The Lion King 1½ is an ingenious sequel that retells the original film's story from the perspective of best pals Timon the meerkat (voiced by Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa the warthog (Ernie Sabella). Anyone who has wondered how this odd couple met will find out here, beginning with Timon's flight from home following disgrace and his chance encounter with the sweet but lonely Pumbaa. With the arrival of young Simba (Shaun Flemming),
The Lion King's familiar tale is reborn via a fresh angle, fleshed out by returning characters Rafiki the wise monkey (Robert Guillaume), Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg), and Simba's love interest, Nala (Moira Kelly). While the retooled narrative proves a novel experience,
The Lion King 1½ is really a vehicle for voice actors Lane and Sabella, whose comic performances are shamelessly, broadly funny. Matthew Broderick, Julie Kavner, and Jerry Stiller are also in the vocal cast.
--Tom Keogh
1 Very well done
I heard from a few friends that this was a sequel worth watching and I would have to agree with them. Mostly everyone knows that sequels usually do not come out well but Lion King 1 1/2 was refreshingly comical. I never expected this movie to be laid out the way it was.
Now, I love the first Lion King (it's a classic!) but I do know that some people are quite upset with the fact that the story doesn't revolve around the Lion King and his pride but personally that was no bother. To me, this story gave an insight of what happened turning the time that we missed when we saw Simba growing up. The comedic twist to everything that occured in the first Lion King was terrific (ex. The bowing down of the animals when Simba was born) and rather witty. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.
2 I actually almost liked it better then the original!
I LOVED the Lion King but I found this movie to be plain FUN.....From beginning to end, I did not laugh so much with the frist one...o.k...o.k...so it ain't especially DEEP and some of the potty humour is old and there is no lesson about the circle of anything....but the Meekrats had me smiling and laughing...From Timon's Mom to the song "dig a Tunnel...dig dig a tunnel - WHAT WAS THAT?"...JUST PLAIN FUN.
I was expecting a lame second or third part and was pleasantly surprised.....
Oh and my 4 yr old loved it too. : )
3 uber cute
It was hilarious and really cute. Didnt ruin the original at all..
4 Hmmm
Kinda dinky. Not as bad as Cinderella Two, but still kinda dinky. I liked it though.
5 It Kind Of Shows That They Ran Out Of Ideas
This direct-to-video "middle sequel" was a little off-task, but it really demonstrates the journey of Timon and Pumba, and what they did to be where they were in The Lion King and The Lion King 2. As a film, it can't really stand together as well as other sequels do.
6 Par Excellence... etc
This is a great pre-quel. And pre-quel it is, since Lion Ling II was 1998 in theatrical release.
In some respects, there are some great shots at "revisionist" cartoon "history" where, for example, Pumbaa's flatulence explains why an act of genuflection occurred.]
Anyway, this is great from the point of view of kids, and those who think like kids. It also brings in the same tone as the Timon and Pumbaa series( I have seen that only on VHS to date), and bought every copy I could find in the releases.
This film has a certain wanton grossness that some kids love in Timon and Pumbaa ( how else do you explain the "Bug" cereal that sells at Publix, Walmart and etc ? :-),also check out the TIMON AND PUMBAA cartoon series for more flatulence based humour[ all done in the best possible taste].
Anyways, the retro on Timon's earlier life , pre-Pumbaa , is fun. The Meerkats behave like over-caffeinated squirrels ( at least the ones I see in the big bend area of Tallahassee, but that might be because they run on power lines and are getting electrocuted :-).
Anyways, it isn't deep and meaningful, it is not about the circle of anything... this movie is just plain fun, and great back view of the more serious drama in the films 1 and 2, from a fun perspective.
Nathan Lane is great as usual, and if you like anything he does as a voice actor, check out his work in MOUSE HUNT, and you will be laughing for a long while.
7 A smart idea
When this movie first came out, I was the least bit interested in it. One night, it was on the Disney channel so I decided to watch it and, come to find out, it is a pretty funny movie. Timon and Pumbaa are extremely hilarious and every character is played be the same actor as before.
In this Lion King adventure, Timon and Pumbaa tell the original Lion King story from their point-of-view. Timon's parents are introduced too. He is tired of digging holes all the time to hide from the Hyenas. Timon wants to live somewhere where he can be above ground instead of being underground all the time. Paradise. So he sets off on a journey to find his dream home. On the way, he meets Pumbaa, who can scare everybody away with his powerful, er, weapon. Together, they make their way to Paradise, but on the way, the meet Simba and become his parents.
Again, great movie. Get it while you can before it goes back in the Disney vault on January 31.
8 Pretty Lame
I love jokes and puns, and thought the idea of a story within a story was a great idea. However, this movie really felt short. While Lion King 2 is an excellent sequel, this one really does not follow in the dignified heart-warming original. I was really looking forward to this release, since I like the original and LK 2, but was severely disappointed. However, I could see how kids might enjoy it, but adults might not.
9 Eh, not the best ever, but not horrible, either
Well, I was gushing about this movie when I first saw it, but after I'd watched it a few times, I decided that it was a good comedy just to pass the time, but it didn't really lead up to the other two Lion King movies--which, in my opinion, are 2 of the best films ever produced. The lesson doesn't come across too great, but it's still cute. Another thing: it's supposed to tell the tale of what Timon and Pumbaa were doing while everyone else in the Lion King (the first one only) were doing this and that, but their timing isn't really great, and they substituted a scene or two for others, and I don't think it was really worth it. For instance, the substituted the whole "They call me MR. PIG!!!!" scene for Timon and Pumbaa simply chasing the hyenas out of the cave. I guess they wanted a smoother entry for Timon's mom, but still...
Anyway, if you're an older Lion King fan, you might think that this movie is a good joke (some of the jokes are a little gross, but nothing you can't just skip over or bear with as long as you're not eating) to make you laugh but not the best of the Lion King trilogy. But if you're younger, you'll love it.
10 A suprising delight in the Lion King saga!
The untold story of everyone's favorite Meerkat "Timon" ( voiced by Nathan Lane) during the events of Simba's birth on how Timon with Pumbaa ( Ernie Sabella) and Simba met, how Timon was a outcast and getting to know Timon's mom ( Julie Kavner who played Marge Simpson) and Uncle Max ( Jerry Stiller).
A suprisingly good and hilarious prequel/sequel mix to " Lion King" and " Simba's Pride" that is a rare treat in the world of direct-to-video Disney animated sequels with a creative and original storyline with ideas. There is a MST3K-style opening with Timon and Pumbaa watching the original movie's beginning then tells us the story behind the original Lion King, the original cast is back such as Matthew Broderick, Robert Guiume, Whoopie Goldberg, and Cheech Marin return to reprise their roles with great theatrical quality animation.
The 2-Disc DVD is quite good on the flawless picture & Sound quality, the extras are quite good like the deleted scenes, fun games, Grazing in the Grass music video by Raven, Timon and Puma's virtual Safari 1/2, featurette on how the film was made and a Mockumentary on Timon done by Biography's Peter Graves.
If you want a hilarious and creative animated film that proves that not all direct-to-video animated stink these days, then i highly recommend this movie even to understand some of the original Lion King's plot holes.
11 The DVD Totally Rocks
The DVD totally rocks-- except I don't know why the Who Wants to be King of the Jungle game never went international and was replaced by Rafiki's Challenge (which normally appears on the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride USA-DVD) for countries that have region codes 2-6.
12 this isn't so bad...
this movie is not that bad , i'm deducting one star because when the movie is on ,timon and pumba pause the movie , that's the bad thing!but the rest it's ok ,the animation,they have all the original voices that they had in the first movie , which makes this one cool, and i included this movie on my disney collection , i love all disney movies.anyway timon and pumba tell the story from their point of view, how they rescued simba,and how they met each other,this movie is really fun ,if i liked it that i'm 14 , your kids will too.enjoy it!
13 Silly yes, but great, no
I agree with another reviewer: for the sake of a joke this movie takes away from the seriousness of the original movie. Not that the original story lacked humor, but this film, rather than standing on its own, depends too much on gaffing the original. Disney really should make another Lion King movie, making use of some of the great songs and music that are featured in the stage show.
14 The Lion King 1 1/2 a welcomed addition to our DVD library
[...]
In this hysterical update to THE LION KING, Timon, Pumbaa, and the rest of the gang reunite to explain how events really unfolded. Packed with funny, behind-the-scenes stories, Timon and Pumbaa explain what really happened when King Mufasa introduced his heir and the secrets behind other happenings in the story. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, along with the original voice cast, again bring to life some of film's most beloved characters. In addition to the new spin on this timeless story, there's a new song called "That's All I Need", which is a great sing along for children.
15 dude its twisted
This movie is the worst thing. Following up the last 2 movies. I loved the 1st but absolutely hated this one. It's toop silly and they try to hard to be funny.
16 Funny, But...
Timon and Pumba are two comical and entertaining characters with an original way of doing things, and a lot of laughs to create. This movie was funny, as well as cute. I just loved Timon's mother! She's my favorite character in the movie. But I must say, I would have prefered a "The Lion King 3" over a movie altering the first movie. It changed so many important and memorable parts from the first movie, and changed the story of Simba's life into pure cartoon comedy. The movie lacked seriousness, and that charmed feeling you get when watching the original movie. But if you want pure not-always-funny-to-adults comedy, or are a die hard Lion King fan, then I would recommend this movie to you.
17 Silly, but unnecessary
Let's face it; Disney does not have a good track record with sequels. Often times the Disney sequels are more to capitalize on a brand name than to advance the story any. This is the case with Lion King 1/2 unfortunately. Wanting to capitalize on the recent DVD release of the Masterpiece The Lion King Disney not only put out the direct to DVD Behind-the-scenes-quill, but also re-released the lackluster "Simba's pride". While all three films are enjoyable both 1/2 and Simba's Pride lack the heart and visual quality of the original. It's sadly overly obvious that Disney does not follow the usual Hollywood tactic of putting more money in to the sequels. Nope, it's all about a quick buck. Thankfully I do feel that while this movie wasn't what I had hoped for it is worth the money to pick it up, especially if you have kids, or plan to have kids. What was I hoping for? Well, the slapstick antics were there, but in much smaller quantities than Timone and Pumba's television series which is a far better laughter-fest than 1/2. I did enjoy the Mystery Science Theater like antics of this film as well, but found that the movie didn't really add anything to the lore of the Lion King. We already knew Timone was an outcast Merekat... It's just... well an unnecessary addition to the series. It's fun, but I'd have much rather seen Disney release a box set of the Timone and Pumba TV Series.
18 What the hell is this? Am I supposed to enjoy this?
Disney has come a long way. From the kick ass company that made movies like Aladdin and series like Chip'n'Dale Rescue Rangers to a retarded company that makes movies like My Date With The President's Daughter and series like Even Stevens.
How the mighty have fallen......and how they take great things with them! Back in the day, The Lion King was a name to respect, and Disney had to go and ruin the good name with this trash. At least Simba's Pride had SOME good points. This movie just sucked.
Animation 5/10 - Those cheap asses at Disney reused the animation from The Lion King. Yeah, you're a multi-billion dollar company that is too cheap to draw new animation? My ass. What does this say, my friends? It says that Disney wasn't expecting this movie to succeed, which means that this movie was made for money (which was obvious without me telling you this anyway).
Story 5/10 - The story is admittedly good, but those ass-clowns at Disney studios kept ruining the pace. Everytime it gets exciting, the pace is broken up by commentary from Timon and Pumbaa. Is this suppose to make the movie more enjoyable? If yes, they failed.
Humor 3/10 - The humor is mostly slapstick with a few good moments. Not enough moments to justify any price over $5, but enough to make your children laugh.......if they're retarded. Really, how many gaseous jokes can you have? This movie may not have made me laugh, but it sure had an easy time making me cry, which was quickly converted into extremely destructive anger.
Music 3/10 - The two Lion King movie before this had great music, so what went wrong here? EVERY single piece with the exception of one in this movie sucked and that one piece was the Lebo M rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight (best rendition ever). Other than that, the music sucked.
DVD extras 7/10 - There's quite a bit of extras, but there is also quite a bit of frivolous flash to get there. It's annoying as hell.
Value 3/10 - Buy for $5 at the most, but don't buy it at all, if you want my opinion......which could be construed as a wise fact.
19 The Lion King 1 1/2
Although I enjoyed this movie very much, and laughed more than I've laughed in previous Lion King movies, I think this movie changes original events in The Lion King a tad to much. I dislike it when people take a good movie, and try to make a semi-comedy sequel of it. Even though this movie was meant to be comedy, I still think it could have been spared a few events that changed the original movie, such as "the real reason the animals bowed to baby Simba".
I would recommend this movie to anyone, although I would say not to expect the same feelings you felt when you watched The Lion King.
P.S. Please don't type mean comments about my review in your own. I've seen many people do that with other's revies, and I don't think it's very nice!
20 Worth A Rental, but don't buy it. It not worth owning.
Let me start that this movie isn't back. It's ok. It worth renting to watch Timon and Pumba's take on the original story. But nothing on their take is really that interesting enough to make this dvd worth owning. Plus, like another reviewer said most of the questions that they answer are ones you never asked in the first place. For example, the one that answers why the animals bowl at the beginning when Simba is shown. Now the reason nobody ask that question was because the conclusion they came to make perfect sense. They were bowling out of respect for the prince and future king. So therefore this answer not only make total sense but is expected of the animals. So this question didn't need to be answer. Second example when the animals fell down at the end of the "I Can't Wait to Be King" song nobody wonder why they fell. Once again the reasonable conclusion is because one of the animals lose their balance and cause the other animals to fall. In this case it wasn't true but it interesting to see that Pumba cause it. But you don't need to that question, because you never ask it. The questions that this film answered that you probulary did ask was where did Timon and Pumba come from? How did they meet? I happy to say the film show you that thus answering the questions. On a side note here, this film did answer one question that I alway had about the original lion king. In the original, all three Simba, Timon and Pumba were in a desert and suddenly they in a jungle setting. I always whoa where that jungle come and how did they get there? Well in this film it show that jungle was right next to the desert spot where they found simba. Thus one of my questions was answered. However while I'm reviewing the film I might as well point on huge mistake that
make one part of the original film not make sense. In this film, you see that Timon witiness Simba and Nala's fight in which Simba's storms off. But in the original film he later telling Nala when she asking him where Simba is? That he though Simba was with her. Now in the original film this make perfect sense because according to that film he wasn't present. But now this film show that he was there and did see the fight. So my question is if he saw Simba storming off after their fight, why would he tell Nala later that he thought Simba was with her when he a couple of hour eariler he saw Simba leave Nala after their fight. It make no sense. This destroys one of the parts of the original film.
You know if Disney was going a movie in between 1 and 2. They could this retelling to help explain where Zira come from and also how Kovu was born and why Scar chose him. If you don't know who Zira is she the villian in Lion King 2. This film could have use to clear how she fit in the story. This could have help clear this issue for Lion King 2. However they didn't so what are you going to do.
My opinion on this film, this film is worth renting to watch Timon and Pumba take on the original story, but there nothing here that make it worth owning. My advice, rent it and see if you like it, but don't buy it because it not worth owning.
21 When Timon met Pumba
Well at least there were lots of funny noises at meal time here too.
This film takes you back before the beginning of The Lion King, and neatly fills in all the gaps that you never realised existed.
Timon is the "Flik" (A Bug's Life) of his community, clumsy and discontent with his lot in life, and sets off to find his dream home, where he can fit in. He meets up with Pumba, and the friendship begins.
The animation is great, the original cast give an excellent performance, the jokes and puns are non-stop, and there are new songs that are very catchy.
There's a funny karaoke sing a-long where you need to keep an eye on the insect that's setting the timing, and somehow excerpts from "Fiddler on the Roof", "The Good The Bad and the Ugly" and other themes fit right in.
Brace yourself for the finale, that involves synchronised swimming, para gliding, and a huge cast of characters.
The only black mark on this movie is it's length, at only 77 minutes, but on the bright side, it's only 77 minutes to watch over and over with your kids.
This is one of Disney's better sequels. It isn't a "Toy Story 2", but a far better movie than many other direct-to-video disasters we've seen. It's laugh out loud funny, but children may not get all the jokes.
Worth at least 4.5 stars.
Amanda Richards, September 8, 2004
22 A cheap ploy for Disney to make another few million dollars.
Lion King ruled, no question, Lion King 2 was actually very well done and was great for a sequel, but this 1 1/2 is a cheap money making scheme by Disney. First of all, I found this movie/documentary, or whatever you want to call it, very boring and a waste of my money and it will be a waste of yours too if you considering buying it. Take it from a fan who loves the Lion King story.
For whatever reason, and no offense to Amazon though, I blame Disney and the people that say this is a great movie. They mixed unwarranted comedy with snipits of the original Lion King and meshing those together made me angry and upset that Disney could even call this "Lion King". This is not a movie and should not even be considered one. It mainly focuses on the warthog and the annoying weasel throughout the whole thing. You have to sit through their annoying chatter and hear them discuss the story of the original Lion King in their own words. There are some decent moments with Simba but 75% of the movie is the warthog and the weasel, don't expect anytime with the pride or in the pridelands, which I thought the Lion King was supposed to be about anyway. To it's credit, the animation is decent and the kids will love the comedic take on the movie, but I did not enjoy this farce. Lion King 1 and 2 are the ones worth owning, not this, especially considering how much Disney wants for it. Don't bother.
23 A cleverly done alternate take on the Lion King saga!
Be mindful that this review might contain spoilers for this movie.
I've always treasured the 1994 original "Lion King" movie ever since I first saw it on the big screen when it came out and today it is still a much beloved Disney movie and one of the companies last great movies (Not including the Pixar CGI animated movies) to date. This ingenious addition to the legacy of this wonderful classic is one of the most unique animated films to have come out in many years. I find it hard to say if "The Lion King 1 1/2 "is either a sequel or a prequel. I would almost consider this as more of like a parallel storyline because it takes place at the exact same timeline as Simba's does.
This is the story of Simba's life but where as the original was through Simba's perspective, "1 1/2" on the other hand is told through the eyes of lifelong buddies Timon the meerkat, and Pumbaa the warthog and delves back into Timon's past as an outcast amongst his meerkat community that dug tunnels and was disillusioned with the concept of meerkats being on the bottom of the food chain. As disaster happens due to his bumbling, he leaves his old life behind and goes out on his own into the world. While on his adventures Timon meets up with a loner warthog named Pumbaa. From there it's the start of a lifelong friendship between the two.
From there it's a long adventure for the twosome buddies and then came along the young lion cub Simba who escaped from his evil uncle Scar after his father Mufasa is killed. From there it's a really light-hearted adventure where Timon and Pumbaa tell their side of the story of when Simba came along and how they aid him in reclaiming his rightful place as the king of Pride Rock. Also Timon and Pumbaa venture out on their quest for "Akuna Matata", the place of their dreams.
The shenanigans in this movie are so funny. Do you remember when Simba was singing "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" and when the song ended, the whole formation of performing animals falls apart and they all fall on top of each other when the song ends? Well 1 ? shows you what caused it to happen. There are a lot of other scenes that answer other questions as to how or why things happened in the original that may have had some baffled.
It's also really funny how the major events that were important in the original were just mere background noise to Timon and Pumbaa especially with Simba being held in the air at the beginning just being a background event.
The best part is where Timon and Pumbaa like `pause' the movie and comment on several events they went through and how they comment on the various events they went through.
We meet some new characters on here. One is Timon's doting mother who to my surprise sounds like the voice of Marge Simpson. The other is none other than Uncle Max who is a riot with his hot-tempered personality similar to a drill sergeant on a bad day and having too much coffee. There are lots of new songs that are really great to listen to and for kids to sing along with but are also very enjoyable for older audiences too.
The animation, while not the most stunning by any means, is really good and blends hand drawn cell art and computer animation and the result creates a lot of really colorful scenes throughout the animated feature.
The cast involved in the original return for this ingenious alternate version and have lost none of their edge and are just as great on this as they were on the original classic from 1994.
The second disc is unfortunately lacking. While kids might enjoy it to some degree, adults will find a lot of the features on this second DVD to be rather lacking and nowhere near as enjoyable as the features were on disc two of the "Special Platinum Edition" of the original "Lion King" movie. There is a poorly done commentary along with a quiz game involving a talk show host whose named eludes me at the moment and it feels more like some kind of video game advertisement than an actual DVD featurette. There is also a Virtual Safari on this but it's nowhere near as great as the one on the original Lion King Special Edition DVD released late in 2003.
The movie itself is also very short even for Disney animated movies being only 72 minutes long. It just leaves you wanting more. For these things I can't help but feel slightly disappointed yet also feel immensely impressed at the same time.
This isn't one to watch if you haven't seen the original. If you do so, then this will leave you totally confused. For those who are familiar with the original Lion King movie, then this will be a highly entertaining movie that casts a totally different light on the Lion King saga.
I was a bit skeptical about this when it came out considering that it was a straight-to-DVD movie but to my total surprise, this turned out not only to be much better than I though, but it also turns out to be a wonderfully entertaining animated film for the whole family. It is really an utter delight to actually watching the Lion King sage through a totally different light altogether and also bringing much further insight into Timon and Pumbaa's past and putting them in the front seat. "The Lion King 1 ?" is Highly recommended and succeeds in maintaining the magic and spark of the original. Buy it today but buy it cheap or used.
24 Disappointment
Lots of recycled footage and jokes from a film I already own. I'm disappointed in Disney for milking the Lion King franchise to this level.
In my eyes, this was a pure mistake and could be a bad sign of things to come. I did not enjoy this film, my wife did not enjoy it, and my children did not enjoy it.
Stick with the original.
25 A Sharp, Clever Follow-up Worthy of the Original
Having had a bad experience with made-for-video Disney sequels before (102 Dalmatians, anyone? Yikes!) I was expecting the worst from this, but my son's such a big Lion King fan that I got it for him anyway. I was VERY pleasantly surprised!
The backstory of Timon and Pumba, while a little convoluted, provides the perfect backdrop and explanation of how their paths ended up intersecting with Simba's in the original. As a result, all the "important" events in the original film are cleverly winked at as mere background noise to the oblivious Timon and Pumba. I was reminded of Tom Stoppard's brilliant comedy, Rosencrantz and Guildenstein Are Dead, where the 2 least important people in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" take center stage and the tale of the Danish Prince is shoved to the background. In the Lion King 1 1/2, the presenting of the baby Simba is literally stumbled upon by Timon and Pumba, and they have no idea what's going on and shrug off the big crowds and commotion as a total annoyance. It was very funny.
I agree that the ad-libbing was a bit distracting and the songs weren't entirely necessary, especially the meerkat song which is catchy anyway. But the story itself is very smart, and the animation has the nuanced look of the original film, not the technicolor overkill of "Simba's Pride" and the terrible "Timon and Pumba" Saturday morning series. In addition, the DVD itself is chock full of excellent extras, including a few music videos and a "Virtual Safari" that entertained my son for nearly an hour. And the Mickey Hunt is tons of fun as well.
In conclusion, though it's not a masterful effort like the original was, it's probably one of the best, if not the best, straight-to-video sequel Disney's ever put out. You won't regret this one, and it's guaranteed to not collect any dust in your video collection!
26 Answering the questions you didn't ask.
First of all let me say I love the first Lion King. Its probably my second favorite animated movie after Finding Nemo. That being said I hated this movie. The first Lion King is mostly appropiate for children but has a mature storyline adults can enjoy. The Lion King 1 1/2 is just for kids. Anyone over the age of puberty will find something seriously wrong with this movie. I was also dissipointed with The Lion King 2 Simbas Pride. But at least the movie was decent. At least they tried to make it good. Its like the makers of The Lion King 1 1/2 were trying to make a bad movie. It is the first movie told from the point of view of Timon and Pumba. It tells there story. Is there anyone who cared about there story? Anyone who wondered what they were doing? Not me. I never was at any loss not knowing where they were. Whats next a remake of Tarzan from Terks point of view. It could have been decent if it was done right. It is done horribly. Its really just taking classic moments and loading them with unfunny jokes. It shows that Timon and Pumba were there in all scene of the first Lion King offscreen. Most of these scenes they really don't belong. For example in Simbas birth sequence Pumba farts causing the animals to bow down. Thats right they weren't bowing out of respect for there king is was just farts. Then they walk one day later to the "Can't wait to be king song" that makes no sense. Several dramatic sequences like the "Be Prepared", wildbeast stampeed, "can you feel the love tonight", Simbas fight, all are completly ruined by Timon and Pumba. They don't belong there. It also has annoying silowets of them constant stoping the movie. Movies this bad in a way help you appreciate the greatness of the original masterpeice. My advice to Disney is to stop those darn direct to video sequels. Just leave the classics alone.
27 The Kids will love it, Adults will Laugh too!!
As a sequal to Disneys Masterpiece Lion King, Lion King 1 1/2 is one of the best annimated sequals ever! The story is told from Timon and Pumbaa's perspective of the events of the original movie. In every way they incorporate the original movie into this sequal to show an entirely new story from a different perspective. It is NOT a repeat of Lion King, per say. It is a humorous telling of how Timon and Pumbaa came be at the paradise where they met Simba and how things went from there. My children ages 6, 3, and 1, consistantly request to watch this Movie. Even the songs are cute, and my husband can often be heard humming the "Dig a Tunnel" song. Lion King 1 1/2 is a definate buy if you have the original or just want another video the kids (and adults) will enjoy over and over again!!!
28 "Can you dig it? I can dig it."
Ever cash-hungry Disney spits another direct to video sequel in our faces. Fortunately, The Lion King 1 1/2 is a refreshing exception of the rule of bad cartoon sequels.
The film opens with Timon and Pumbaa in a darkened theater watching the original Lion King film, Mystery Science Theater 3000 style. A conversation leads to the duo telling us their story, which should really be called Timon's story....Pumbaa's past is barely mentioned. Over the course of the film, we follow Timon and Pumbaa in their Forrest Gump-y adventures taking place simultaneously with Simba's, leading up to a rather dull climax.
While not much of a movie, The Lion King 1 1/2 is a histerical tribute to pop culture and a fun diversion for all. The 2-DVD set features include a "mock-umentary" on Timon, a behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes, a few games, and an entertaining "Virtual Safari," in which Timon, his mom, his Uncle Max and Pumbaa go on a virtual theme park ride. Wrapping up the set is a Raven music video, a remix of the old-school classic "Grazing in the Grass."
29 Lion King Prequal: True Disney through and through!
I have to say that after buying the "Lion King 3" (i'm english), i wasn't expecting much. Having seen the lion king 2, a major dissapointment, i was expecting another wasted attempt by disney to make money. However this it was not.
It tells the story of timon and pumba, focusing on timon, and is very funny for all of the family. The song is a cheesy disney song, and is memorable and fun. My lil sis sings it all day long! A thoughroughly good disney film, entertaining perspective on the lion king original. A mockery by disney of disney, entertaining for all the family.
30 The Wonderfully Comedic Side-Story To The Original!
Disney does it again! This time, they've created a first in modern cinema: neither a sequel or prequel to the THE LION KING, this film tells the side-story to the events of the original film; namely, it is the same story, but told entirely from the perspective of Timon and Pumbaa (the wonderful Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, respectively). This ingenious idea works great, and is told in an ingenious manner, with Timon & Pumbaa narrating from a darkened movie theater, literally showing us their side to the story. It is smart, and also hilarious. We got the DVD from Netflix, and will eventually buy it later this year when we can!
THE LION KING 1 1/2 (2004) gives us a whole new picture of the most popular Disney story of all time. Even though this is Timon & Pumbaa's story, Rafiki (Robert Guillaume, unaffected vocally by the stroke he suffered after doing THE LION KING II: SIMBA'S PRIDE in 1998) also returns, as does Simba (Matthew Broderick) and Nala (Moira Kelly). Even Whoopie Goldberg and Cheech Marin return as the vicious hyena leaders! But it's basically Timon and Pumbaa's show, showing once again how popular these characters are (they did have their own animated TV show for a few years back in the 90's), reminding us how much they make us laugh and how good they make us feel. I gotta hand it to Disney: THE LION KING 1 1/2 is an excellent concept, and is done extremely well. It may start a new trend in cinema, for however bad or good that may be. Just get it & enjoy!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, FOR AGES 8 & UP
31 You won't know the 1/2 of it, until you watch the movie
If you thought you knew the Lion King, you don't really know the 1/2 of the movie. This is Timon & Pumbba's side of the story. But for some reason, instead of getting named The Lion King 3, it is titled "The Lion King 1 1/2", and since this movie came out after the Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, but never mind. As the movie opens, Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbba (Ernie Sabella) are in a dark theatre, and Pummba is against Timon fast fowarding to the part of the Lion King when they come in, and Pumbba reminds him they were there are the time, but we don't know it. And they begin telling thier story, which begins with Timon's early days with his family, including his mom (Julie Kavner) and his Uncle Max (Jerry Stiller), and the other meekcats are upset by Timon's digging, and then his Mom puts him on a new job, watching for heeynees, which his uncle trusts him to do, but instead Timon breaks into song, and doesn't too his job until it is too late, which upsets his uncle. Later on after having a talk wit his mother, Timon sets out looking for a better home, in which he runs into Rafiki (Robert Guillaume). And Rafiki tells him him "to look beyond what he see". And what he see is Pride Rock, and starts to make his trip there, along the way he meets Pumbba. And he joins Timon on the trip.
32 Surprisingly Good Humor
I found the lion king 1 1/2 surprisingly funny and included clever use of words which only adults would understand combining with hilerous phrases which don't take away from the action, music and drama the kids enjoy and love. The director is less stuck on the mystic of the original lion king and brings in good animation frames, music, and friendship. The movie includes musical choregraphy, bright colors, and recapturing the energy of the original movie. The friendship magic between Timon and Pumbaa and Simba is not lost, instead the story transports the viewer back too Timon younger days, his disasters standing guard (which is funny), building the skylight in the burrow (also funny), his desire to adventure and departure from his mother (funny again), his rejection by the group (funny), and eventual friendship with Pumbaa and Simba (warm); you won't miss any warmth; also, included is the meeting of the wise sage, Hakuna Matata.
The movie was very entertaining.
33 Nothing At All Like The Original
Great score. Sweeping animated vistas. Great story line. All of this and more is missing from The Lion King 1-1/2. Clearly this was made for children, especially those who could care less for all of the above. I rented this from Netflix and was glad I was able to save my money. I would have made a big mistake thinking this would be an animated classic like its superlative namesake.
34 screaming with laughter
"something tells me this ain't the traveling cast of River Dance."
That one line and scene will have me on the floor in stiches with tears in my eyes!! no matter how many times I watch it. I do like Disney movies quite a bit and thought this was just wonderful. A very interesting way of telling a story.
35 Very Cute
I really enjoyed watching this as a light, cute, animated comedy. It was great to watch, partly because it held no deep, meaningful emotion like in the Lion King 1. With quirky comments from the narrators Timon and Pumba, it was impossible not to love this cartoon. Definately a must see movie for a cosy night in.
36 A Surprise in a Small Package
I bought this film for my daughter amidst mixed reviews that the film was very good, or that it slaughtered the original. After watching it with my daughter, I was entertained in a completely different way than I expected.
This film, not a sequel but sort of a prequel and retelling rolled into one, does an incredible job of telling Timon and Pumba's story amidst the events that occur with Simba and his pride of lions. In addition to treating us to their tale, we see scenes of Timon, Pumba, and Simba together in their (as we find out in this film) newly discovered paradise.
The most impressive aspect of this film, however, is its ability to keep the recognizable events of The Lion King in the background while still keeping Timon and Pumba's story the strongest and at times spoofing the first film. A good example is a scene in which Timon and Pumba think they have found the perfect home until their peace is disrupted by loud singing. Fans of the first film can recognize that the "noisy neighbors" (as Timon calls them) are Simba and Nala singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King."
This is a more appropriate film for children of all ages, while the first was perhaps too violent for very young children. The only thing that keeps this from acquiring five stars is that it feels more like a long episode of a Timon and Pumba cartoon than a film. But I recommend it to any Disney fan.
37 Don't Vote It Out!!!
According to me a lot of disney movies are very disappointing... i am 19 and absolutely loved his movie for all it was worth. normally i would not purchase a movie like this or even watch it, but i'm so glad i did!!! i found it humourous and entertaining... and not so gloomy such as other movies are.... i hope my review helps a bit, but i adored this movie!!!
38 A sly retelling of "The Lion King," minus the sap
Unlike, apparently, most moviegoers in the 1990s, I found the original "Lion King" to be far too saccharine for my tastes. A fairly bland character makes a bad decision, briefly gets mixed up with some interesting outcasts, the clock whirls forward through all that stuff, and then he goes back to fix his mistake. While I'm no fan of "Hamlet," I felt "The Lion King" really robbed the story of much of the drama it could, and should, have had. And, frankly, I was irritated that Timon and Pumbaa got so little screen time.
"The Lion King 1 1/2" to the rescue. Not only do we get to see Simba's time with the duo in more detail, we get to see all of "The Lion King" through Timon's much more cynical eyes, and the story improves for the retelling. The creators of this sequel clearly like the original movie, which is interwoven or sometimes literally used in the background of new shots, but they're also well aware of its cornier elements, and Timon is as well.
The conceit of having Timon and Pumbaa watch their own version of events on a giant television screen (seen in silhouette, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" style) is great, and allows for them to comment on the action, make fun of overly dramatic elements ("What's up with that running, if you can call that running?" Timon asks of Pumbaa's dramatic slow motion race through desert sand) and act as audience surrogates when they buzz through the boring stuff. It's simple, but effective, and embodies the sly, sarcastic sense of the filmmakers. Set pieces from the original film are turned on their ear ("Everything the light touches ... belongs to someone else.") or gleefully skewered ("Oh, great timing, omniscient monkey!").
The story of this sequel is a fairly classic Disney story, of the misfit character who doesn't fit in with the social norms of his environment, and sets out on an adventure that both makes him a hero and redefines his relationship to his community. In this case, it's Timon, who isn't the nervous wreck the other meerkats all are, nor, unfortunately, nearly as competent at any of the skills they think are important (i.e. tunneling and watching out for marauding hyenas). In the course of his journey to find a place where he won't have to hide underground, he encounters the flatulent Pumbaa, who is recast as part embarassing uncle, part smelly family dog, with well-observed bits brought out by both the animators and performer.
While children, especially little boys, will enjoy the gross-out humor (of which there is relatively little), for the most part, "The Lion King 1 1/2" is an adult film, and perhaps the first post-modern Disney movie, commenting on another Disney movie with the leading characters explicitly observing and analyzing the original events. Of course, for those looking for lots of more of what the original movie offered, they'll be disappointed -- the story is slight, the song-and-dance number is lightweight and very silly and the lions are, frankly, something of an afterthought -- but for those of us who thought the original needed a little more bitter with the sweet, this new film is a delight.
Strongly recommended for Disney fans who prefer their cartoons a little less sugary sweet, and a little more tart and sour instead.
39 Rent it Before You Buy It
We rented this DVD to test it, and we didn't like it enough to buy it. It recycles a LOT of footage from the original film, and the new material is pretty thin. The animation is pretty good for a direct-to-DVD film, and the original voice actors are back, but it doesn't have much of a story, and it doesn't really tell that much about the time that Simba spends growing up with Timon and Pumbaa. The first direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King II, is actually better, since it has a real story to tell.
Your kids might be able to watch this one more than once, but you probably won't want to watch it with them. Rent it first and see what the family thinks of it before you bother to buy it!
40 Boring movie?
Hey, I bought the DVD and I thought it was going to be better than the other Lion Kind movies. Turns out to be the worst one. Timon and Pumba interrupts the movie, and it doesn't really show the theme, so what's it about anyway, just behind the scene of Timon and Pumba, what else. Overall, I thought it was okay, and well, it was sorta funny, but I only watched it once, and got bored of it.
41 What is with all of these low ratings for this movie?
After viewing this film, I cannot understand why so many people gave this film a low rating. I thought it was a perfectly acceptable fun and light-hearted approach to The Lion King. The Lion King scenes that people said The Lion King 1 1/2 desecrated were not desecrated at all. No matter how sensitive the scene was. Of course, the movie cannot be compared to The Lion King...but only total morons would think that the makers of this film planned on making this film so that it would be comparable to The Lion King. It's a parody people - accept that. I agree with other reviewers of this film when they say that the people at Disney were just trying to make some easy cash by releasing this film, but how does that harm us if the movie fulfills its purpose? It does live up to the trailer, at least, and people often view movies depending on their opinion of a movie's trailer. This is not the type of movie which I would watch repeatedly, but it is a good flick to pick if you are a Lion King fan. It also reminds me a lot of the Timon & Pumbaa cartoon series, so if you liked that cartoon series, then you will like this movie. I definitely favor this film over all of the other direct-to-video pre/mid/sequels, including Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
42 I'm sorry but nope!
I am a teen and I loved the original Lion King. Maybe just growing up and remembering the original movie made me biased about this film but I hated it. I thought it focused ay to much on Timon and Pumba's history and not enough on the original story.
43 Funny addition!
I read these reviews all the time, but I never take the time to write them. But I must say, I was completly pleased when I watched this! I was laughing through the whole thing! From when Timon began singing the opening song, to when all of the Disney characters were coming to watch it all over again! I couldn;t stop laughing! I guess not many agree with me, but for a sequal, this was REALLY good for Disney!
44 Very Funny New music and new perspective on the story
I recently viewed this with my 5 year old and my 3 year old. We laughed and laughed. We were already quite familiar with the Lion King. (Family favorite) But my 5 year old was still singing the songs and retelling the jokes 2 weeks later.
45 Another sequal, and it shows...
Before I saw this movie I expected another bad sequal, and I was right. Ok, the movie is pretty goodlooking, the graphic and so on, but the plot is really weak. It's about what happened to Timon & Pumbaa while Simba grew up. There are some funny scenes but it feels like they're just added on eachother.
Don't buy this movie, rent it...
46 Quite a Good Cartoon Movie - for an addon!
OK, let me start off with saying that I love most Disney cartoon movies. The Lion King is one of them... I even memorized almost all Disney cartoon songs...
With that said, I personally find sequels sucky, or decent at most. Pocahontas 2, Cinderella 2, Hunchback 2 - like most movie sequels, they just didnt pull it off...
Surprisingly, Lion King 1 1/2 is much better than most add ons or sequels. Though not part 2(part 2 was released already) is considered a tie-in to the original movie. And it is more of a prequel, which brings you back to the time how Timon left home and how he manage to meet Pumbaa and beyond. The movie got the original casts and the songs were made by Elton John and Tim Rice, which is good to know. Julie Kavner who plays Marge Simpson, plays Timon's mum, and on some moments, she almost sound the same as Marge! The songs are pretty decent, but few.
The story itself got lots of funny moments as well as some dragging parts(for adults). Some of it happens during the Lion King scenes, though in Timon and Pumbaa's perspectives, you can see same scenes(some at different angles) and hear the original parts of songs. And it also adds the missing pieces and loose threads on some parts - with pretty funny moments like why the animals bowed down when Rafiki showed baby Simba to the world; and why the animals fell during the closing of the "I Just Cant Wait To Be King" song.
I will not spoil the movie for you, but do remember that the movie is more based on Timon and Pumbaa than Simba and the rest. So dont expect to see a lot of lions. Also, there is not much of a plot, and as I said, morely to add missing blocks in the original story. This movie's own plot is more based on Timon and how he wanted to find a place where he fits in(just like Hercules, A Bug's Life - Disney seems to encourage unwanted misfits who go famous and heroic). So all in all, DO NOT expect a solid plot or even take this movie in an epic type of way, its more of a comedy version of the Lion King.
The DVD features is not that bad, and it even got lots of deleted scenes and a Hidden Mickey Hunt game(if you have Disney channel, you know that every Disney cartoon movie has one or two) - 10 of them throughout the movie...
I say that this movie is good for Lion King fans, as well as for family viewing. But I recommend you rent this first and see if its worth the collection. Though if you have extra cash, its good to buy this to entertain guests, especially during parties, since this movie is made for home viewing and wasnt released on theatres; and I think kids will love to watch this again and again as adults do chores(the Hidden Mickey Hunt is a reason to watch it many times!).
I give this movie with its DVD contents a 7.5/10.
47 Lion King 0/Tom II
I'm going to sound like the Grinch, but I watch TV and feature-length DVD cartoons every day. I can tolerate most of what I see, or I'd have blown my brains out years ago. Some stuff I love (the original Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Finding Nemo, etc.). On the other hand, my son, who just turned four, is pretty easy to please. As long as there's no live action, he's happy. (The exception was the pathetic Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, which could not hold his attention for even one viewing.)
But my son isn't writing this review. To Nathan Lane, I say, "I knew Zero Mostel, he was a friend of mine, and Mr. Lane, you're no Zero Mostel!" Indeed, Nathan Lane embodies the creative mediocrity of the age. When he was about 89, I saw the late Bob Hope (who was far from my favorite comic) for what I believe was the last time he was a late night talk show guest. When Hope, Mr. Timing, missed his mark on his one-liners, I knew it was over for him. For Nathan Lane, it never began.
Then there's the original music - oops, excepting one instantly forgettable opener, there isn't any. Some songs are recycled from the original, and others are ripped off from every source imaginable, including spaghetti westerns, though the producers didn't give proper attribution. Now, some folks will say, I'm using a sledgehammer to kill a flea; after all, it's straight-to-video. But the price is premium. I paid $25 for this dreck, and it lists at $30! If we're not supposed to expect full quality, then charge only $10 or $12, for cryin' out loud. For a premium price, you must deliver premium quality, not leftovers.
What about the story?, you ask. Don't. There is no story to speak of, just recycled characters from the original. But I really shoulda known - just check out the "screenwriter." Tom Rogers should rename himself either "Tom Ripoff" or "Tom II." Look at his credits: Lady and the Tramp II; Cinderella II; The Jungle Book II ... He has never been associated with a quality, original children's movie. Not only is the man a grave robber, but after robbing the dead, he commits sacrileges and abominations upon the corpses! Doesn't Nemo's Law provide special punishments and registries to govern such dastardly, repeat offenders? Where do I go to press charges for the aesthetic abuse of my son? And what about victims' services?!
But it gets worse. Fortunately, I bought this at a store. And so, when Disc II - which allegedly contains featurettes and games -- failed to function, I was able to bring it back and exchange it. But Disc II was equally defective on the second pack. (I'm bringing it back for a refund tonight.) I imagine some of the Disc IIs must work, but if I got two consecutive lemons, there must be thousands of lemons out there. And so, if you absolutely must see this, wait until you can rent it.
The Critical Critic, March 14, 2004.
48 an overseas view
I bought this under the Asian-release title "Lion King 3." First, I'd like to point out some disappointments. One, I thought the meerkat song in the beginning was kind of weak, a song written "just so there would be a song." Two, maybe more of Pumbaa's story could have been told, because I wasn't really thrilled with Timon's weak history (he wasn't even kicked out! he could have left ages ago). Three, I thought the central storyline of Timon looking for a dream home was not strong enough to explain why he ran into many of the Lion King's events. And four, I thought there were too many interruptions during the movie, where Timon and Pumbaa pause it to offer some adlib; it got a little too numerous.
That said, it was very interesting to see things from Timon and Pumbaa's perspective. It was funny to see them in the middle of Simba's encounters. It was worth the time and will definitely put a smile on your face. However, I don't imagine watching this one too many times. Sort of like a stand-up comic; if you hear him more than once, it's not as good.
49 Better Than Simba's Pride
Simba's Pride Was Good But 1 1/2 Was Better It Tells Timon And Pumbaa's Story Buy This You Will Loves This
50 Surprisingly good direct-to-video release from Disney
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
51 Better than I expected
I had very low expectations when I watched this movie. "The Lion King" has been one of my favorite movies for about ten years now (I'm 19 now and have loved it since it first came out), so I was really curious when I heard about this sequel/prequel/whatever it is. The trailers made it look funny, so I decided to give it a try.
After the horrible "Simba's Pride," I never thought I would ever actually like a Lion King sequel, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It isn't a particularly good movie and it could never stand on its own (in other words, it wouldn't make sense to someone who hasn't see the original). That didn't really bother me though.
Most of the movie is very fast-paced. At times, I felt like I was on a tour of Pride Rock and its surroundings. We touched on all of the locations and characters from the first movie, but didn't stay long enough to get reacquainted. The timeline seemed to be a little off for some of the movie too, but I didn't let that bother me too much.
The rest of the movie was very entertaining. There were some genuinely funny jokes that made me laugh. I loved seeing Simba's childhood with Timon and Pumba acting as his parents. I even liked the songs. "Digga Tunnah" has to be the best song to ever appear in a Disney sequel. That's not really saying much, but it's still very catchy and will stay in your head for days.
All in all, I thought this movie was very entertaining. Kids, or at least my nephew, love it, but there's enough there to amuse adults as well. If you don't have high expectations and are willing to put your brain on pause, then you'll be pleasantly surprised.
52 Highly recommended!
As another review writer said about this movie, there was no reason to make it, but they did and I for one am happy they did! If nothing more that Fan-service for all the Timon and/or Pumbaa fans out there. ^ ^
The story focuses mainly on Timon, who leaves home b/c he doesnt like/fit in with the meerkat ways of life. On the way he teams up with Pumbaa and the two wander around the set of the first movie, and end up settling down in the Oasis they are in when they find Simba in LK1. You get a really cute look into what Simbas childhood was like having Timon and Pumbaa as parents, and you follow the loveable pair as they take out the Hyenas while Simba is fights with Scar in the showdown from no 1. plus a bit more at the end which I wount ruin for you.
The whole thing is filled with witty references and jokes on the original, with original music, new music, and some stratigicly placed classics that everyone can recognize.
All in all this was very cute movie, the only reason it didnt get all five stars is b/c of a few timeline glitches, and the fact that Pride Rock is always pointing the same way no matter what side of it your on.
Also you dont really learn anymore about Pumbaa that you would by watching the first one, so this is really mostly Timon's story, but being a Timon fan that doesn't bug me. I strongly recomend this to any Lion King fan!
WARNING: side effects include excessive giggling and you may have a song or two stuck in your head for a while.
53 The trailer showed the best parts
I was very excited to see this movie, as the trailer looked very funny.
There were some good references to the first movie (like the song, "I just can't wait to be King") but, overall, very disappointing.
The songs were lame, not very catchy, and the characters were very self involved. Timon is not a role model for children....
54 Okay... just okay... but the kids will like it.
Okay... same cast voices and a story that precedes and then runs concurrently with the original Lion King. It's not exactly a prequel or a sequel (maybe you could term this as a simuquel?). It's played more for laughs, giving a new perspective on many of the events we've seen before, like what actually motivated the animals' group bow as Rafiki presented the cub Simba atop Pride Rock.
There is one inside joke after another, each one guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of adults and raucous laughter from the kids, but let's face it, this is a direct to DVD release. Compared to other "direct to"s, it's superior. And it's arguably more fun than Treasure Planet for example. Pop it in the player and it will keep the little ones enthralled for an hour or so.
55 Even my three-year-old wouldn't watch this lame movie
After about a half hour of this terrible DVD, my son asked to turn it off and watch the original Lion King instead. I was relieved -- if you like potty humor, that may be the only slightly amusing thing in it. The timelines and plot (such as it is) make no sense, and the little humor there is is at the expense of the original movie. I wouldn't even recommend this as a rental. Michael Eisner is taking Disney down the toilet a bit too literally with this one.
56 Laugh Out Loud!
I am a semi-serious 7th. But even I had to laugh when I watched this movie!
Basically, the story is about our meerkat friend-Timon! He tells about his story, and also about what he was doing during Simba's adventures. It also explains how Timon and pumbaa met. Brilliant.
Very funny. Timon's reference to, "I see dead people!" was genius, along with the antics of Timon's Ma and Uncle, Max, who nare voiced by Julie Kavner, voice of Marge, I believe, from the Simpsons, and Jerry Stiller, King O' Queens. They both play their parts perfectly, (well, ALMOST) which is refreshing.
Now, about the songs. They are almost as good as the ones from The Lion King I, and better than Lion King II. Hey! 1 1/2!(almost..) Errr... ANYWAY, two songs, Digga Tunnah, and That's All I Need, (written by Sir Elton John) are incredibly catchy. I love 'em all. And ,old timers, you may recognize a couple of songs...
This bathroom humor I've been hearing about, is ... TAME!!! What I mean is, it's a little gross, but not majorly, but is STILL funny!
My only complaints are about the timing of some parts. How could the Hyenas hear Scar betray them if they were busy with Timon and Pumbaa? How could the "Just Can't Wait To Be King" scene happen one day after Simba was born??? Growth spurt? I think not.
Bottom line, watch #1 before 1 1/2. Also, we get to see "teenage" Simba, and an ironic playing of "Sunrise, Sunset..." LOL. I love the Lion King, and I hope you do to. Thanks for reading my review! Peace Out.
57 Absolutely Cute..
I was hesitant to see this movie because I find that the Disney sequels are just cash cows for the Disney corporation. But, I enjoyed this film. I thought it was very cute. Nathan Lane, did a wonderful job with the sarcastic/naive Timon. It was very comical and cute.
58 "Way to go, tunnel klutz. Who else could break a hole?"
I got this movie not knowing what to expect, and I'll admit, I was very surprised! Before I begin my review, in my opinion, The Lion King 1 1/2 is either one of those movies you're either going to hate or absolutely love. I happen to love it. :) However, when you start the movie, expect comedy, not the majestic story that The Lion King and its first sequel were famous for. While still having its own plot (it's simple but very effective), the new movie could still be considered a parody.
I'm sure many of you have heard of Timon and Pumbaa's role in the Circle of Life scene from the original movie through advertisements. If you haven't... well, I won't spoil it for you! For those of you who have heard of what they planned for the scene, I was worried about exactly how Disney planned to do but it worked nicely. Absolutely hilarious...
The continuity with the original movie went very well (and yes, in my opinion, that even includes Timon's "Who's the monkey?" question in the first movie). The only place that it didn't seem to quite fit together was the ending where Timon and Pumbaa were trying to distract the hyenas, but after thinking it through for awhile, I suppose it did fit together. My criticism there is that they could have made it more clear, but I'm nitpicky like that. Please excuse my vagueness, again, I'm trying not to spoil anything here!
The animation is beautiful and fits in very well with the movie. Be sure to compare Timon's "That's All I Need" song to Simba's "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in the first movie and you'll see how they even took the care to use the same themes for graphic design... and the "I Just Can't Want to Be King" segment in the new movie, check the graphics there. Haha... hilarious. There are a few other cases like that, but I'm not going to mention them. Watch the movie and find out for yourself!
Jokes galore! If you really want to get full enjoyment out of the movie, you'll need to A) watch The Lion King again first (unless you already practically memorized the movie), B) watch the movie more than one time in a row (the second time was much more enjoyable), and C) watch it with friends. There are so many jokes that refer to so many other things it helps if there's SOMEBODY there who can catch the joke and explain it to you. There were a few jokes I didn't fully get until my Jewish friend explained them to me.
The new characters (Timon's Mom and Uncle Max) are great. I also gained a better appreciation for Rafiki during the movie -- what can I say? It's nice for a change when somebody ELSE hits him with the stick...
As for the DVD extras, no, there were not as many as on The Lion King Special Edition, but please note that The Lion King Special Edition was just that -- a special edition! While there are less, I found the extras on this DVD to be more enjoyable than the ones on the special edition DVD (although the multi-language track thing on that DVD was pretty cool... but I'm off-topic!)
I'm giving the movie a four. As for criticisms it would be that in places the movie either moved too fast (I find it hard to believe that the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" scene took place a day after "The Circle of Life" scene as the new movie seemed to suggest) or too slowly (which was part of the comedy, but seemed slightly overdone). My other criticism would be in the animation near the beginning of the movie with the hyenas, that's the only place that I remember where the characters just didn't quite look right. However that problem seemed to be fixed as the movie went along.
My suggestion? Buy the movie, or at least rent it. Come on, seeing "teen" Simba is worth it, LOL! The Lion King 1 1/2 gave me a new appreciation for many of the characters. I consider it a very good sequel... interquel... "behind-the-scenes-quel" whatever the heck it is. :P
59 "The Lion King 3 1/2"
This home video release could best be described as "Hope and Crosby Meets Mystery Science 3000" for it has the same over-the-topness of the "Road" pictures and the Sci-Fi Channel series.
Revisiting many of the pivotal events of "The Lion King", the movie is interpreted by characters Timon and Pumbaa who also are watching the film from the comfort of a studio screening room. The fact that the pair frequently "pause" the film to interject some amusing repartee adds to the enjoyment. The tongue is placing firmly in cheek with their many "in-jokes" and references to popular culture.
Of course, utilizing the talents of original's stars is an added bonus. As for new "voices", Former "Rhoda" featured player Julie Kavner and comedy legend Jerry Stiller both have strong turns as Timon's mom and uncle, respectively.
'Guess since Mufasa died early in LK, James Earl Jones's pipes weren't needed.
The "new" songs don't have the zip of the ones in the original; thus, a couple of older ones are recycled. However, it's the use of familiar popular songs is a treat for the Baby Boomer in the house.
I mean, what 40-year-old can't relate to "The Peter Gun Theme", "The Theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", "Grazin' in the Grass" and Kool and the Gang's "Jungle Boogie"?
'Just wish I could give it 1/2 stars more.
60 Great movie!
Over the weekend we rented Lion King 1 1/2 to watch as a family. I wasn't expecting much, to be honest. But I was pleasantly surprised- this movie is hillarious! I laughed out loud several times!
I'll warn you- there is a bit of gas humor. Several of the jokes went over our kids' heads, though. Other than that, it was great!
In order to "get" it, they will need to have seen the original Lion King. This is Timon and Pumba's side of the story.
Enjoy!
61 Not what I expected.... Rather boring....
I understand that this is from Timone and Pumba's point of view.. But I thought that some of it was a blaitant tear down of the first film! The scene that pointed it out to me was where they supposidly made Simba and Nala fall down that hell during the "Can you Feel the Love Tonight?" sequence... And most of the time we see them jabbering like Siskel and Ebert during parts of the movie.. All we see is their shadows! After a while I stopped the film and went to disc 2 and played the jungle verson of "Millionare" and that was more fun then the film itself...
I would stick to the Lion King and Lion King 2 Simba's Pride.. These other films were so much better...
62 Delighted with reservations
I really enjoyed this movie very much. It was slow to start, I thought, but once it got going, it was delightful. I could do with less references to "bathroom" humor, but I felt like this was very tactfully handled. Most of the humor, as usual these days, will appeal to older children and adults. I am cautious about small children seeing it. (Although, they seem to have perfect understanding of that sort of humor.) I also thought that the way it blended the original movie with this angle was well done and thought out. I didn't see very much to disagree with in this version as far as the blending. I think however, without spoiling it, the end was quite delightful. I could almost give it a five, but I just can't quite, but only because of the bathroom humor, which is nowhere what is in most live action movies at all.
I have EVERY intention of adding this movie to my collection as soon as possible. At least, give it a try. The plot is there, without much looking.....lol....
But, rent it, if u like it, buy it, if not......
63 You all must be kidding, this movie sucked!
I don't know what you all are thinking who gave this movie anything above a 3, but it was NOT good. Where was the story, where was the plot, the climax, the suspense, the love???? It was BORING!!!! A couple nice songs, but NO STORY! If it was that great, why would it go straight to video???? Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Rent it once, you won't want to see it again.
64 One of the funniest movies I've seen in a while!
This movie follows Pumbaa and Timon as they revisit the orginal Lion King through their eyes. The Lion King was great enough (we all remember how these two were the funniest!) My husband and I watched the DVD together and laughed throughout the WHOLE movie. We can't wait to watch it with our children... THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE MOVIE!. The DVD has so many different special areas for both adults and children. Truly a family movie....FINALLY!!:)
65 Pumbaa and Timon "The Untold Story"
This is one of the most funniest prequel/sequel I have probably ever seen. The adventure of Pumbaa and Timon is definately a great movie for everyone. Sometimes you wonder what other characters are doing when the camera is not on them. This is a riot. Disney has out done themselves with this story. Maybe they can do it with other. YOU MUST SEE THIS!!!! Thanks Disney.
66 We all loved it!
We have seen the other 2 Lion King Movies, own the first one on DVD, waiting to buy the second, so I had to buy this one to add to our Disney collection. I had already heard from other people that it wasn't all that great. But, my 5 kids and I sat down and watched it and we all loved it! Even my teenagers!! It was great seeing the story from another angle. Pumba and Timon were my favorites, and this movie really let them shine!
67 Just okay
This movie for me was just okay. The songs were good as was the story. But I don't think it's something I would watch over and over again. Renting it was good enough for me. While watching the movie I just kept thinking I've seen this before, I knew what was going to happen.
68 Disney does it again......
Oh my goodness. Lion King 1 1/2 is great. I love the Lion King movies & I laughed throughout this whole film. If you love Disney, & more importantly, if you love the Lion King, then this movie is a MUST have for your collection. It completes the "saga" that is the Lion King. Even if you don't have children (heck, borrow the neighbor's kids if you have to) I highly recommend this film. Perfect pick me up after a hard day at work.
69 How can there be 1 1/2 kings?
I got that from a friend of mine at school. Now, onto the movie...this movie was great. I have a friend at school and he got Pirates of the Carribean(I HATE that movie)and he says he's gonna watch it A WHOLE LOT. I might watch this movie a lot too. If you like the Lion King, the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, or both, get this. Watch it A LOT. Why? You don't know the 1/2 of it!
70 Watch it then Watch it again
First there was Hamlet, then Romeo and Juliet, then naturally Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.
Watch the story you know from a different angle and get the other story from Timon's point of view, his tragic beginings, how he first meets Pumbaa and they become best buddies. The jokes and puns are hilarious and classic. You'll laugh out loud, and good for all ages. Besides the jokes, it also has heart, which really makes a movie a film. The "Who Wants to be King of the Jungle" game is challenging, but Timon's wisecracks continue to entertain. I also love the "Hidden Mickey" hunt - where you watch the movie for hidden Mickey ear icons drawn slyly in the background. At the end it gives you a score to see how well you did! I think I see ones they don't mention!
Also includes deleted scenes that show how the story evolved and behind the scenes. Behind the Legend: Timon, with Peter Graves. The new songs are worthy of Lion King. For a straight to video sequel, no expense was spared, - this film is theater worthy.
"We're gonna get old crossin this thing" - Timon, crossing the log bridge with Simba under the moon.
71 This movie rocks!
I got this movie on valentines day, and it was really funny. I was suprised that Timon and Pumba caused a lot if things( and were in parts you'd least expect) in the Lion King-case and point- remember when the animals bowed when Simba was introduced on Pride Rock? Actualy, Pumba farted and many of the animals fainted. The other animals guessed they should follow, so they did. That was probably my favorite part. This movie also shows you a brief history of the characters. Overall, you won't be dissapointed!
72 TIMON & PUMBAA'S EARLY ADVENTURE.
When I saw The Lion King 1/2 the first time, Timon and Pumbaa decided to tell their own story about what hapens way before the begining of the orginal movie and how they help Simba become King.
In the begining of this new movie, we first meet Timon and his family of merkats. There's also a Disney Channel star called Ravan who sings her song, "Grazing in the Grass" that's another thing about this movie that I like a lot.
73 This movie is incredibly well done! I was blown away.
This is how Disney should make direct-to-video sequels. The Lion King 1 1/2 is well-animated, insanely funny, and adorably heart-warming. I'm 23 years old and absolutely loved this movie. Not only is it great for kids, but adults will love it too. There are actually jokes intended for adults because I doubt a child could understand some of the material. I laughed the entire time. And for once, a direct-to-video movie was actually animated well. During the movie, clips from the first movie are added in and it is hard to tell sometimes because the animation flows so well. I was amazed. Even the DVD's extras were funny and well-done. If you liked the Lion King and like animation, go buy this movie and get ready for an enjoyable and hilarious experience.
74 A Great Movie
This movie is not exactly a sequel to the Lion King 1, It was more of a behind the scenes movie of the lion king 1 mostly from Timon and Pumba's view. This movie was a funny, entertaining, and family oriented movie. This movie is a must have for any family.
75 Astounding! A DtV success!
4 stars is my max unless something leaves me unconcious. Ruthie Jiminez Vargas, you're still the 5th star!
Let's face it; most direct-to-video releases are pretty ho-hum. Most *Disney* DtV peg the suck-meter. Take Lilo & Stitch's setup for the lousy series, "Stitch!". Didn't that just make you think that someone was testing the room-full-of-monkeys-with-typewriters theory? What a letdown after L&S was soooo very awesome!
Well, here's something that pretty much makes up for it; TLK 1 1/2:Hakuna Mattata! A DtV success! Buy it right now. Go! Now! Don't worry about locking the door or turning off the computer or even seeing that the kids have a minder!
Are you still sitting there?
76 Humorous side of the Lion King....
I'll have to admit that after reading some negative reviews of Lion King 1 1/2, I had really low expectations of this movie and wouldn't have watched it if it weren't for my kids.
Well, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! If you're a fan of the Timon and Pumbaa series currently playing on the Disney channel, then you won't mind watching this movie more than once. If not, then I suggest you try watching it and this movie.
77 A SENSATIONAL PREQUEL!
A sensational prequel, THE LION KING 1 1/2 does what few prequels (or sequels, for that matter) do, it tells the parallel tale of what Simba's pals the meerkat Timon (starring Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa the warthog (starring Ernie Sabella) were doing at the beginning of the original THE LION KING before they met up with Simba. And there are numerous overlaps with the original movie as though
Timon and Pumbaa were just standing offstage when the original action was being filmed. Absolutely clever and witty!
Add to the cast the hilarious talents of Jerry Stiller (THE KING OF QUEENS) as Timon's uncle and Julie Kavner (THE SIMPSONS) as Timon's mother and you have a wonderful story that adds to the LION KING story about as creatively as any companion movie could. It's wonderful.
Matthew Broderick (Simba), Whoopi Goldberg (Shenzi), Robert Guillaume (Rafiki) and Moira Kelly (Nala) all return in their original roles from THE LION KING.
And unlike so many straight-to-video offerings what you have here is no "let's go for the dough" fluff. The story, the animation and the music (featuring original songs by Elton John and Tim Rice) are theater release quality.
THE HORSEMAN
78 Going for the quick buck
No wonder Roy Disney left the company accusing Michael Eisner of going for the 'quick buck' with low quality products. What a crappy movie.
79 The 'other' story!
If you enjoyed Timon & Pumbaa in the original Lion King and Lion King II, you will thoroughly enjoy The Lion King 1 1/2!! This is the story retold from Timon's point of view. It begins by telling the story of how Timon left his home and ventured out on his own - once you get past this part, the movie really picks up. The story of the original Lion King is intertwined here as Timon's perspective is revealed. You learn how Timon & Pumbaa met, how they cared for Simba, ...I don't want to give too much away here.
This is a new twist in sequels! Though not every Disney classic could be retold like this (nor would we want them to try!), this movie tells the story from a different angle, a different perspective - and succeeds! The original voices are back, Rafiki (Robert Guillaume), Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), etc. It just wouldn't be the same without them. There are some catchy tunes - (though not as good as the original Lion King).
This is a 2 disk set, with extra features which consist of Deleted Scenes, a trivia game "Who Wants to be King of the Jungle", a Hidden Mickeys Treasure Hunt (which will have you watching again & again) and more!
I recommend this to all Lion King lovers! It fills in the original story well - and will keep you giggling!
1smileycat :-)
80 Completes the story
What a wonderful film. I am a 27 year old Disney fan. I have watched one and half three times and I have only had it for two days! (It helps that there is a three year old in the house that doesn't mind watching it too :) ) The film has a completely different tone to Disney's other works. I kept saying out loud, "that is so UNDISNEY" as I laughed my head off. It is great that the original voices are back, otherwise the movie would have lost a lot of authenticity. The movie fills in all those little gaps from the first movie and its a great addition to any Disney collection-have fun and enjoy it-several times if you have the time!
81 Laugh out loud funny!
I laughed so much during this movie! I loved it! I am a huge Lion King fan so I already had high expectations from the beginning but I can happily say that I was not disappointed. I loved practically every miniute of the movie. I really enjoyed how the original movie was intertwined with this movie. It was neat to see how some of the situations in the first movie were as of a result of some of the things that occurred in this movie. For example, the reason the pyramid of animals fell during the "I Just Can't Wait to be King" song, Timon's fault.
I really feel that this movie could have made some good money if it had been released into theaters. Although Finding Nemo recentely broke The Lion King's record doesn't mean that The Lion King is down for the count. The only negative thing I could say about this movie is that the song's aren't the absolute best but they are catchy enough to pass the grade.
Another thing I enjoyed about this movie were the hidden Mickey icons. I had begun to notice them while watching the movie for the first time (it's become a habit to check out the details in the recent movies since Disney tends to incorporate guest shots from previous movies into the newer ones). In the special features the watcher is informed that there is, in fact, 20 hidden Mickey's throughout the movie are challenged to find each and everyone of them. I have yet to be able to do this. Also the "Who Wants to be King of the Jungle" game is fun but in order to win you have to be an avid Lion King fan (like myself) becuase you are asked questions from all three Lion King movies. Each time you play there are different questions so it is always a challenge.
I think this is a must have movie! The Lion King Lives on just like the great Circle of Life!
82 Funny!
This is probaly 1 of Disney's best movies! It was funny and the most surprising part was the animation! The animation was quality the kind you would have to see in theaters (Sorry about my spelling) and wait about a year 4 it 2 come out! Look on the back if it has the THX symbol on the back your looking at a hi quality animated film. I wonder why the movie was'nt in theaters? The length was only 77 minutes but each minute was worth wile:) There is bad feeling in this movie only good feelings! Your kids will love this movie!
83 Very Good
I thought the movie itself was good. Timon and Pumbaa tell the story of the lion king from their point of view. You can see how they met, what happened in timon's family, and other stuff before the story started. It even shows what happened afterwards. The DVD has a lot of cool features, like Who Wants to be King of the Jungle? Same thing as Who Wants to be a Millionaire? but you answer the questions. There are the lifelines and everything. Overall, this was not bad.
84 I thought this movie was terrible
The movie takes place in a movie theater where Timone and pumba are watching a moving apparently that they have recorded during the time before they raised Simba. Timone and Pumba watch the movie with the audiance. Later the film jumps to the part where they meet Simba and raised him. In the middle of some of the scenes, Pumba or Timone would stop the video which I thought was annoying and distracting.
This movie stank because it was not about Simba, but more about Timone. For that reason, I was very disappointed. His character is very annoying and he's NOT strong enough or appealing enough to be a lead! I suspect that the guy that did Timone's voice was the executive producer, because he was in every scene. The story was so weak that I cannot write about it or describe it. What was the point of this movie? It displayed scence from the original movie--which I loved--but it did not offer me anything except a little bit of backgroun on Timone. At the very least, Disney could have given us a little background about pumba, or give us a little more on Simba, Kiara or even Zira for that matter!
I cannot believe I spent $19.00 on this DVD. I give it one start for some of the music.
85 I thought this movie was terrible
The movie takes place in a movie theater where Timone and pumba are watching a moving apparently that they have recorded during the time before they raised Simba. Timone and Pumba watch the movie with the audiance. Later the film jumps to the part where they meet Simba and raised him. In the middle of some of the scenes, Pumba or Timone would stop the video which I thought was annoying and distracting.
This movie stank because it was not about Simba, but more about Timone. For that reason, I was very disappointed. His character is very annoying and he's strong enough or good-looking enough to be a lead! I suspect that the guy that did Timone's voice was the executive producer, because he was in every scene. The story was so weak that I cannot write about it or describe it. What was the point of this movie? It displayed scence from the original movie--which I loved--but it did not offer me anything except a little bit of backgroun on Timone. At the very least, Disney could have given us a little background about pumba, or give us a little more on Simba, Kiara or even Zira for that matter!
I cannot believe I spent $19.00 on this DVD. I give it one start for some of the music.
86 No, no, no.
This is the last disney "cheapquels" I will ever buy. The problem with this movie isn't the animation. The animation is "OK," I guess, but more of the low quality animation associated with TV, than with feature films. The problem here is that the story is simply boring. It's meant to be a comic take on The Lion King, as told from the perspective of Timon and Pumba, but really, the plot is thin, the characters are shallow and didn't capture my attention in the least. Sadly, the film--probably to save money--is inter-cut with actual scenes from the original Lion King. The gualing part about this is that it reminded me how well-crafted and interesting the original film was. Also, how good the original animation and story were compared to this crap! Yes, the concept "seems" funny. And the cover art looks well done. If only the folks at Disney had spent more time on the actual film, particularly in character and story development. If you want to be bored for 70 minutes, buy this film now. Otherwise, save your money.
87 Another gem in the Lion King crown
First off, the original Lion King is still the greatest animated movie ever made. And I mean that in terms of ALL animation. Cel and computer. The Lion King II:Simba's Pride is the greatest direct-to-video sequel that Disney, or any other studio, has made for an animated feature. It deserved a theatrical release, as does this new movie. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are in full-on hilarious mode as Timon and Pumbaa. This isn't so much a new story as it's filler on the original movie, told from these two characters point of view. We also get returning voice cast members Matthew Broderick, Robert Guillame, Moira Kelly, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin. There are TONS of big laughs in this movie. But not only that, there are new songs by Elton John, exciting action scenes, and touching character moments. Everything you expect from the Lion King. But what impressed me most was the quality of the animation. Too often, Disney shorts on the quality of their video and television features. Not here. Here new scenes are of such quality, that they seamlessly blend with scenes from the original movie. Way to go Disney!!! If you like Lion King, you simply MUST own this movie. Because the story is just not complete without it. Perfect for kids and adults!
88 Disney invents a scary new trend
Now, not only do we have sequels, we have half-sequels - retellings, essentially remakes, of classics.
By all means go buy this movie, especially if you look forward to Nemo 1 1/2 from the dentist's perspective, Toy Story 1 1/2 from Barbie's perspective, etc. etc. etc.
Thanks to the disappearance of Pixar from the Disney team, you can kick the tires all you want, they're still going to be retreads.
89 Decent; Amusing but Weird.
My main complaint with this movie is that it may ruin for many people the illusion that Timon & Pumbaa were friends long before the beginning of the original "Lion King" movie, and that they came up with "Hakuna Matata" themselves. Turns out, Timon left home to find a safer, more free place to live, and learned "Hakuna Matata" from Rafiki. He then met Pumbaa (whose past is hinted at, though not explored; Timon is more of the star), and the clever interweaving of Lion King 1 and Lion King 1.5 began. Basically, Timon and Pumbaa followed the original story but didn't know it until they met young Simba and lived with him in the jungle. Because in their quest to find a permanent residence, they continually meet up with the lions, hyenas, etc., in places like the Elephant Graveyard and the gorge where the stampede took place and killed Mufasa. Cute? Yes, but we're expected to believe that the only reason the animals bowed to Prince Simba was because Pumbaa was marching though them and emitting foul-smelling gas. Funny, yeah...but hopefully not true! The only really good "fart joke" in this movie is the bubbling of the jungle sauna; as soon as the warthog steps out, the bubbles cease, causing Simba and Timon to rush out, sickened. It's a subtle, funny joke. The hyenas are in this movie enough, but Zazu really isn't; he has a couple of phony baloney lines. The same is true in the Lion King 2; his great role in the first movie is truly his only shining moment. Which is sad! But anyway, the music in this movie is comme ci, comme ca....the meerkat "dig a tunnel" song is, however catchy, annoying and pretty unoriginal. Timon's little ditty about "That's all I need" has a couple of lines that actually show some creative songwriting, but on the whole, the things that really make this move entertaining for a couple of viewings are the Timon's family jokes, and the way the story moves through the events of the first from a different perspective. Sure, it's kind of like watching the first one over again. But if you liked the first one, you shouldn't mind seeing this at least once.
90 Not half as good as 1
Some cute songs and lots of movie quotes to hold the adults, but the kids wandered away half way thru. Wait til it goes on sale.
91 Surprisingly touching and halarious!
I honestly didn't expect it to be this good. They honestly could've released this in theatres. It's all very well done. One thing...get through the first 15 minutes! The first 15 minutes you get the sinking feeling this isn't really going to be that good, but once things are set into place, things take off and start to click. There are some very funny moments for any age viewer and some touching moments you won't see coming, but they have to do with friendship. "Friends stick together 'til the end". :) Well done Disney. What a nice surprise.
92 RENT, DON'T BUY
What a waste of time and effort. Disney again hits a new low by regurgitaing one of its own "classics" to boost its DVD sales for the quarter, only this time it hypes a self-parody of "The Lion King" and diminishes it into a rolling mess of potty humor and weak plotlines. The premise, if there is one, is the retelling of the original story from the viewpoint of Timon and Pumbaa. It fails miserably. The continuity of the "story" is forceably broken at times by freezing the film and showing the silhouettes of Timon and Pumbaa in a movie theater (ala "Mystery Science Theater"), fighting over the remote control, picking noses, flipping mucous, and generally whining obnoxiously over who had the best scene. My own five-year-old daughter lost interest twenty minutes into the movie, calling it "stupid". Don't waste your money on this over-priced mess. Rent instead, and turn it in quickly.
93 Disney has done it again!
Many of us are aware of the fact that, the more they make of a movie series, the movies just seem to lack that special magic of the originals. Not this time!
This movie, "The Lion King 1 1/2" is a perfect addition to what is now the Lion King Trilogy.
Quite Frankly, this is the absolute funniest movie of all of the Lion King movies.
The scene where Timon leaves home is one to remember.
In this brand new movie, Disney meticulously shows us how Timon and his pal Pumbaa have actually have been involved in just about every aspect of the original Lion King movie, even if we didnt see them there........They were there....just beyond our vision.
We also learn how Timon and Pumbaa first met.
And, we learn that Timon and Pumbaa lent their "Parental talents" to the life of Simba, in ways that we never knew!
Ever wonder what happened between the time we see Simba, Timon and Pumbaa walking across that log, when Simba switches from a young cub to a mature Lion? You dont have to wonder anymore, because this movie tells you what happened.
This movie has some great surprises, and many, many laughs.
Timon is a riot and Pumbaa is a..........gas. "Oops, sowwy".
Well my comedic talents may be lacking, but Timon, Pumbaa and the rest of the Lion King gang will have you cracking up!
Make no mistake...this isnt just another "Kid's movie". No, adults will get a kick out of this movie as well.
This movie is a worthy addition to the other two Lion King movies and it is funnier than the first two.
The story is great as well, and one of the bonus features includes the legendary Peter Graves saluting the unforgettable Timon!
This is a two disc set packed with fun stuff.
It even features a "Spot Mickey Mouse" game that will have you watching the movie again and again just to try and figure out where all the Mickey Mouse symbols are in the movie.
You will watch this movie over and over again, and I am confident that it will always bring a smile to your face, for years to come.
Enjoy the movie!
94 Explains alot more
It may be true, Disney plagurized Tezuka's Kimba the White Lion. But even if Disney did plagurize, word would have been spread and the story would have been on the news. But Disney probably made a deal with Tezuka anyway to keep things low.
And to the chase, anyone and i mean ANYONE who has watched all three Lion Kings MUST get a chance to watch this movie. The Lion King 2 Special Edition will then soon come to DVD as well.
But in the meantime, GET YOUR HANDS ON A COPY OF THIS MOVIE!!!
95 Contrived, but your six year old might like it
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My son and I love the Lion King, but this one is just ok.
The animation, voice talents, and music are fantastic. The story...well there is none. There is no independent story here of Pumba and Timon, just inserts on how they affected every piece of the original story. Really lacking originality.
That being said, it was worth it for true fans. There were a few funny jokes for adults. An older child might think it was hilarious since it pokes fun at the original Lion King, but I think younger viewers just won't get it and won't find it engaging.
In general it is worth the buy for Lion King fans, but don't expect much. (Lion King I is excellent by the way, and Lion King II while kind of dark and violent...it sort of grows on you.)
