The Lion King 1½

For the video game, seeThe Lion King 1½ (video game).

The Lion King 1½
DVD cover
Directed by	Bradley Raymond
Screenplay by	Tom Rogers
Based on	Characters created by Irene Mecchi Jonathan Roberts Linda Woolverton
Produced by	George A. Mendoza
Starring	Nathan Lane Ernie Sabella Julie Kavner Jerry Stiller Matthew Broderick Moira Kelly Robert Guillaume Whoopi Goldberg Cheech Marin Jim Cummings
Edited by	Joyce Arrastia
Music by	Don L. Harper
Production company	DisneyToon Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release dates	February 10, 2004(2004-02-10)(Disney DVD and video)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Lion King 1½(known internationally asThe Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata) is a 2004 American animateddirect-to-videomusical comedy filmproduced byDisneyToon Studiosand releaseddirect to videoon February 10, 2004. The third and final installment released in theLion KingFranchiseserves as anorigin storyfor the meerkat/warthog duoTimon and Pumbaawhile the film is also set within the events ofThe Lion King(1994).A majority of the voice cast from the first film returns to reprise their roles, includingNathan LaneandErnie Sabellaas the voices of Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. The plot of the movie is inspired byTom Stoppard'sRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,a tragicomedy that tells the story ofHamletfrom the point of view oftwo minor characters.The Lion King 1½received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Timon is a social outcast in hismeerkatcolony on the outskirts of the Pride Lands, as he frequently messes things up by accident. Though he is unconditionally supported by hismother,Timon dreams of a better life than his colony's bleak existence, continually hiding from predators, most notably the hyenas. One day, he is assigned as a sentry in an attempt by his mother to get him accepted, but his daydreaming leads to the near death of his uncle,Max,at the hands of hyenasShenzi, Banzai and Ed.

Now ostracized, Timon decides to leave. He meets the mandrillRafiki,who teaches him about "Hakuna Matata", and advises him to "look beyond what you see". Timon takes this advice literally and observes Pride Rock in the distance. Believing Pride Rock to be his dream home, Timon ventures in that direction and encounters Pumbaa thewarthogon his way. The two quickly form a bond, and Pumbaa accompanies Timon on his journey.

The pair arrive at Pride Rock during the presentation ofSimbato the animals of the Pride Lands, mistaking it for aland rush.As they make their way through the crowd, Pumbaa explosively passes gas due to hisagoraphobia,causing the nearby animals to faint and prompting animals further away to bow to Simba. Following this, Timon and Pumbaa make multiple attempts to set up homes throughout the Pride Lands, but wind up being forced away every time upon witnessing several events from the original film.

Eventually, the pair are caught in the wildebeest stampede that killed Mufasa, and are thrown off a waterfall in their attempt to escape. Exhausted, Timon decides to give up and realizes that Pumbaa, who sympathizes with Timon over being a social outcast, is the only friend that he has ever had. The next morning, the two discover a luxurious green jungle. With their dream home found, they settle there, embracing "Hakuna Matata" as their life's philosophy.

Some time later, Timon and Pumbaa encounter Simba in a nearby desert, nearly dead. They rescue him and decide to raise him under their philosophy. Years later, Simba's childhood friendNalaappears and reunites with him. Believing Hakuna Matata to be in jeopardy, Timon and Pumbaa attempt to sabotage their dates, but fail every time. Upon witnessing Simba and Nala's argument, Simba disappears, and Timon believes they have succeeded. The next day, they and Nala learn from Rafiki that Simba has run off to challenge Scar and reclaim Pride Rock. Upset that Simba left them, Timon decides to stay behind, but Pumbaa follows Simba and Nala. Timon indulges in the jungle's luxuries by himself, but loneliness starts to overwhelm him. Timon meets Rafiki, who indirectly makes him realize that his true Hakuna Matata is with the ones he loves, not just the place he sought for, prompting Timon to follow the others.

Timon catches up and reconciles with Pumbaa before journeying onward to Pride Rock to join Simba and Nala. After helping them distract the hyenas with a hula dance, Timon and Pumbaa run into Ma and Uncle Max, who had come looking for Timon after Ma learnt from Rafiki his teaching of Hakuna Matata to Timon. Timon proposes that they all help Simba by getting rid of the hyenas. While Simba battles Scar on the top of Pride Rock, Ma and Uncle Max construct a series of tunnels beneath the hyenas, while at the same time, Timon and Pumbaa use various tactics to distract them. When the tunnels are finished, Max knocks down the support beams, breaking the ground under the hyenas. However, the last few beams get jammed, prompting Timon to dive underground and break them himself. The cave-in ensues, and the hyenas are ejected through the tunnels. Simba accepts his place as the rightful king of the Pride Lands, thanking Timon and Pumbaa for their help. Timon takes Pumbaa, Ma, Uncle Max, and the rest of the meerkat colony to live in the jungle to complete his Hakuna Matata, and he is praised as their hero, while gaining acceptance into his colony.

Voice cast

Main article:List of The Lion King (franchise) characters

Several members of the original cast, including Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, and Robert Guillaume reprise their respective roles fromThe Lion King,while the other actors reprise their roles fromThe Lion King II: Simba's Pridesuch as Edward Hibbert as Zazu, who replacedRowan Atkinsonin the prior film.James Earl JonesandJeremy Ironsdo not reprise their characters with Mufasa and Scar respectively being silent roles. Matt Weinberg replacesJonathan Taylor Thomasas the voice of Simba as a cub as Thomas was too old to reprise the role. Carolyn Gardner, Chris Sanders, Bill Farmer, Tony Anselmo, and Blayne Weaver provide the voices of several notable Disney characters in the film's final scene.

• Nathan LaneasTimon,ameerkatwho is Pumbaa's best friend. Though somewhat selfish, arrogant, and withdrawn, Timon shows courageous loyalty towards his friends.
• Ernie SabellaasPumbaa,awarthogwho is Timon's best friend. Though slow-witted, he is veryempatheticand willing to trust and befriend anyone. He is alsoclaustrophobicand passes gas in crowds.
• Julie KavnerasMa,a meerkat and Timon's caring mother. She is overly protective and attached to her son, often trying to get him accepted amongst the colony, but never succeeding.
• Jerry StillerasMax,a meerkat and Timon'sparanoid,eccentric, but kind-hearted uncle. He initially doubts Timon's ability, but warms up to him at the film's climax.
• Matthew BroderickasSimba,alionand Timon and Pumbaa's second best friend, Mufasa and Sarabi's son, Scar's nephew, Nala's husband and the current King of the Pride Lands.
  • Matt Weinberg as Simba as a cub. Weinberg replaces Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Simba as a cub from the first film.
• Moira KellyasNala,lionessand Simba's childhood friend and eventual wife and the current queen of the Pride Lands.
• Robert GuillaumeasRafiki,amandrillorbaboonormonkeyandshamanof the Pride Lands who teaches Timon Hakuna Matata, as well as giving him faith in himself to do what he dreams of doing.
• Whoopi Goldberg,Cheech MarinandJim CummingsasShenzi, Banzai and Ed,a trio ofspotted hyenaswho act as the local predators of Timon's meerkat colony before their allegiance with Scar.
  • Jim Cummings also voiced Doc, the leader of the Seven Dwarfs who came with Snow White to rewatch Timon and Pumbaa's film.
• Edward HibbertasZazu,ared-billed hornbilland themajordomoto Mufasa and later Simba.
• Kevin Schonas Iron Joe, a panicky and paranoid meerkat who is carried away by several other meerkats.
  • Schon also voiced Happy, one of the Seven Dwarfs who came to rewatch the film with Snow White.
• Wayne AllwineasMickey Mousewho comes to rewatch the film with other Disney Characters.
• Carolyn Gardner asSnow White,a princess who comes to rewatch the movie with the Seven Dwarfs.
• Jeff Bennettas Bashful, one of the Seven Dwarfs who rewatches the film with Snow White.
• Corey Burtonas Grumpy, one the Seven Dwarfs who comes to rewatch the film with other Disney Characters.
• Bob Jolesas Sneezy, one of the Seven Dwarfs who comes with Snow White to rewatch Timon and Pumbaa's film.
• Chris SandersasStitch,an alien who comes to rewatch the film with other Disney Characters and laughs at Donald when he jumps on him.
• Bill FarmerasGoofy,a friend of Mickey Mouse who comes to rewatch the film with Timon and Pumbaa and gets jumped on the head by Stitch.
  • Farmer also voices Sleepy, one of the Seven Dwarfs who comes to rewatch the movie with Snow White.
• Tony AnselmoasDonald Duck,a duck who is Mickey's short-tempered but good-natured best friend.
• Blayne WeaverasPeter Pan,a flying boy from Neverland who comes to rewatch Timon and Pumbaa's movie withTinker Belland the Lost Boys.

Production

In April 2000, it was announced that the Walt Disney Company had selected Jeff Ahlholm, Colin Goldman, and Tom Rogers to write the script forThe Lion King 3.It was scheduled to arrive in video stores sometime in 2001.Bradley Raymond,who had previously directedPocahontas II: Journey to a New World(1998) andThe Hunchback of Notre Dame II(2002), came on board as director. He recalled that it was then-Disney Feature Animation presidentThomas Schumacher's idea to "retellLion Kingthrough the eyes of Timon and Pumbaa ".Additionally,Roger AllersandIrene Mecchi,who directed and co-wrote the screenplay forThe Lion Kingrespectively, consulted on the production.According to Raymond, it was Allers who came up with theMystery Science Theater 3000–inspired framing of the film.Furthermore, the filmmakers drew inspiration fromTom Stoppard's playRosencrantz and Guildenstern are Deadas the firstLion Kingfilm had drawn inspiration fromHamlet.

In May 2003,The Lion King1+1⁄2was scheduled for home video release in early spring 2004 withNathan Lane,Ernie Sabella,andMatthew Broderickreprising their original roles, andElton JohnandTim Ricereturning to compose a new song, "That’s All I Need" which based on "The Warthog Rhapsody" which was deleted from the original film.

The film was animated byWalt Disney Animation Australiain Sydney, New South Wales and Disneytoon Studios in the United States.

Release

Upon its initial home video release,The Lion King1+1⁄2was accompanied by a marketing campaign tie-in withMcDonald'swith six Happy Meal toys: Simba, Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, Mufasa and Ed.(This same promotion was used in international countries for the Special Edition release of the firstLion Kingwith two additional toys featuring Zazu and Scar.) Internationally, the film was released theatrically.

TheDVDedition contains music videos, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes views of how the movie was made, and two featurettes:Timon -- The Early Years;amockumentarytracing Timon's childhood through tongue-in-cheek interviews with family and friends; andDisney's Funniest Moments,highlighting Disney animated characters from theSeven DwarfstoBrother Bear.Three games are also featured, including:Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5,aLion Kingtrivia game in the format ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire,titledWho Wants to Be King of the Jungle?,and hosted byMeredith Vieira,then-host of theU.S. syndicated versionand a find the face game which shows pictures of several Disney Characters coming to watch Timon and Pumbaa's movie.The Lion King1+1⁄2was released on February 10, 2004. Internationally, it was titledThe Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata.

On its first day of sales, the film sold 1.5 million DVD copies,and in its first three days of release the film generated about $55 million in sales revenue, 2.5 of which were DVD copies of the film.By March 2004, six million DVD andVHScopies of the film had been sold in North America.More than 30 percent of the title's sales were from the Latino market.Later that year, the movie was released as part of a 3-moviebox setalong withThe Lion KingandThe Lion King II: Simba's Prideon December 6. On January 31, 2005, the film, along with its predecessors, went back into moratorium.

The film was first released onBlu-rayas part of an eight-disc box set on October 4, 2011, along with the other two films.The movie later received a separate Blu-ray release as well as a standard DVD release on March 6, 2012, along withThe Lion King II: Simba's Pride.The Blu-ray and DVD releases, along withSimba's Prideand the Diamond Edition release ofThe Lion King,wereremoved from releaseon April 30, 2013.

The film was re-released byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainmenton a Blu-ray combo pack and digital release along withThe Lion King II: Simba's Prideon August 29, 2017 — the same day as the first film's Signature Edition was released.

Reception

OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 76% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.

Frank Lovece ofTV Guidegave the film3+1⁄2stars out of 4 stating that "This retelling ofThe Lion King(1994) from the point of view of comic sidekicksTimon(voice ofNathan Lane) andPumbaa(Ernie Sabella) is one of the rare Disney direct-to-video sequels worthy of the original. "He went on to say that 'the only aspect of the film that feels forced is the revisionist positioning of Timon as young Simba's step-dad, which has no emotional echo in the first film. The quality of the animation is surprisingly impressive; some static backgrounds are the primary concession to a small-screen budget and the fluid character movements and expressions are vastly superior to those of, say,The Lion King's Timon and PumbaaTV cartoon series.' "Joe LeydonofVarietygave the film a positive review, writing "toddlers and preschoolers will be equally enchanted and amused by colorful toon shenanigans."Los Angeles Timesarticle writer Susan King wrote that "Because Disney's made-for-video sequels to their classic animated films have been mediocre at best, expectations for this new sequel to the mouse house's 1994 blockbuster were slim. But thanks to a clever story line, snappy dialogue that kids and adults will enjoy, a couple of decent new songs and the return of the original voice actors,Lion King1+1⁄2is an irreverent gas. "

Many reviewers have suggested that the film was influenced by theTom StoppardplayRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,which followsRosencrantz and Guildenstern,two minor characters from Shakespeare's playHamlet,and details their experiences taking place during the same time as the events ofHamlet,similar to what the film does withits predecessor,which has been similarly compared toHamlet.Screenwriter Tom Rogers confirmed that this was intentional in a 2019 interview, adding that the film'sframe storywas inspired byMystery Science Theater 3000.

Soundtrack

The Lion King1+1⁄2:Songs From Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious Adventure
Soundtrack albumby Various Artists
Released	February 10, 2004
Genre	R&B,Pop,world,soundtrack
Length	22:52
Label	Walt Disney

The film's soundtrack album contains two original songs: "Diggah Tunnah", written by Seth Friedman and Martin Erskine, and "That's All I Need", written byElton JohnandTim Rice,who had worked on the first film. The latter song, which is performed byNathan Lanein the film, is largely based on a deleted song fromThe Lion Kingtitled "The Warthog Rhapsody", with which it shares a similar melody.

The film features the song "Hakuna Matata"from the first film, which is featured both as the original soundtrack recording in the soundtrack album and in the film as a new cover performed by Lane andErnie Sabella.The soundtrack also consists of various covers ofpopsongs, such asThe Friends of Distinction's "Grazing in the Grass"performed byRaven-Symoné,Kool and the Gang's "Jungle Boogie"performed by Drew K. andthe French,and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"(which appears briefly in the original film as well) byLebo MVinx(and with sampled vocals from Lebo M) performed "Diggah Tunnah Dance". Other featured songs not on the soundtrack include "Sunrise, Sunset"from the musicalFiddler on the Roofand theeponymous theme songfrom the television showPeter Gunncomposed byHenry Mancini.

The film contains an original score composed byDon L. Harper,and also featuresEnnio Morricone'sinstrumental themefrom theSergio LeonefilmThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Track listing

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Grazing in the Grass"	Raven-Symoné	2:59
2.	"Diggah Tunnah Dance"	Lebo MandVinx	3:53
3.	"That's All I Need"	Nathan Lane	2:29
4.	"Hakuna Matata"	Nathan Lane,Ernie Sabella,Jason WeaverandJoseph Williams	3:33
5.	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"	Lebo M	3:35
6.	"Jungle Boogie"	Drew K. andthe French	3:20
7.	"Timon's Traveling Theme"	Don L. Harper	1:20
8.	"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"	Ennio Morricone	1:43
Total length:			22:52

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominees	Result
2005	Annie Awards	Best Home Entertainment Production	The Lion King 1½	Won
		Music in an Animated Feature Production	The Lion King 1½	Nominated
	DVD Exclusive Awards	Best Animated Character Performance	Nathan Lane(voice) Alexis Stadermann (animator) For Timon	Won
		Best Animated DVD Premiere Movie	The Lion King 1½	Won
		Best Director (of a DVD Premiere Movie)	Bradley Raymond	Won
		Best Editing (of a DVD Premiere Movie)	Joyce Arrastia	Won
		Best Screenplay (for a DVD Premiere Movie)	Tom Rogers	Won
	Saturn Award	Best DVD Release	The Lion King 1½	Nominated

Video game

Main article:The Lion King 1½ (video game)

Avideo gamebased on the film was published in 2003 for theGame Boy Advance,featuring Timon and Pumbaa as the playable characters.

External links

• Official website
• The Lion King 1½atAllMovie
• The Lion King 1½atIMDb
• The Lion King 1½atRotten Tomatoes