The Lion King 1½ (also titled as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata in some countries) is a 2004 American/Australian direct-to-video animated musical comedy-adventure film released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on February 10, 2004. The DVD went to the Disney Vault in January 2005. The film is a prequel/parallel/sequel to 1994's The Lion King and focuses on the meerkat/warthog duo Timon and Pumbaa before, during and after the events of the original film. The film, setup as a frame story, starts out playing the very beginning of the original film. Timon and Pumbaa are shown in silhouette commenting on the movie being shown before them, in a style similar to that of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
While the original film, The Lion King, seemed to be based on Hamlet, this film might have been inspired by the Tom Stoppard play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, in which the titular characters are seen in every major event of Hamlet.
Reviews were generally positive from critics and audiences.
Sypnosis[]
The Lion King 1½ is the untold story of how Timon and Pumbaa met each other and helped Simba achieve his goal.
Plot[]
The film starts as Timon and Pumbaa are shown watching the opening act of the original movie in a dark theater when Timon suddenly uses a remote control to fast-forward to where they do appear in the film. Pumbaa argues that the film shouldn't go out of order and attempts to rewind the film back to the very beginning. Timon and Pumbaa start fighting over the control of the film until they agree that the film should tell their side of the story. Throughout the rest of the film, it is occasionally interrupted to have Timon and Pumbaa comment on whatever is happening. Mystery Science Theater 3000-like moments occur as the characters comment on the original film's proceedings.
At Timon's meerkat colony far, far away from Pride Rock, Timon takes jobs as a digger and a sentry, but despite his mother Ma's encouragement, he cannot seem to find a good job for himself, as he seems to do more harm than good, such as collapsing his tunnels while attempting to create a skylight. After his Uncle Max is nearly eaten by Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed on his watch, Timon decides to leave the meerkat colony and find a place that is right for him. He is soon encouraged by a baboon named Rafiki to seek Hakuna Matata and to look beyond what he sees and has the intuition to head for Pride Rock. Along the way there, Timon and Pumbaa meet for the first time and set out to find a "dream home."
The adventures of Timon and Pumbaa begin to coincide with the events of The Lion King at this point. They arrive at the Pride Rock, but to their dismay, a herd of animals is already there. While Timon and Pumbaa tredge through the herd of animals witnessing the presentation of the newborn prince Simba, Pumbaa accidentally flatlets, which causes a few animals to pass out and collapse. The animals in front see this and believe that the fallen animals are bowing, and soon the whole entire herd has bowed Simba's father, King Mufasa, was very puzzled at seeing this, but his majordomo Zazu tells him that they were bowing to Simba.
Timon and Pumbaa continue their journey and find their new home at a watering hole that looks like a miniature version of Pride Rock not too far from the real Pride Rock. One morning, they are disturbed by a loud noise from outside, which is actually Simba, his friend Nala, and many other animals singing "I Just Can't Wait to Be King". With him not wanting to have any disruptions of any kind at his dream home, he ventures outside and whacks the leg of an elephant supporting the tower of animals. The elephant jumps in surprise and causes the tower to collapse, explaining why it collapsed in the original film.
Timon and Pumbaa's home was easily ruined by this event. Pumbaa tells Timon about a "dream home" in the jungle, but Timon ignores him. They both travel to the elephant graveyard and witness Mufasa and Zazu saving the cubs from the hyenas. That night, going further into the graveyard, they watch an army of hyenas marching to the instrumental opening of "Be Prepared", and the duo silently escapes undetected. Later, they end up in the gorge only to encounter a wildebeest stampede, the same stampede from the original film in which Simba loses his father. While trying to run from the wildebeests, they both fall down a waterfall, which leads to the "dream home" that Pumbaa had described. The song "Hakuna Matata" is turned into a absolutely-karaoke sing-along, showing the duo's various antics and shenanigans living under their newfound lifestyle. Timon and Pumbaa later find Simba, and the film shows some of their life in the jungle throughout the years, along with the hardships Timon faces raising the young prince.
As a young adult, Simba re-encounters Nala. Afraid of losing their friend and their "Hakuna Matata", Timon and Pumbaa try everything in their power to stop Simba and Nala from falling into love. Simba and Nala tumble down a hill in the original film when Timon and Pumbaa trip them with a vine. In the original film, Timon and Pumbaa reappear in a different place at the end of the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sequence because they were running around trying to interfere with the lions during the song. Although they fail, they are happy to see Simba arguing with Nala and running off to the grasslands. They mistake Mufasa's spirit appearing in the clouds as bad weather, and head off back to their jungle to sleep. In the morning, however, they are told by Nala that Simba has returned home to challenge Scar. Pumbaa and Timon disagree about whether to go after Simba, but ultimately both decide to return to Pride Rock.
There, Timon re-encounters Ma and Uncle Max for the first time since he left the colony. Ma and Max make a system of tunnels to trap the hyenas while Timon and Pumbaa create a diversion, from spinning plates to doing the Can-Can, to breakdancing, and finally, to everybody's amazement, horror, and disgust, proposing to Shenzi. This diverts the hyenas long enough for the meerkats to complete and collapse the tunnel trap for the hyenas to fell through in time to meet and kill Scar after Simba defeated him.
After the war, Simba becomes the king, avenging Mufasa and Timon tells Ma that he finally found his place, but something is still missing: his family. Instead of Simba and Nala having a new cub in the end, Timon and Pumbaa return to their jungle paradise, bringing Timon's entire meerkat colony with them. The meerkats now have a safe, work-free place to call home, and Timon is hailed the hero.
When the film ends, in the dark theater, Pumbaa insists on watching the movie again. Timon protests until all of their friends from the movie come to watch it as well, soon joined by numerous other Disney and Pixar cartoon characters. Timon reluctantly agrees to play the film again, and Pumbaa comments that he still does not actually "do so well in crowds."
Trivia[]
- The film reveals the story of Timon's origin and how he and Pumbaa first met each other and became friends. However, a similar yet different story was originally revealed in the Timon & Pumbaa episode "Once Upon a Timon". This may indicate that Timon & Pumbaa (or just said episode) and The Lion King 1½ exist in different continuities from each other.
- The French track on the DVD plays (in English) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" during the end credits instead of "Grazing in the Grass" (performed by Raven) and "That's All I Need Reprise" (performed by Timon).
- Outside the USA, the sing-along lyrics are omitted, but there is still a ladybug bouncing on the screen, excluding the Arabic version, which has the Arabic lyrics featured with the ladybug bouncing on each word.
- The French track on the DVD plays a cover of Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie" in place of the original. Unless otherwise noted, all other songs featured in the movie are sung in French.
- More characters even Pixar ones are added at the end.
Cast[]
- Nathan Lane as Timon
- Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa
- Julie Kavner as Ma
- Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max
- Matthew Broderick as Simba (both teenager and young adult)
- Matt Weinberg as Young Simba
- Robert Guillaume as Rafiki
- Moira Kelly as Nala
- Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi
- Cheech Marin as Banzai
- Jim Cummings as Ed
- Edward Hibbert as Zazu
- Jason Rudofsky as Flinchy
Note: Mufasa and Scar appear and Sarabi is in a faraway cameo, but neither of them do not speak.
Cameos[]
At the ending, while the film is rewinding back to the beginning, silhouettes of the following Disney and Pixar (in the first version) characters join Timon, Pumbaa, Ma, Uncle Max, Simba, and Rafiki in the audience:
- Mickey Mouse
- Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story (franchise) (first version only)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in order: Dopey, Bashful, Doc, Sneezy, Happy, Sleepy, and Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Beast, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast
- Mulan and Mushu from Mulan (second version only)
- Kenai and Koda from Brother Bear (second version only)
- Lady and Tramp from Lady and the Tramp
- Hyacinth Hippo from Fantasia
- Flik from A Bug's Life (first version only)
- Sulley and Mike from the Monsters, Inc. (first version only)
- Genie, Aladdin, Jasmine, and Magic Carpet from Aladdin
- Stitch, Lilo, Mertle Edmonds, Elena, Teresa, and Yuki from Lilo & Stitch
- Goofy
- Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland
- Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Rabbit from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Donald Duck
- Marlin, Nemo and Dory from Finding Nemo (first version only)
- Quasimodo, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys from Peter Pan
- Pocahontas from Pocahontas
- Mowgli and Baloo from The Jungle Book
- Terk from Tarzan
- Dumbo from Dumbo
- Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty
- Br'er Bear from Song of the South
Voices[]
- Tom Hanks as Woody
- Jeff Bennett as Bashful
- Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
- Bill Farmer as Doc, Goofy and Sleepy
- Corey Burton as Grumpy
- Kevin Schon as Happy
- Dave Foley as Flik
- Shaun Fleming as Lost Boys
- Blayne Weaver as Peter Pan
- Bob Joles as Sneezy
- Jim Cummings as Tigger
- Carolyn Gardner as Snow White
- Ken Sansom as Rabbit (uncredited in second version)
- Chris Sanders as Stitch
- Daveigh Chase as Lilo Pelekai (uncredited in second version)
- Albert Brooks as Marlin
- Ellen DeGeneres as Dory
- Alexander Gould as Nemo
- Lili Ishida as Yuki (uncredited in second version)
- Jillian Henry as Elena (uncredited in second version)
- Rosie O' Donnell as Terk (uncredited)
- Charles Kimbrough as Victor (uncredited)
Soundtrack[]
The film soundtrack, The Lion King 1½: Songs From Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious Adventure, was released to CD by Disney Records on February 10, 2004. It includes two songs from the original film, "That's All I Need" and "Hakuna Matata", re-performed by Nathan Lane who took over the role of voicing the character, Timon. The rest of the soundtrack includes various R&B tracks, including remakes of the Kool and the Gang classic "Jungle Boogie" by artist French, and two instrumental pieces from composer Don Harper. Ennio Morricone was the original composer of "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly".
- "Grazing in the Grass" (Raven-Symoné)
- "Digga Tunnah Dance" (Lebo M and Vinx)
- "That's All I Need" (Nathan Lane) (based on an unused song from the original film called "Warthog Rhapsody")
- "Hakuna Matata" (Nathan Lane, and Ernie Sabella)
- "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Lebo M)
- "Jungle Boogie"
- "Timon's Traveling Theme"
- "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"