The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (2-Disc Special Edition) 1998 Buena Vista Home Entertainment Official Website Buy It Now

The Lion King was a fantastic success for Disney, and still remains a fan favorite to this day.  Having won two academy awards and a golden globe, it became one of Disney's hardest acts to follow up with a sequel.  But, because of this very success, it was practically assured that there would be a sequel, and while there has been a lot of debate in recent years as to the quality and wisdom behind Disney's follow-ups to some of their greatest pictures, Lion King 2: Simba's Pride was both one of the first as well as one of the best.  This new 2-disc special edition is just what the doctor ordered for a Disney completist or for true fans of this film.

There can never really be a comparison between the first and second films in this series that is now a trilogy (with Lion King 1 1/2); there is really no comparison at all.  The original was so spectacular and served well to remind so many people that the Disney company still had what it took to make audiences swoon after releasing several quality films in a row (The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin, Nightmare Before Christmas).  Coincidentally enough, the original Lion King was also released in the same year as the first of the sub-par sequel releases saw the light of day, The Return Of Jafar (Aladdin without Robin Williams as the genie?).  Lion King was such a smash hit that I doubt anyone noticed the other release of that year, and while the original's popularity draws a large amount of attention to its sequel, Simba's Pride just can't deliver to the same extent, despite an honest try.

Simba (Matthew Broderick) is all grown up now and is busy trying to raise a family of his own, with the addition of his first child, Kiara (Neve Campbell).  The balance of playing both the role of father and ruler of the Pride Lands is a hard one at best, and Simba is finding out that he may not be able to keep both roles separate from each other; especially when his daughter Kiara is just as strong-willed and pigheaded as he ever was, causing no end of worry and plenty of frazzled nerves.  The young lion cub wants nothing more than to be her own person and to make her own way through the world, but her desire to be independent causes her to act irrationally and rashly.  Simba is all too aware of this and has decided it is time to put his paw down and start having his daughter act like the future ruler that she is.

Despite all the best intentions, and plenty of interference and mediation from wife and mother Nala (Moira Kelly), this is one father daughter relationship that is really preparing to hit the skids.  The more Simba controls, the more Kiara revolts; a vicious cycle that is not serving to help either side.  Simba even contracts the aid of his two old friends Timon and Pumbaa, to keep an eye on his daughter for him while he pretends to let her have her space, but of course this little deed is discovered and Kiara is sent on a rebellious crusade to prove herself worthy of her fathers trust.  But when her attempts at freedom lead her into the Outlands (a place labeled off limits since the rise and fall of Scar in the first film), she discovers that she just may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Meanwhile, in these same Outlands, a plan is being set into motion.  A young cub has been chosen and raised to follow in the paw prints of Scar himself and to vindicate what the citizens of the Outlands see as a grave injustice.  Taught the ways of hate and anger, this young cub Kova is to eventually make his way into the Pride Lands and eliminate the one who holds his people down...the ruling lion, Simba.

Neither young daughter Kiara nor child warrior Kova are quite sure what they think of their chosen paths in life, and so it is that when they meet in the wilds of the Outlands, there is a strange sort of bond formed between the pair.  Both have high expectations placed upon them simply due to their "station" in life and neither is altogether sure that they wish to fulfill these roles that they are being forced into playing.  One thing is for sure however, neither cub's family is thrilled when they learn of the meeting and soon the two cubs must meet in secret to spend time with one another and discuss solutions to their problems.  But are both of these young lions acting sincerely or is Kiara being duped by a master plan that is much broader in scope than she could have forseen?

A modern retelling of the Shakespearian tale "Romeo and Juliet", Lion King II: Simba's Pride is a different sort of take on the "Circle Of Life" message that was the power of the first film.  Every creature must discover how they are important to the world and understand that we are all merely part of a whole, each and every person important in some way.  This sequel continues that line of reasoning to include the fact that our roles may not be ones that we wish to play, but for the continuation of our species, our way of life, our well being, sometimes these roles are greater than our own preferences and wishes.  Sometimes the best way to complete ourselves is to prioritize someone/something else. 

There is of course the usual standard of animation quality that Disney has always been renowned for.  This film was originally created and released before such sub-standard fare as Belle's Magical World or Stitch!: The Movie, and all of their computer generated, cold-feeling animation came along.  It's tradition cell animation gives the movie a "classic" Disney feel and make the viewer feel much more at home than many more recent computer "aided" projects.  If Eisner simply realized that the reason Pixar's films are so successful isn't that they are fed out of computers, but is instead that they have heart, soul and a wonderful array of stories and characters within them, maybe Disney wouldn't have canned nearly every hand animator (or "reschooled" them in the art of computer animation...should have fired them instead and left their dignity intact, I say).  Lion King II still stands as one of the best Disney sequels, if not the best, and I say that it is due in large part to the fact that it is animated traditionally.

But as we all know, there is a curse that comes with sequels.  They will never have the power of the first film in our hearts and memories and they will usually not rise to the same level of success as their predecessor.  These things are true of Lion King II, and the reason for both is the music.  I don't know about you, but I have been singing "Hakuna Matata" since 1994 and still get those warm fuzzy feelings when I hear "Circle Of Life".  But you know which song I like the most from Lion King II?  Hmm, neither do I, because I don't really remember any of them.  I know that the evil ballad, "My Lullaby" was one that I enjoyed, but heck the bad guys always have cool songs (Peg Leg Pete's song in the new Three Musketeers is hilarious).  After having rewatched the film on this new DVD release, I have to say that the best example of song writing craftsmanship is the opener "He Lives In You", but this one was originally written for the Lion King Broadway musical, so I say it doesn't count.  Overall the music in Lion King II is the greatest weakness, but I would be remiss to not point out one other aspect...

Timon and Pumbaa are present in this film as name talent only.  Neither of these fantastic characters are used to their fullest, with the pair merely filling in some dead space and throwing humor around that is barely a shadow of what we know and love from these crazy grassland animals.  Rafiki gets a fairly good screen-showing, but another favorite, Zazu, is used only as a nod to his fans from the first film.  Had more of these supporting cast characters been utilized, this would not have felt like such a sequel, and more like a film of its own.  Timon and Pumbaa are without a doubt the most sorely missed and misused. 

But, as previously stated, this is still one of the highest quality follow ups that Disney has ever released, and as such it was highly deserving of a quality DVD presence.  This 2-Disc Special Edition is packed with enough extras that it is easily recognizable that Disney understands when it has a beloved film and tries their best to release it in a form that will be highly desirable (even to the owners of previous editions).  

My favorite of the extra features are the "Lion King's Matter-Of-Facts"; interesting tidbits of information that show up on your screen "Pop Up Video" style while you are watching the feature.  This makes repeated viewing more of a treat, and almost mandatory!  Included along with these facts and the feature on the first disc are the Disney Song Selections; each of which allows you to skip straight to your favorite tune with optional lyrics.  On the second disc you will find several "Find Out Why" shorts in which Timon and Pumbaa explain away such things as what makes lightening and thunder, why we have wind, and how airplanes fly.  Most of the humor and clever writing that was left out of the feature for these characters seems to have found its way here!  These same two clowns will also take you on an informative trip into the world of the lion in the aptly titled "Lots About Lions".  There is a making-of featurette, a virtual safari, plenty of games and skill tests, a music video for "Love Will Find A Way", and a delightful animated short "One By One".  Created by the same folks behind The Lion King, "One By One" is a short tale of kite flying fun amongst the children of an African community, set to the tribal rhythms of an African chant.  This short film is absolutely wonderful and shows that Disney still puts a certain amount of love, care and ownership into even the smallest of their works. 

The film, together with these extras, is simply a great buy.  While not one of the greatest Disney movies, and lacking in the one area that so many other Disney features excel (the music and original songs), Lion King II: Simba's Pride is at the very least a quality film that a Disney fan will appreciate.  I wouldn't go so far as to say it is the only reason, but the sheer amount and quality of the fun extras makes the scales of indecision tip in the direction of you buying this Special Edition disc set.  Original hand animation, returning voice cast, decent storyline and a great package of features...you can't go wrong.

-aaron-