DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Nathan Lane as TIMON Ernie Sabella as PUMBAA Matthew Broderick as SIMBA Julie Kavner as TIMON’S MOM Jerry Stiller as UNCLE MAX Rated G Studio: Disney Directed by: Bradley Raymond Back to DVD Review Home |
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If you’re a parent, then you’re probably really familiar with the movie “The Lion King.”
Scratch that. There’s more to it.
If you’re a parent, then you have probably seen “The Lion King” enough times to recite every line, action and effect in the film. You probably know all the names of the characters - not just the main ones like Simba and Mufasa, but the supporting cast of Shenzi, Zazu and Sarabi as well. You not only know the English translation for “Hakuna Matata,” but also the actual lyrics to the “I’m a Baboon and You’re Not” song that Rafiki sings to Simba.
You’ve probably seen it enough times that you can plan your day around it, such as knowing that you can start the movie, then do the dishes, fold the laundry and take a shower and get back just in time for Timon and Pumbaa’s big entrance.
In short, if you’ve got kids, you’ve seen “The Lion King” (and various other Disney videos like “Finding Nemo,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid”) more times than you’ve seen your favorite television show. Get the picture?
“The Lion King 1 1/2” is a movie made not just for the kids who want to see the further adventures of Timon and Pumbaa, the critical comic relief from the 1994 Disney classic. “The Lion King 1 1/2” is made for the parents as well. If you’ve not seen “The Lion King” and its sequel “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride” enough times to make your eyes bleed when you see the sun rise over the African Savanna and hear the distinctive lyrics “Nats ingonyama bagithi baba,” then you’ll never fully appreciate the film.
This self-described “in-betweenquel” begins “Mystery-Science Theatre 3000” style with Timon and Pumbaa watching the original “The Lion King.” We quickly learn that they have a new story to tell - a story that shows how they were involved from the beginning - before the beginning, even. We quickly flash back to Timon’s life as a young meerkat where he just doesn’t feel complete digging tunnels and hiding from hyenas. We also meet some of his family, including his mother (Julie Kavner) and his Uncle Max (Jerry Stiller).
Timon decides to go out on his own, searching for his own utopia - a yet-to-be-found paradise called Hakuna Matata. Along the way, he meets fellow underdog Pumbaa whose special power of flatulence helps ward off predators. We follow Timon and Pumbaa along their journey of new parenthood as they raise Simba from a cub and eventually follow him back to Pride Rock to reclaim his title of king.
This new version of “The Lion King” is a lot of fun. There’s more humor, with Timon and Pumbaa as the main characters. There’s also plenty of fart jokes in there. Pumbaa is credited as being the first Disney character to break wind on screen, and the makers of “The Lion King 1 1/2” whip out his “special power” several times in the film. If you like some good, clean bathroom humor (and honestly, who doesn’t laugh at a good fart joke now and then?), then you should find this film pretty amusing.
Being the parent of a 2 1/2 year old, I’m intimately familiar with “The Lion King.” I found the behind-the-scenes look at this film to be a hoot. It’s not big on story or plot, but it helps you feel like you’re in on a joke about the movie. It has some pretty smart humor that will soar over the heads of the little kids, but should make the parents at least chuckle. It reminds me of the old “Sesame Street” episodes where Oscar the Grouch would reference Carl Sagan. This kind of irreverence is often lost in kids movies nowadays.
While there’s no commentary track (which is a shame because I would love to hear what was going through the filmmakers’ minds while making this) “The Lion King 1 1/2” double disc set still has plenty of extras to make it a worthwhile purchase. On the main disc is a “Hidden Mickey Hunt,” which is ideal for parents that have to watch the film for the 57,302nd time and want something else to occupy their time. About 20 images of Mickey Mouse are hidden throughout the film, and this feature allows you to find them and track your progress.
The second disc has a decent “The Making of...” documentary as well some deleted scenes still in the storyboard stage, with director and producer introductions. There’s a “Grazing in the Grass” music video by Raven, which I could take or leave. However, the “Timon: Behind the Legend” fake biography segment with Peter Graves is pretty clever.
As the interactive games go, there’s a “Find the Face” game which allows you to identify different Disney characters. It’s fun for the kids, but can get wearing on you if you’re an adult. Timon and Pumbaa have another Virtual Safari, which takes the viewer through a theme park style ride based on the film.
The best feature is the “Who Wants to be King of the Jungle?” trivia game, hosted by Meredith Vieira. While I would have loved to see Regis on this DVD, it’s still fun to play the trivia, which pulls from all three “Lion King” movies. The questions aren’t too hard to answer, but they’re no piece of cake as well. If you don’t know the movies well, you ain’t gonna be King of the Jungle. Again, another feature made for the parents rather than the kids.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DTS Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. THX-Certified. Widescreen (1.66:1), enhance for 16x9 televisions. French language track; French subtitles; English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
