The Lion King 1 1/2
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ernie Sabella, Jerry Stiller, Julie Kavner, Matthew Broderick, Nathan LaneDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 77 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-02-10
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Lion King 1 1/2
Movie Review: Hakuna Matata! This direct-to-DVD release is far better than direct-to-DVD quality!
Summary: 5 Stars
Sitting down in a private theater to watch the original "The Lion King", Timon the wisecracking meerkat and Pumbaa the gassy warthog are our Mystery Science Theater 3000 silhouette-style hosts for "Lion King 1 1/2", a Disney direct-to-video sequel done so well it makes everyone who says all Disney direct-to-DVD is garbage look completely ignorant of what they're talking about. The film beautifully tells the story within the story. It's all about Timon and Pumbaa this time around, especially Timon, as we learn how he became an outcast and went on a search for his own Hakuna Matata, a place where he truly belongs. Of course, along the way he meets Pumbaa, and eventually they take in little Simba and experience the joys of parenthood together. We follow Timon and Pumbaa's personal adventure through the course of the Lion King film, right to the end, and it is a truly fun and funny ride! And don't worry, the fully animated silhouettes of Timon and Pumbaa are not present most of the time.
As a direct-to-DVD release from Disney, The Lion King 1 1/2 is of that rare breed on par with theater quality productions (it's not the only one, despite what you might hear, but there aren't a lot). It completely resembles the original film in its visuals, and though most of the songs aren't that memorable (a couple are, including Timon and Pumbaa's take of "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof"), they are enjoyable and the film is well scored. Most of the roles in the film are reprised by the original cast members, and new characters (mainly Timon's mother and uncle, voiced by Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller) are introduced as well. Comedy is the order of the day here, but some T&P fans might get ruffled by the fact that their new origin story contradicts those of the Timon and Pubaa TV series. Still, the situation here is more tolerable than it was with "Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning". The T&P TV show presented a much cartoonier take on the characters in general, and many aspects of that show wouldn't fit in well with the film series, so one almost has to view it as a separate canon. So, you know, get over it like I had to with Little Mermaid. Be content that this film is very well made and extremely fun and entertaining, though definitely only for Timon and Pumbaa fans and Lion King completists. We get a fun look at Simba growing up with the guys, but more than anything this is about the pig and the meerkat!
The DVD is a funny thing. It's well done and all, but it doesn't really seem to require a 2-disc set. I mean, some of the extras are pretty neat, but there really isn't much on that second disc. In addition to the gorgeous, enhanced widescreen presentation of the film, disc one holds a pretty silly "find the hidden Mickeys" game called "Hidden Mickey Hunt" that places Mickey Mouse shapes throughout the film as you watch it, plus there is a nice batch of pretty cool storyboarded deleted scenes. There's also the unnecessary preview of Disc 2. Disc 2 has two scanty sections: Featurettes and Games & Activities. Featurettes has an extra that was almost great! It is a short spoof of A&E's Biography, actually hosted by Peter Graves and with new (if not very good) animation of Timon and co. for the interviews, but it unfortunately plays out as if a good portion of it was cut from the middle, ending rather abruptly with Peter Graves walking off the set in a fit. The ending was okay but premature, so the overall humor didn't really play out right. Too bad. A nice attempt. Disc 2's Featurette section also has a cute making-of that doesn't get too detailed but at least shows some interviews with the voice cast and Australian house animators. Lastly for the Featurettes section is the obligatory Disney Channel star music video, this one being Raven's take on Grazing in the Grass. If you like the song, it's not bad to listen to but not much to watch. These Disney Channel videos are hit or miss with me. They're totally unnecessary, shameless DC promotion, and sometimes awful, but I enjoy them when they have girls I find cute, ha. Never was too into Raven though. As for the Games and Activities section, here we find "Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5", a new take on the safari experience from the Lion King Platinum Edition DVD. This time around, the boys have constructed a spoof of Disney theme park rides, and this one actually spoofs specific rides in it. The Pirates of the Caribbean bit is hilarious! I just wish this safari experience had been longer! The Haunted Mansion spoof could have gone a bit further and more Disney ride spoofs would have been awesome! Nice bonus though! "Who Wants to be King of the Jungle" is another bonus feature, and it's a rather fun take on trivia games that puts Timon in the hot seat of the popular "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" game show, only set in the jungle and playing for grubs and royalty this time around. It's actually hosted by the actual host, Meredith Vieira, and the questions are all about the Lion King trilogy. New Timon animation is featured as he reacts to questions and comments, and it's actually really enjoyable to play multiple times! The final bonus is the "Find the Face" silhouette matching game, as we are asked to identify some of the Disney characters that join Timon and Pumbaa in their theater at the end of the film. This is a pretty easy game and I find myself wondering if it's the same each time, but I didn't give it a second go. I am not into most DVD games, though I have to give them credit on the Games and Activities section for this DVD, as the virtual safari and game show spoof were a real surprise treat.
So, the final word on the "Lion King 1 1/2" DVD is that I highly recommend it, though it probably could have been kept to one disc considering the amount of extras, some great, some almost great, some just okay. The film is awesome, and that's the important thing. And if you'd like to know more Disney direct-to-DVD titles that are actually worth checking out, here are a few of my own top recommendations: Bambi 2, An Extremely Goofy Movie, Lilo and Stitch 2, The Tinker Bell Movie, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Tarzan 2, 101 Dalmatians 2, and Cinderella 3: A Twist In Time (if you can get past the cutesy opening and not take the film too seriously as canon). The others have good and bad points mostly, though often the bad outweighs the good, but not all the time (Lion King 2 isn't as feature quality as 1 1/2, but it's still one of the better Disney direct-to-video releases, for example). Plus, I have heard good things about Brother Bear 2, but I haven't watched my copy yet, and I still need to get/see a few others, like Mulan 2 and Leroy and Stitch.
Oh yeah, final note on "Lion King 1 1/2", yes, like the other Lion King titles, it is supposed to have a snazzy book style slip-cover, just for your information. My copy from Amazon came without it, and yeah, that annoys the heck out of me, because my other two titles in the series have theirs. So if you decide to seek out this now out of print title, you may want to keep the slipcover issue in mind too. Some folks don't care about them. I don't care if a DVD release comes with a slipcover, but if it does, then I want my copy to have it, especially when it's the fancy kind that opens up. But this isn't the only one I'm missing.
Summary of The Lion King 1 1/2
The ever-popular sequel to the original Lion King. Fun-filled adventure that will please the young and the young at heart.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
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