The Lion King 1 1/2

Rating:
Summary: Par Excellence... etc
Review: This is a great pre-quel. And pre-quel it is, since Lion Ling II was 1998 in theatrical release.
In some respects, there are some great shots at "revisionist" cartoon "history" where, for example, Pumbaa's flatulence explains why an act of genuflection occurred.]
Anyway, this is great from the point of view of kids, and those who think like kids. It also brings in the same tone as the Timon and Pumbaa series( I have seen that only on VHS to date), and bought every copy I could find in the releases.
This is a certain wanton grossness that some kids love in them ( how else do you explain the "Bug" cereal that sells at Publix, Walmart and etc ? :-).
Anyways, the retro on Timon's earlier life , pre-Pumbaa , is fun. The Meerkats behave like over-caffeinated squirrels ( at least the ones I see in the big bend area of Tallahassee, but that might be because they run on power lines and are getting electrocuted :-).
Anyways, it isn't deep and meaningful, it is not about the circle of anything... this movie is just plain fun, and great back view of the more serious drama in the films 1 and 2, from a fun perspective.
Nathan Lane is great as usual, and if you like anything he does as a voice actor, check out his work in MOUSE HUNT, and you will be laughing for a long while.

Rating:
Summary: A smart idea
Review: When this movie first came out, I was the least bit interested in it. One night, it was on the Disney channel so I decided to watch it and, come to find out, it is a pretty funny movie. Timon and Pumbaa are extremely hilarious and every character is played be the same actor as before.

In this Lion King adventure, Timon and Pumbaa tell the original Lion King story from their point-of-view. Timon's parents are introduced too. He is tired of digging holes all the time to hide from the Hyenas. Timon wants to live somewhere where he can be above ground instead of being underground all the time. Paradise. So he sets off on a journey to find his dream home. On the way, he meets Pumbaa, who can scare everybody away with his powerful, er, weapon. Together, they make their way to Paradise, but on the way, the meet Simba and become his parents.

Again, great movie. Get it while you can before it goes back in the Disney vault on January 31.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Lame
Review: I love jokes and puns, and thought the idea of a story within a story was a great idea. However, this movie really felt short. While Lion King 2 is an excellent sequel, this one really does not follow in the dignified heart-warming original. I was really looking forward to this release, since I like the original and LK 2, but was severely disappointed. However, I could see how kids might enjoy it, but adults might not.

Rating:
Summary: Eh, not the best ever, but not horrible, either
Review:
The untold story of everyone's favorite Meerkat "Timon" ( voiced by Nathan Lane) during the events of Simba's birth on how Timon with Pumbaa ( Ernie Sabella) and Simba met, how Timon was a outcast and getting to know Timon's mom ( Julie Kavner who played Marge Simpson) and Uncle Max ( Jerry Stiller).

A suprisingly good and hilarious prequel/sequel mix to " Lion King" and " Simba's Pride" that is a rare treat in the world of direct-to-video Disney animated sequels with a creative and original storyline with ideas. There is a MST3K-style opening with Timon and Pumbaa watching the original movie's beginning then tells us the story behind the original Lion King, the original cast is back such as Matthew Broderick, Robert Guiume, Whoopie Goldberg, and Cheech Marin return to reprise their roles with great theatrical quality animation.

The 2-Disc DVD is quite good on the flawless picture & Sound quality, the extras are quite good like the deleted scenes, fun games, Grazing in the Grass music video by Raven, Timon and Puma's virtual Safari 1/2, featurette on how the film was made and a Mockumentary on Timon done by Biography's Peter Graves.

If you want a hilarious and creative animated film that proves that not all direct-to-video animated stink these days, then i highly recommend this movie even to understand some of the original Lion King's plot holes.

Rating:
Summary: The DVD Totally Rocks
Review: The DVD totally rocks-- except I don't know why the Who Wants to be King of the Jungle game never went international and was replaced by Rafiki's Challenge (which normally appears on the Lion King 2: Simba's Pride USA-DVD) for countries that have region codes 2-6.

Rating:
Summary: this isn't so bad...
Review: I agree with another reviewer: for the sake of a joke this movie takes away from the seriousness of the original movie. Not that the original story lacked humor, but this film, rather than standing on its own, depends too much on gaffing the original. Disney really should make another Lion King movie, making use of some of the great songs and music that are featured in the stage show.