The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)

Another made-for-video sequel to a Disney masterpiece. As with the Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas sequels, most of the recognizable vocal talents return, creating a worthwhile successor to the highest-grossing animated film ever. We pick up the story as the lion king, Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick), and Nala (Moira Kelly) have a new baby cub, a girl named Kiara (Neve Campbell). Like her father before, she seeks adventure and ends up outside the Pridelands, where lions loyal to the evil Scar (who died in the original) have lived with revenge in their hearts. The leader, Zira (a spunky turn from Suzanne Pleshette), schemes to use her son Kovu (Jason Marsden) to destroy Simba. As luck with have it, Kiara has bumped into Kovu and fallen in love.

This all sounds familiar since all of Disney's straight-to-video sequels have played it very safe, nearly repeating the originals' story, tone, and pace. Perhaps there were too many cooks for this production. Besides the two screenplay credits, there are eight other writers credited for additional written material. The look of the film has none of the surprise of the original but is far superior to other animated videos. In fact, the film played in European theaters.

For kids, the sequel will be a favorite. The comic antics of Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumba (Ernie Sabella) are enjoyable, as is Andy Dick as Nuka, the mixed-up older son of Zira. And there's plenty of action. The best element is the music. Relying on more African-influenced music, the five songs featured are far superior to those in Disney's other sequels. Zira's song of revenge, "My Lullaby," was cowritten by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. The standout opening number, "He Lives in You," was created for the Lion King Broadway smash and now finds a whole new audience. --Doug Thomas Amazon.com

Great quality and fast

I ordered this video not knowing what to expect and just relied on reviews to determine who to order from. The video was delivered quickly and I received email letting me know when the order was placed, shipped, and how to track it. It was a real relief to know it would be here in time for Christmas. The video itself was in great shape, no issues. Thanks! January 6, 2009

Pretty Good

Okay so its not as good as the original but then again what is. Its still a pretty good movie as far as sequels go. November 25, 2008

The Lion King 2

I can't so nothing bad about this dvd movie. You kept your case and disks in perfect condition that is the way I like keeping mines. Yes I am very happy and would order from this place again. September 16, 2008

Better than average Disney sequel

The Lion King is one of the greatest animated films ever to grace the silver screen. In my opinion, it battles it out for the top spot with Beauty and the Beast and maybe Toy Story. Everything about it was beautifully created-- the animation (who could ever forget the famous stampede), the music (Circle of Life, Be Prepared, Can you feel the love tonight are among Disney's best), the story (taking Hamlet to the animal kingdom). There was a brilliant villain in Scar voiced magnificently by Jeremy Irons, a complicated hero in Simba and a strong supporting cast of comedic roles. And it ended perfectly-- there was no need for a sequel because the audience is left with the sense that Simba has finally overcome his guilt about his father and will do just fine in his rightful throne. It's such a masterpiece than a direct-to-video sequel could NEVER do the original any justice. Of course, that is always true with Disney.

In this case, Lion King II, while infinitely better than The Little Mermaid or Pocahontas sequels, still really serves no purpose other than to entertain young children. The original became such an enormous success and probably was the peak of the Disney Renaissance because it appealed to everyone. First and foremost, it was a beautifully made and somewhat dark Shakespearean tale that just happened to be a cartoon. I mean, no one ever forgets Mufasa's death scene whether they were 6 or 30 when they first saw it. The sequel, while it has some moments of fun, cannot hold a candle when compared to the grand nature of the original. Yet it takes on yet another serious Shakespeare tale (R&J that is), which they should not have done unless they were going to put in more effort and make it a theatrical release. The main characters, Kovu and Kiara, are nowhere near as developed or engaging as the young Simba and Nala. The villain has nowhere near the complexity and motives of the brilliant Scar. Even the adult Simba in this sequel is a shadow of his original self and as a father figure, is no Mufasa either.

In my opinion, a better sequel might have dealt more with Simba taking on his father's position. After all, in the original, it was not a fairy-tale romance that captured people's interests but the more serious father-son dynamic between Simba and Mufasa. And in this sequel, the most interesting moments involve Simba trying to live up to his idolized father and still traumatized by his uncle's deception.

The music is severely lacking as well. There is no Circle of Life or Be Prepared or even Hakuna Matata. The original had a sensational Hans Zimmer score that was sorely missed here and replaced by fairly pedestrian tunes. My problem with this movie is that it shouldn't have been made, which can be said of most Disney sequels except maybe Aladdin and the King of Thieves that was surprising comedic gem.

Overall, not a terrible direct-to-video sequel but one that really didn't need to be made. August 14, 2008

Excellent sequel

One of the few sequels that didn't kill the original disney movie. Here, like in the original Lion King shakespeare elements are used. This time Romeo and Juliet instead of Hamlet.
The music was excellent and memorable. Emotional and not the crappy canned music in so many other sequels.
A movie that I would still watch again and again. August 4, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...