The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Overview

Darrell Rooney directed this direct-to-video sequel to Disney's 1994 The Lion King, which climaxed with Simba (voice of Matthew Broderick) enthroned as the ruling king of beasts following the death of the evil Scar. With the spirited tune He Lives in You, Simba and his mate Nala (Moira Kelly) issue a triumphant announcement of the birth of Lion Princess Kiara (Neve Campbell)! Given to misadventures and mischief, Kiara wanders into the forbidden Outlands, the haunt of Scar's exiled minions, and there she encounters another mischievous cub, Kovu (Jason Marsden), son of lioness Zira (Suzanne Pleshette), once a close friend of the late Scar and now the leader of the exiles. Zira plots against Kiara, drawing her son into her scheme. Kovu has divided loyalties as his love for Kiara deepens. Several original characters (and original voices) from the 1994 film return.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/29/2017
UPC:	0786936853933
Original Release:	1998
Rating:	G
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:21:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Matthew Broderick	Simba
Neve Campbell	Adult Kiara
Andy Dick	Nuka
Robert Guillaume	Rafiki
James Earl Jones	Mufasa
Moira Kelly	Nala
Nathan Lane	Timon
Jason Marsden	Adult Kovu
Suzanne Pleshette	Zira,Actor
Ernie Sabella	Pumbaa
Edward Hibbert	Zazu
Michelle Horn	Young Kiara
Nick Glennie-Smith	Composer

Technical Credits

Flip Kobler

Cindy Marcus

Flip Kobler	Screenwriter
Cindy Marcus	Screenwriter
Rob LaDuca	Director
Darrell Rooney	Director
Jeannine Roussel	Producer
David Stone	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

As part of the artistic zenith of Disney's second golden age of animation that began with The Little Mermaid, The Lion King was Disney's pride. As befits royalty, Simba's Pride was Disney's most ambitious direct-to-video production, ensuring the continuation of the circle of sales life for the franchise. This was the first of Disney's "next generation" sequels created to engage a new audience with the adventures of the offspring of already beloved Disney characters. Simba's daughter Kiara (Neve Campbell) resists her father's advice to "stay on the path I've marked out for you." Just as the original film echoed Shakespeare's Hamlet, so does the sequel borrow a page from the Bard's Romeo and Juliet (but with a much happier ending). Kiara meets Kovi, an "outsider" handpicked by the late Scar to follow in his paw prints. Kiara and Kovi become friends and fall in love, which Kovi's mother, Zira (Susanne Pleshette), plans to exploit to take revenge on Simba. Simba is not too pleased, either. Simba's Pride is not as primal an experience as The Lion King, but it is much more family friendly. The animation is impressive, if not as majestic, and the key voice cast is back, including Matthew Broderick as Simba and Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as veldt-belt comedians Timon and Puumba. Of the songs, "Love Will Find a Way," "We Are One," and "He Lives in You" (from the Broadway production) rank with the original's Oscar-winning score. Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon penned Zira's wickedly funny "My Lullaby," in which she rapturously fantasizes a grisly end to Simba and daughter. Whether Simba's Pride is worthy of the Special Edition treatment is debatable, but parents can purchase this features-packed two-disc set with "Hakuna Matata" (that means "no worries," in case you've forgotten).