The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

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The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
The original VHS cover of the film
Directed by	Darrell Rooney
Produced by	Jeannine Roussel
Written by	Flip Kobler Cindy Marcus
Starring	Matthew Broderick Neve Campbell Jason Marsden Suzanne Pleshette Nathan Lane Ernie Sabella] Robert Guillaume Moira Kelly Andy Dick Jennifer Lien
Music by	Nick Glennie-Smith Tina Turner
Editing by	Peter Lonsdale
Distributed by	Walt Disney Home Video
Release date(s)	October 27, 1998
Running time	81 min
Country	USA
Language	English
Preceded by	The Lion King (1994)
Followed by	The Lion King 1½ (2004)
IMDb profile

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (later retitled The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride) is a direct-to-video movie released by the Walt Disney Company on October 27, 1998 as a sequel to The Lion King and was re-released as a special-edition DVD (which altered the original title's "II" into "2") on August 31, 2004. As of September 30, 2005, it is the highest grossing direct-to-video animated feature release of all time, with gross sales exceeding $300 million USD.^{[citation needed]}

In 1998, Disney believed that Simba's Pride would be so popular that it shipped 15 million copies to stores for the October 27 release date. ^[1] Disney sold 3.5 million copies in three days. Thirteen million copies were sold while it was still in print in the late 90s.^[2]

This movie was "not rated" until the 2-disc Special Edition was released. It was then given a G rating by the MPAA.

While the original film's plot seems to have been based on the Shakespeare play Hamlet, this sequel's plot is similar to another Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet.^[3]

[edit] Plot

The film's story begins where the previous film ended: The presentation of Simba and Nala's new cub Kiara. Kiara, headstrong and curious, disobeys her father and triggers a conflict that seemingly did not end with the previous film.

King Simba and Queen Nala have a daughter named Kiara, who is presented by Rafiki to a gathering of animals below. When Kiara is older, she runs off to play and encounters Kovu, a cub from a pride of lions exiled by Simba for remaining loyal to Scar. After nearly being eaten by crocodiles, the two quickly become friends, but as they begin to play Simba and Zira appear. Zira, Kovu's mother, is desperate to avenge Scar's death, and so she trains Kovu to be an assassin. Her plan is to have Kovu befriend Kiara so that he can get close enough to Simba to kill him. Meanwhile, Kiara expresses her disinterest in becoming queen, to which Simba states "we are one."

When Kovu and Kiara are adults, Zira undertakes an elaborate plan involving setting the Pride Lands ablaze while Kiara is out on her first hunt. Kovu saves Kiara from the ensuing fire and asks to join Simba's pride, stating that he is a rogue, separate from the other Outsiders. Simba allows him to join the pride as Mufasa's law states that he is in debt to Kovu, as Kovu has saved his daughter's life. Kiara introduces the otherwise stone-faced Kovu to the concept of fun while Rafiki's matchmaking plans take effect and the two begin to fall in love. It is Kovu's love for Kiara that keeps him from assassinating Simba as he was sent to the Pride Lands to do.

Kovu eventually resolves to confess his true intentions to Kiara, but before he can do so Simba takes him aside for a private conversation. While out walking the Outlanders ambush Simba and injure him. Kovu's older brother, Nuka, dies in an attempt to kill Simba. Zira blames Nuka's death on Kovu and slashes him across the face, scarring Kovu in an identical manner to Scar's. Kovu defies his mother for the first time and runs away, only to be blamed for the Outlanders' ambush and exiled from the Pride Lands. Kiara, distraught, secretly leaves Pride Rock to find him and the two are reunited.

From left to right: Nala, Simba, Kovu and Kiara roar

The tensions between the Outlanders and Simba's pride explode into a fierce battle which is interrupted by Kovu and Kiara. Kiara reminds her father about how he told her that "we are one", explaining that the two prides are not different at all. Vitani, Kovu's sister, realizes the truth in Kiara's words and allies with the Pridelanders. When Zira threatens Vitani for her defiance, the remaining Outlanders realize in disgust how self destructive Zira's vendetta has been and abandon the feud as well. Enraged, Zira attacks Simba, but Kiara leaps forward and blocks her attack. The two lionesses tumble down into the gorge where the river has burst through the weakened log dam. Kiara lands safely on a ledge, but Zira slips and falls into the river below, where she drowns.

The Outlanders are welcomed back into Simba's pride and they become "one" again. Kiara, Kovu, Simba and Nala roar out to the kingdom to commemorate the restoration of the pride. Mufasa's voice booms down from the sky, congratulating Simba. "Well done, my son. We are one."

[edit] Characters

• Simba, voiced by Matthew Broderick, is the reigning king of the Pride Lands and Kiara's father. He is highly concerned for his daughter's welfare.
• Kiara, voiced by Will Ferrell and Neve Campbell as a cub and adult respectively, is princess of the Pride Lands and Simba and Nala's daughter. Headstrong and determined, she often ignores her father's advice.
• Kovu, voiced by Ryan O'Donohue and Jason Marsden as a cub and adult respectively, is the lion chosen by Scar to avenge his death and take back the throne of the Pride Lands.
• Zira, voiced by Suzanne Pleshette, is the antagonist of the film. Both she and a small pride of lionesses were exiled by Simba as they still followed Scar. Her loyalty being the fiercest to Scar, she trains Kovu in the hope that he will one day take back the throne from Simba.
• Timon and Pumbaa, voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella respectively, are Simba's best friends. They serve as babysitters for Kiara.
• Rafiki, voiced by Robert Guillaume, is the wise shaman mandrill of the Pride Lands. He attempts to rekindle Kovu and Kiara's love after instructions from Mufasa.
• Nala, voiced by Moira Kelly, is Simba's queen and Kiara's mother. She takes a less controlling approach to parenting her daughter.
• Nuka, voiced by Andy Dick, is Zira's son. He feels wholly inadequate compared to Kovu and feels that he should be "the chosen one."
• Vitani, voiced by Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Lien as a cub and adult respectively, is Zira's daughter.
• Zazu, voiced by Edward Hibbert, is the king's advisor and majordomo.

[edit] Home video

Screenshots showing the differences between the two DVD releases. Top: Original limited issue release. Bottom: Special Edition release.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was first released on VHS in the United States on October 27, 1998.

It was first released on DVD as a limited issue on November 23, 1999 and placed into moratorium on January 19th, 2000. It was not released again on DVD until August 31, 2004, where it was a 2-disc special edition. It went into moratorium in January 2005.

[edit] Differences between DVD releases

On its initial release, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was released in 1:33:1. For the special edition, this was changed to 1:66:1.

Another major change to the special edition release was the quality of the image. It was lightened considerably and colours appeared brighter and slightly less saturated. Also, a small change in animation was present. As Kovu attempts to distract the crocodiles attacking both him and Kiara, he falls into the water and submerges a short time later. In the original release of the film, he yells open-mouthed as a crocodile swims towards him. In the special edition, he does not open his mouth as wide and turns his head sharply to face Kiara.^[4]

[edit] Soundtracks

The CD cover for Return to Pride Rock

The CD cover for the "enhanced soundtrack"

[edit] Return to Pride Rock

An audio CD entitled Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was released on September 8, 1998. Although not promoted as a soundtrack to the film, it contained all the songs from the film and some additional songs inspired by it by Lebo M. Tina Turner recorded a version of He Lives in You for the film. The music featured in the chase/fighting scenes bears a high resemblance to the music track "Wheel of Fortune" from The Pirates of the Caribbean.

[edit] Track listing

1. "He Lives in You" - Lebo M
2. "We Are One" - Cam Clarke, Charity Sanoy, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Chorus - (sample (help·info))
3. "Upendi" - Robert Guillaume, Liz Callaway, Gene Miller, Ladysmith Black Mambazo - (sample (help·info))
4. "One of Us" - Chorus
5. "My Lullaby" - Suzanne Pleshette, Crysta Macalush, Andy Dick, Chorus
6. "Love Will Find a Way" - Liz Callaway, Gene Miller, Chorus
7. "We Are One" - Angelique Kidjo - (sample (help·info))
8. "She Believes in You"* - Lebo M
9. "Song for the Children"* - Lebo M
10. "I Want to See the Moon"* - Lebo M featuring Sharon Dee
11. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"* - Lebo M
12. "Love Will Find a Way (End Title)" - Kenny Lattimore, Heather Headley

(A * indicates songs inspired by the film)

[edit] Enhanced soundtrack

On August 31, 2004, Disney released an "enhanced soundtrack" to coincide with the release of the film's 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. However, the CD only contains the songs featured in the film, without any of the inspired songs in Return to Pride Rock.

[edit] Trivia

• In earlier storyboards, Zira's scene ends with her blatent rejection of Kiara's help and visibly letting go of the ledge. This suicide sequence was cut from the final film. Had the producers went with this, this would have been the first Disney movie to show a character commit suicide, despite the G rating. The next movie to do this is the 2004 Disney feature The Incredibles, though given a PG rating.

• After the song "Love Will Find A Way" there is a scene showing Timon and Pumbaa arguing over who was supposed to be watching Kiara, during this scene, as Simba enters there is a reference to Nathan Lane's role in the Mel Brooks musical"The Producers". Pumbaa and Timon are seen wrestling and Pumbaa can be heard saying "fat fatty fat fat", a reference to the fight between Lane's character Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom. Coincidentally, the character of Leo Bloom is portrayed in the 2005 film of "The Producers" by Matthew Broderick who plays the voice of Simba. Lane and Broderick also co-starred in the staged version of the musical from 2004 to 2005.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=173545
2. ^ http://www.lycos.com/info/disney--miscellaneous.html
3. ^ http://www.comingsoon.net/news/dvdreviewsnews.php?id=6179
4. ^ http://www.lionking.org/~vakasi/vhsdvd.html

• "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" by Scott Chitwood, "ComingSoon.net," n.d., retrieved August 27, 2006.
• "Second Tramp cruises past Mermaid sequel" by Chris Gennusa, "Video Business Online", March 6, 2001, retrieved August 26, 2006.
• "Lion King II: Simba's Pride" "Lion King II: Simba's Pride" by Bhob Stewart, "All Movie Guide", retrieved August 26, 2006.
• "Movie Details" Lion King II: Simba's Pride by Bhob Stewart, "The New York Times", retrieved August 25, 2006.

[edit] External links

• The Lion King II: Simba's Pride at the Internet Movie Database