The Lion King is one of Disney’s most iconic films, and one of the greatest animated films ever made. So, to think that it would go unscathed from Disney’s wrath of direct to video sequels would just be naïve. It would be a sure-fire hit, all they’d need to do is draw some animals, make some comments about the circle of life, slap The Lion King name on it and call it a day. That’s what they could have done, but instead The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride is arguably the first genuinely good Disney direct to video sequel, and in some ways even goes so far as standing toe to toe with the original film.
Following Scar’s (Jim Cummings) demise, Simba (Matthew Broderick) rules over the Pride Lands in his father’s image and has banished those who believed Scar to be the true king. Simba’s daughter, Kiara (Neve Campbell), is just as feisty and curious as Simba was when he was a young cub, and this curiosity draws her to the Outlands where she meets Kovu (Jason Marsden), the son of Zira (Suzanne Pleshette), one of Scar’s most devout followers and leader of the Outlanders.
This meeting sets in motion a chain reaction that will change the Pride Lands forever, push Simba’s abilities as king to the limit, and introduce a new challenger to the throne of Pride Rock.
Following Scar’s (Jim Cummings) demise, Simba (Matthew Broderick) rules over the Pride Lands in his father’s image and has banished those who believed Scar to be the true king. Simba’s daughter, Kiara (Neve Campbell), is just as feisty and curious as Simba was when he was a young cub, and this curiosity draws her to the Outlands where she meets Kovu (Jason Marsden), the son of Zira (Suzanne Pleshette), one of Scar’s most devout followers and leader of the Outlanders.
This meeting sets in motion a chain reaction that will change the Pride Lands forever, push Simba’s abilities as king to the limit, and introduce a new challenger to the throne of Pride Rock.
When I say that The Lion King II could stand toe to toe with the original film, I am obviously embellishing a little bit because The Lion King was such a phenomenal film that would be virtually impossible for anything to come close to replicating that. But for a relatively low budget direct to video film, Simba’s Pride is phenomenal and far better than it has any right to be. Opening with the iconic ‘He Lives In You’ (which I would argue is a contender for one of the greatest Disney songs of all time), Simba’s Pride moves through familiar story beats to the original film, but manages to meaningfully move the story forward by presenting a more political side to the proceedings with Simba needing to prove why he is the rightful ruler of the Pride Lands and a far better ruler than Scar was to those who refute his claim to the throne.
The production values for Simba’s Pride are considerably greater than any previous Disney direct to video sequel, and whilst it never matches the same watercolour-like beauty of the original film it does a damn good job at making the film as visually impressive as it can be. Character models look almost identical to the original film, environments are richly detailed, and colours look natural. This combined with the return of many of the original voice cast, and the new additions such as Campbell are welcome and provide great performances. The best of the newcomers is undoubtedly Pleshette’s performance of Zera who is having a great time in the role.
There’s also a large number of songs in the film, and whilst few of them do live up to the grandeur of those featured in the original, almost all of them are great and will most certainly make the jump to your own personal music library if you’re a fan of Disney soundtracks.
I have nothing but praise for Simba’s Pride. Whilst it may not have the same high-quality sheen that the first film did, it’s completely understandable why it doesn’t. But when compared to other direct to video releases, Disney or otherwise, it’s clear to see that Simba’s Pride is top tier entertainment. There is a reason why it’s received so many re-releases over the years and incredibly easy to pick up alongside the other Lion King films, and it’s because it’s just so good! If you’re yet to see Simba’s Pride then I would advise correcting that, and if you have seen it then maybe it’s about time to revisit Pride Rock to reunite with some old friends.
The production values for Simba’s Pride are considerably greater than any previous Disney direct to video sequel, and whilst it never matches the same watercolour-like beauty of the original film it does a damn good job at making the film as visually impressive as it can be. Character models look almost identical to the original film, environments are richly detailed, and colours look natural. This combined with the return of many of the original voice cast, and the new additions such as Campbell are welcome and provide great performances. The best of the newcomers is undoubtedly Pleshette’s performance of Zera who is having a great time in the role.
There’s also a large number of songs in the film, and whilst few of them do live up to the grandeur of those featured in the original, almost all of them are great and will most certainly make the jump to your own personal music library if you’re a fan of Disney soundtracks.
I have nothing but praise for Simba’s Pride. Whilst it may not have the same high-quality sheen that the first film did, it’s completely understandable why it doesn’t. But when compared to other direct to video releases, Disney or otherwise, it’s clear to see that Simba’s Pride is top tier entertainment. There is a reason why it’s received so many re-releases over the years and incredibly easy to pick up alongside the other Lion King films, and it’s because it’s just so good! If you’re yet to see Simba’s Pride then I would advise correcting that, and if you have seen it then maybe it’s about time to revisit Pride Rock to reunite with some old friends.