I can't even begin to tell you how marvelous this movie is - what a freakin' fantastic idea! Definitely one of the best direct-to-DVD releases, if not one of the most bizarre, this story had me rolling on the floor for 90 minutes! The general idea is a retelling of the original Lion King from Timon and Pumbaa's point of view, including some backstory with Timon's family and the first meeting of the meerkat and warthog duo. It's full of hilarious in-jokes, along with some cool Mystery Science Theater touches, and it just gets better and better - nothing is sacred from the original story, and we get to see so much more of Simba growing up, plus the secret story of how the final battle with Scar was won through Timon's heroism! The second disc of bonus features has some funny stuff, too, but it's nothing compared to the movie (except for the Virtual Safari feature, which is a theme park ride built by Timon and Pumbaa, with hilarious spoofs of It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and even the Matterhorn!). This is one of the best DisneyToon (which is what they're calling the TV animation studio now) productions ever - I wish they would give this kind of treatment to other Disney classics!
3.13.2004
The Lion King 1 1/2 : 5 of 5
I can't even begin to tell you how marvelous this movie is - what a freakin' fantastic idea! Definitely one of the best direct-to-DVD releases, if not one of the most bizarre, this story had me rolling on the floor for 90 minutes! The general idea is a retelling of the original Lion King from Timon and Pumbaa's point of view, including some backstory with Timon's family and the first meeting of the meerkat and warthog duo. It's full of hilarious in-jokes, along with some cool Mystery Science Theater touches, and it just gets better and better - nothing is sacred from the original story, and we get to see so much more of Simba growing up, plus the secret story of how the final battle with Scar was won through Timon's heroism! The second disc of bonus features has some funny stuff, too, but it's nothing compared to the movie (except for the Virtual Safari feature, which is a theme park ride built by Timon and Pumbaa, with hilarious spoofs of It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and even the Matterhorn!). This is one of the best DisneyToon (which is what they're calling the TV animation studio now) productions ever - I wish they would give this kind of treatment to other Disney classics!
