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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Disney's latest
direct-to-video sequel is a delightful and
charming comedic romp. We see events before,
during and in-between the major events of "The
Lion King." And in lampooning the "The Lion King"
the director and writers have made an entertaining
alternative to the original film, looking at
events from the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of
the story (if the "Hamlet" and "Romeo and Juliet"
analogy mentioned in the booklet is to be
believed).
The animation is light years better than the
average Saturday morning cartoon and the witty
writing helps overcome any bumps in the road of
telling a variation on the same story. The DVD
begins by introducing us to Timon prior to meeting
Pumbaa. Timon can't do anything right and his
uncle (voiced with comic zest by Jerry Stiller of
"Seinfeld" and "King of Queens" fame) and his mom
(Julie Kavner from "The Simpsons") are really the
only two willing to give him a second chance.
Needless to say, when Timon meets Rafiki for the
first time, and the wise old baboon gives the
meerkat advice on where to find his place in the
world, things get really goofy and funny.
When Timon finally meets Pumba, they manage to
intersect with Simba's life without actually
meeting him (and Scar as well as the hyenas from
the first film). They eventually find their
mission when they "adopt" Simba and raise him. The
parody of night feedings and the lack of sleep
that goes with parenting was a chuckle. There are
also plenty of film parodies along the way,
including "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (with
Ennio Moricone's famous theme music) and "Fiddler
on the Roof" ("Sunrise, Sunset" gets it here).
They're also not above making fun of their own hit
song during a bizarre sing-along.
The 77 minute film is paced well for little
children and has enough witty lines, kid-style
jokes and adventure to keep kids entertained. The
extras are all on the second disc and include a
number of cool interactive bits. "The Making of
Lion King 1½" is mercifully short and
entertaining, and "Behind the Legend" makes fun of
A&E's "Biography" with a peak at Timon's life.
There are also 12 minutes of deleted scenes, some
of which are as much fun as the film. And there is
a music video starring Raven and designed to make
you want to go out and buy the soundtrack.
"Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5" is the
duo's self-made theme park ride that takes pokes
at classic Disney rides, and "Who Wants to be King
of the Jungle" is a tired variation on "Who Wants
to be a Millionaire" -- although it's interactive
enough to make it entertaining for a short while.
Finally, there's "Hidden Mickey Hunt," which can
be pretty good for little ones. Oh, there's also
the weak interactive activity "Find the Face"
where you're supposed to select the correct
picture of the character that matches the
silhouette.
On the whole I'd have to give "The Lion King 1½" 4
stars for entertainment value and the creativity
that's gone into the project. |
