Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Ages: seven and up
Parental
Advisory:
None
Direct
to home video, Disney's The Lion King
1 1/2
offers a satire of the famous Lion King movie
that's based on the hilarious behind-scenes-story
of Timon and Pumbaa. It's a fun, light-hearted
romp, and the extras, while somewhat thin, serve a couple of gems.
Lion King 1 1/2 reveals where Timon and Pumbaa came from, how they met, and why some of the greatest moments in "The Lion King" look a little different from their perspective. For example, when the animals "spontaneously" bowed to King Mufasa's baby Simba upon his introduction to the animal kingdom, there's a radically different and funny explanation. In the basic story, Timon and Pumbaa meet, find their dream home, raise a rambunctious young lion cub and eventually help Simba save the Serengeti.
The film features the original voices from the Lion King movie that include Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Ernie Sabella, as well as music by Elton John and Tim Rice. There are also new characters that include Timon's Ma (Julie Kavner, of The Simpsons) and Uncle Max (Jerry Stiller). While the film is hilarious, you do need to be familiar with the original Lion King movie for the gags to make sense. The film takes major liberties with the original Lion King film in terms of timeline, and also emphasizes Pumbaa's "little" flatulence problem. It also features great animation for a direct-to-video release.
Extras include a "Who Wants To Be King Of The Jungle?" Trivia Game that features Meredith Vieira hosting a jungle version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" This segment serves trivia questions based on all three Lion King movies. There's a "Timon: Behind The Legend" featurette that's hosted by Peter Graves, which is just meant to be funny. The best extra is the Timon & Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5 that serves a virtual theme park ride. Those who are familiar with the Disney theme parks will find this very funny. Rounding out the extras, there's a game that asks kids to match silhouettes with Disney characters and a music video that stars Raven.
For Disney families, The Lion King 1 1/2 serves hilarious fun. It's one of few direct-to-DVD features that are worth the time.
2/5/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
