The Lion King 1½ (2004)
Also known as "Hakuna Matata, The Lion King 1 1/2, The Lion King 1 1/2: Hakuna Matata, Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata"
You don't know the ½ of it!
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, Matt Weinberg, Julie Kavner, Jerry Stiller, Robert Guillaume, Moira Kelly, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Cummings, Edward Hibbert, Cheech Marin, Maitland Ward
Director: Bradley Raymond
Running Time: 77 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: U
Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family
On DVD Instead of writing a full review for this one, I was half-toying with the idea of simply cutting and pasting various chunks out of my write up for the original Lion King movie and writing the occasional new sentence in-between. After all, that's basically what the creators of this needless prequel have done in making the straight-to-DVD 'Lion King 3'.
Things start off well enough. We get to see how Timon and Pumbaa (the meerkat and bush-pig comic-relief combo from the first film, voiced again by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella) first came to be best bug-eating buds, and in the process of the first half hour are taken right up to where The Lion King kicks off.
The trouble is, after 35 minutes it already feels like it's finished - and that's when desperation appears to sink in on the part of the screenwriters. With nowhere left to turn, the slug-munching duo end up walking around inside the first film, a bit like in Back to the Future II, only minus originality and intelligence. The whole thing degenerates into footage of the furry pair strolling through key scenes in the 1994 film, making sarcy remarks, altering our interpretation of how and why various events took place, and generally crippling everything that made The Lion King great. It's not just cringe-worthy - it's unforgivable.
As usual with these cynical Disney cash-in projects, the standard of animation is fair-to-middling, and there's a good range of extra interactive features on the DVD for the kiddy-winkles. There's also a fairly impressive voice-over cast, with many of the big names from the first outing brought back - including Matthew Broderick, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Cummings and Cheech Marin.
But there is absolutely no conceivable reason why anyone in their right mind would choose this destructive dross over the sublime original. I cannot think of any other follow-up movie so rampant in its undermining of its own beginnings - and that's coming from someone who, less than a year ago, was plonked in a cinema watching The Jungle Book 2.
DVD Extras: Seven deleted scenes (HOW??), a bunch of games ('Hidden Monkey Hunt', Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari', and 'Rafiki's Challenge'), a Timon 'Behind the Legend' featurette, and 'The Making of The Lion King 3'.
It's Got: A high number of ill-conceived jokes that are guaranteed to go right over the heads of younger - and probably many older - viewers. There's even one in there about "chasing metaphors"!!
It Needs: To be buried underneath a pile other DVDs, way at the back of the rental store.
Alternatives: The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Summary: Don't tarnish the memory of The Lion King - avoid this prequel at all costs.
Review by Gary Panton
External Links
Official Web Site
The Lion King 1½ at the IMDB
Comments5 Comments |
| I personally loved the Lion Kings one and two to death! They will go down as two of my most favorite movies. But at the end of the second movie they left us with one biggest questions, what would happen to Kiara (Simbas daughter) and and the former outsider Kovu. I dont know if they could make another story out of that but I would shure love to see them try. They made a great job out of making a sequel to the movie that I think that they would really have no problem doing it again. |
| Comment by:- Travis | | 02 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| I agree, I thought that the Lion King: one and a half would also be sequel. But I did'nt like it for the reason discribed above. Just making jokes of all the things that where serious and well balanced in the Lion king 1. There are only 2 things I like of this 1 1/5 movie. The history of Timone and the snale eating contest between Simba and Timone |
| Comment by:- NEO256 | home.kabelfoon.nl | 14 October 2004 | ip: logged |
| I think it was great movie but also think they should have made sequal to let you know what happens to Kovo and Kira. They just likeleave you hanging, at least they made Simbas Pride or I would have went crazy!!! |
| Comment by:- Marion | | 13 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| don't you people get it... it was mean't to be a funny movie. and that it truly was...wasn't supposed to be compared with the others..duh ! stop analyzing and enjoy. |
| Comment by:- wil | | 28 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| its a right film the animation was very good |
| Comment by:- roy williams | faceparty/partytime | 07 December 2004 | ip: logged |
