a relationship with Dakota, while Fog begins the process of cleaning the lake. Mark and Ashley resume exploring with Ben.

## Cast

* Dean Cain as Jack Wedloe
* Corbin Bernsen as Fog Benson
* Ashley Laurence as Dakota
* Reiley McClendon as Mark Wedloe
* Cody Weiant as Ashley June Benson
* Gil Burmingham as Pete
* Martin Kove as Cully
* Jack Conley as Cal Striker
* J. Karen Thomas as Ms. Washborough
* Bonkers as Ben