DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Matthew Broderick as SIMBA Neve Campbell as KIARA Andy Dick as NUKA Robert Guillaume as RAFIKI James Earl Jones as MUFASA Moira Kelly as NALA Nathan Lane as TIMON Jason Marsden as KOVU Suzanne Pleshette as ZIRA Ernie Sabella as PUMBAA Rated G Studio: Disney Directed by: Darrell Rooney Back to DVD Review Home |
 |
Where “The Lion King” mirrored Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” this sequel mirrors “Romeo and Juliet.” Simba’s daughter Kiara falls in love with outsider Kovu. Their love is forbidden because Kovu comes from a group of lions that Simba banished after Scar’s death. At the head of this renegade pride is Zira, Scar’s mate who never forgave Simba for coming back home to take over the pride.
Unbeknownst to Simba, Kovu has been sent by Zira to kill him. However, Kovu’s love for Kiara puts him in a quandary, and he must choose between Zira’s wishes and Kiara’s family. Of course, among this whole story are the characters you’ve grown to know and love from “The Lion King” - including Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki.
In the past, I’ve been pretty hard on direct-to-video sequels. There are some classic Disney films that are tainted by the sequels churned out just to make a buck. Some examples include the sequels to “101 Dalmatians,” “The Lady and the Tramp” and the mother of all bad direct-to-video sequels, “The Little Mermaid II.”
However, I have to admit that “The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride” is actually pretty good. In fact, I saw it several times on VHS with my son. Even then, I liked it. In fact, not being a huge fan of the original “The Lion King,” I actually thought this sequel was a little bit better when it comes to story and characters.
In this new DVD release, it’s easy to see this version has comparably well done animation - for the small screen, at least. While there are some scenes that break down - most notably some really bad fire effects in a brush fire scene - this movie has the same look and feel of the original. It keeps a wide palette of vibrant colors and lush backgrounds. The animation is quite a bit of a step down from the original film, but this version wasn’t really meant to be seen on a screen larger than 40 or 50 inches. It lacks the high level of art in the theatrical release, but it’s still pretty good looking.
Add to the fact that most of the principles from the first film reprise their role in this one. The only talent noticeably missing is Rowan Atkinson as Zazu. Of course, the hyenas aren’t in this film either, but it’s nice to see that the rest of the cast believed in the movie (or at least believed in their wallet) enough to get behind the mike again.
Like the recent “Lion King” releases on DVD, “The Lion King 2” is a 2-disc special edition that is loaded up with special features. The first disc includes the film with a feature that allows you to skip to any of the songs in the film. These songs also include on-screen lyrics in the Disney sing-a-long fashion.
While there’s no commentary track, there’s the “Lion King’s Matter-of-Facts,” which displays tidbits of information on screen throughout the picture. Like a toned-down “Pop-Up Video” segment, these give insights into the movie or provide information about lions and other animals in the film. Unfortunately, these facts are a little too simplified and don’t give much more than standard common knowledge, like the fact that meerkats like to eat bugs and warthogs like to eat grass. Also, there really aren’t enough facts to really fill the whole movie (which is only 81 minutes, so I don’t see what the problem was).
The second disc is the one with most of the extra stuff on it. There’s a new animated short “One by One,” which is cute and done in the tradition of “The Lion King” ideals of multiculturalism and inclusion. The animation is actually better than “The Lion King 2” because it looks like this short was designed for a larger screen than just a television.
Timon and Pumbaa have a third Virtual Safari, which uses less interactivity but more animation and story. So, if you like choosing the cart to go left or right, this will be a let down. There are also some DVD games that are good for the younger viewers. In particular, the “Pride Land Games” help develop some math and counting skills for young kids. Also included on the disc is a nature video about lions, hosted by Timon and Pumbaa, as well as a music video of the song “Love Will Find a Way.”
The best part of this second disc is the “Find Out Why” shorts that Disney produced several years ago with Timon and Pumbaa. These short videos answer some science questions, like why we sneeze and how an airplane flies. They’re fun little features that help make science fun with the humor of Timon and Pumbaa.
“The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride” is not as good of a DVD set as “The Lion King Special Edition,” but it’s comparable to “The Lion King 1 1/2” and makes a fine addition to this three-part movie series.
Specifications: Digital-to-digital transfer. THX-certified, including optimizer. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Family-friendly widescreen (1.66:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. French and Spanish language track. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
