The Lion King Movie Collection (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)(This review is for the films only.)
Yes, I said trilogy. This set includes the Disney classic The Lion King and its two sequels,The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1 1/2. All three are great films, which is surprising, due to Disney's history with doing sequels.
The Lion King is the classic story of a young lion club named Simba who is next in line to become king of the Pride Lands. As he gets older, his uncle Scar begins to despise him and Mufasa, Simba's father and Scar's older brother. Mufasa is king, which makes Scar furious, and he makes a plot to kill them both. The plot is proven to be a success. Mufasa is killed and Simba, believing it to be his fault, runs off. He leaves the Pridelands and meets Timon and Pumbaa, a meekat and warthog who eats bugs. Simba soon joins the two and adopts their "Hakuna Matata"(it means no worries)lifestyle. Soon, Simba grows up and one day comes across his old friend Nala, who tells him that Scar is destroying their home. Simba at first disagrees about doing something about it, but after meeting with a old friend of his father named Rafiki, a wise mystic baboon, Simba gets back on track and decides to challenge Scar and become......The Lion King.
This movie is truly one of the best animated movies ever made. With some amazing voice-overs(including James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Whoppi Goldberg, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and a engaging story, The Lion King is truly a classic to behold. Five Stars.
While probably the least interesting of the set, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is still one amazing sequel. The story revolves around Simba's and Nala's daughter named Kiara. Kiara one days ventures into the territory of the lioness named Zira. Zira is the wife of Scar and she wants revenge on Simba. Zira has a young lion club named Kovu and while Kiara is in Zira's territory, she and Kovu get to know each other. Soon, the two parents show up and Simba takes Kiara home. At her home, Zira comes with a plan: she will train Kovu to kill Simba by getting to Kiara. Years later, they are now grown up and while Kiara is on her first hunt, a fire, set off by Zira's other children, is burning the pridelands. Kiara barely makes to high ground and Kovu arrives just in time to save her. Simba sees him and Kovu tells him to give him a chance, while truly trying to kill him. Meanwhile, Rafiki is trying to get Kiara and Kovu together, beliving it could stop the feud between the two families. It proves to be a success as Kiara and Kovu fall for each other. Soon Simba tries to get to know Kovu better and finds out the truth about Kovu plans for Simba, which Kovu now doesn't want to go through with, due to his feelings for Kiara. Kovu gets banished and Kiara runs off to find him. Zira now decides to take on Simba's pride by force and kill Simba by herself. Now, Kovu and Kiara must stop this before the worst happens.
Better than most sequels, Simba's Pride brings back all the characters from the original and introduces fascinating new characters. The story, while less interesting than the first, still works for this film and the voice-overs are good as well.
Four Stars.
The newest addition to the series is The Lion King 1 1/2. This is the first film's story, told from Timon's and Pumbaa's point of view. The story begins with Timon and his life before he took on his Hakuna Matata lifestyle. He makes tunnels for a living, but always screws them up. While Timon's mom beleves he just hasn't found his place yet in the clan, Timon, along with his Uncle Max and the other meekats, believe he is just a klutz and he isn't gonna get better anytime soon. Timon decides it's time to find the home of his dreams and sets off with his mother's permission. While on his quest, he meets Pumbaa and the two form a "aquaintship", which soon becomes a friendship. They soon find their dream home and everything seems perfect until one day they find Simba and decide to raise him until that fateday when Nala arrived. When they hear Simba has gone back to the Pridelands to become king, Timon and Pumbaa must now help Simba regain his right to become the rightful king of the Pridelands.
This one is incredibly funny and also, very clever. The idea of seeing the story from Timon and Pumbaa's point of view is delightful and the laughs are plenty. Overall, a new addition to the series that is fresh and fun. I give the Lion King 1 1/2 five stars.
I hope this review was helpful. I hope you enjoy this set of movies as much as I did.

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Now, for the first time, celebrate the power and majesty of The Lion King with this exclusive three-movie, six-disc set. The unforgettable story that crosses three generations, the Academy Award-winning music, breathtaking animation and beloved characters of all three Lion King motion pictures come to life in this pristine, digital presentation. Share each fun-filled moment of this epic animated adventure with every generation of your family!

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The Lion King 1 1/2 (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)We're all aware that not much can compare to the original Lion King film. The animation, songs, voices...everything just perfection. However, as an ardent fan of the film, and in particular Timon and Pumbaa, this was snapped up as soon it went on sale - and boy, what a nice surprise! A direct to video release that's actually decent!
This film is much of an improvement on the first "sequel". Simba's Pride just didn't hold any of the magic of the original story - and barely held my attention for one showing before being put onto the shelf to get dusty. I was immediately more interested in this film as I thought it's premise held much more entertainment quality. "Yeah, I'd like to see how everything was through Timon and Pumbaa's eyes" I thought, and I wasn't to be disappointed.
We're originally transported back to Timon's younger days to see why he came to team up with Pumbaa. It's dealt with very wittily, yet with enough warmth that you actually do care what happens to all involved. We're shown how Timon and Pumbaa meet, and how they embark on their quest for "Hakuna Matata". Much comedy ensues, with a revealing insight into the original film's events. Why do the animals bow at Simba's presentation at Pride Rock? Why does everyone fall over at the end of "I Just Can't Wait To Be King?" Watch to find out. Having eventually found their perfect home, their meeting with Simba is retold and we get to see some of Simba's teenage years - missed out in the original film. (Timon has a wonderful line during a particularly restless night looking after a young Simba - "we're gonna get old walking across this thing". As soon as you hear it you'll know exactly what it's getting at). Next to be dealt with is Simba's reunion with Nala and his trip home to Pride Rock to avenge his father's death. All seen in a new perspective it's all very watchable, even if you are seeing duplicated scenes that occurred in the original movie. The climax again adds more breadth to the original. With Scar and his minions vanquished and order restored in the Pridelands, Timon and Pumbaa settle into their new home with his original meerkat colony who are surprised and impressed with the new "all-action" Timon. This is very much Timon's film, we get to know a lot more about him than Pumbaa and it is Timon that saves the day right at the very end. That's no complaint I would add, after all we heard about some of Pumbaa's woes in the original film 10 years ago.
Disney have done a lot of things right with this film. The original cast (with the exception of Rowan Atkinson as Zazu which consistantly grates with me - he's much missed on the interactive section of the original movie's special edition too) return, and Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller lend their vocies as Timon's nearest and dearest. Two new, annoyingly catchy songs appear within the first 15 minutes and several songs from the original make welcome returns. This isn't a big long song-fest though, I'm pleased to say. Much as I like the songs Disney movies are famed for, it is nice to give the characters time to speak and flesh themselves out in-between. Lots of scenes from the original appear again, and are interworked with the new animation reasonably well. An interesting twist is that the film is presented as if being viewed by Timon and Pumbaa in a cinema. I have seen a few reviews saying how annoying this is, but I actually find it very funny. The fact that they take shots at scenes which otherwise would be excessively cheesy is very endearing, and of course completely in character.
There are, inevitably bad points. This isn't going straight to video for nothing after all. You certainly need to have watched the original movie and know it well - and you also have to be willing to deconstruct it quite violently too. A lot of those scenes you held dear are made fun of mercilessly. They've generally interworked the timelines between the films very well, but there are a few moments when I thought "that doesn't go". The film is quite short - 72 minutes with lengthy end credits, but it is so fast passed that it seems even shorter to me. It doesn't quite know what age range it is heading for either, there are lots of "kiddie jokes", but also quite witty points that younger children won't necessarily get (I always used to wonder why my Mum insisted on watching Dangermouse with me, it's only now at 24 that I watch it and realise now). Lots of film references too. This isn't too bad in a way, it keeps everyone occupied throughout for different reasons. I'd rent it first if your not sure, but if your a Lion King fan you'll probably end up buying it anyway (you perhaps already have!)
The DVD features I actually find quite disappointing. This is a 2 disc release, and if they'd not put over 10 minutes worth of trailers on the first disc, probably could have been condensed onto one. There are several games for the youngsters including a virtual Safari, Rafiki's Challenge and a "hidden Mickey" hunt throughout the film. There's a supposedly funny "mockumentary" about Timon which I watched in total silence and a 1 minutes "making of..." featurette which I had to turn off half way through out of sheer irritation (not very much info about the film at all - but everyone involved is all certain how great it is). There are some storyboarded deleted scenes, with commentary from the directors as to why they were cut.
Overall, very enjoyable which surprised me greatly and made it even more fun. Don't start comparing to the original as that is pointless. I also don't think this sort of production should be carried on to other Disney films, I don't think it would work. However, the way these particular characters cry out for attention every time they're on screen, it seems fitting to let us find out more about them.
I would have rated this 5 stars but for the DVD "extra's" as the film I cannot fault, both for the entertainment value and the way it tells an unexpectedly heartwarming story without being too cringeworthy

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The ever-popular sequel to the original Lion King. Fun-filled adventure that will please the young and the young at heart.

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The Lion King 2 - Simba's Pride (2-Disc Special Edition) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yeah, I know that this direct-to-video sequel was put out to cash in even more so on the original, which itself grossed over $300 in U.S. box office receipts to become the most successful Disney film ever! However, after watching this a couple of years back and revisiting it today, I know that there was another, much better, reason: four years after THE LION KING, we were all missing the characters...and we were hungry for more. As much as us fans of the original did not want the possibility of having the franchise tainted by an inferior sequel, it seemed to be worth the risk.
And it was. In 1998, Disney got most of the principal voice-over actors back from the original---Matthew Broderick as Simba, Moira Kelly as Nala, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as Timon & Pumbaa, respectively, and of course, Robert Guillaume as the hilarious Rafiki---and made THE LION KING II: SIMBA'S PRIDE, which follows our favorite Lion hero (and King) & family as they pick up from where they left off in the first film. Now Simba is the King and his young offspring is a lioness cub named Kiara; he's the worried dad in this one, always fearing for the safety of the young precocious girl, but they're nevertheless a happy family just the same. Of course, danger lurks in the shadows, as Zira (Suzanne Pleshette---yes, *that* Suzanne Pleshette), the villainous ex-mate of Scar, is training her young son Kovu to grow up to avenge Scar's death by killing Simba. However, Rafiki, the silly-acting but nevertheless wise monkey, finds out to his horrified amazement that Kiara and Kovu are destined for each other. Sure enough, Kiara and Kovu meet each other as cubs and take an immediate strong liking to each other. Can true love overcome true evil?
This film, by itself, is very well-written and acted, with excellent production values for the fact that it is a direct-to-video sequel. It has really no flaws of its own, just one obvious inconsistency between it and the first film: Scar's 'ex-mate' Zira (and, by extension, Kovu) simply did not exist in the original THE LION KING! She was obviously made up just to have a sequel. However, this is the only major thing to overlook, and if you can forgive this movie for it, then you should be able to easily enjoy yourself. As I said, this is a good animated movie, and I recommend it for any fan of the original. This sequel isn't quite as dark; however, I still would not recommend showing it to very young kids. Suzanne Pleshette does a surprisingly good job as the evil, scheming, vengeful Zira (basically a female versdion of old Scar himself). Neve Campbell does a solid job as the voice of the adult Kiara, and Jason Marsden does excellently as the conflicted Kovu, who wants to do good, but...he made a promise to his mother...didn't he?!
Listen, THE LION KING II: SIMBA'S PRIDE is not the masterpiece that THE LION KING is...however, it is much better than it perhaps should be. Fans of the original should definitely own it.
RECOMMENDED, AGES 8 & UP

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All the power and majesty of THE LION KING return in this final volume of THE LION KING trilogy! This Special Edition features an all-new vibrant picture presentation from the digital master. Meet Kiara, Simba's headstrong daughter and heir to the Pride Lands. While on the prowl for adventure, she encounters the mischievous Kovu, a young member of the banished Outland Pride chosen to walk in Scar's paw prints. As they seek their proper places in the "Circle Of Life," Kiara and Kovu find that they may be the only hope for healing the rift between their prides! THE LION KING 2: SIMBA'S PRIDE Special Edition includes original cast members, stunning Disney animation, and six spectacular songs. Complete your family's LION KING collection with this enchanting film!

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