The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Plot synopsis:
The film opens where the previous film ended, set a few years later, where Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) gathers the animals of the Pride Lands together for the presentation of Simba (Matthew Broderick) and Nalas (Moira Kelly) new daughter Kiara. Mufasa's spirit (James Earl Jones) watches over the ceremony. Later, Simba becomes very overprotective of an older Kiara (Michelle Horn), assigning Timon and Pumbaa (Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella) to watch her. One day as Kiara was playing, she fell into a small pond as Timon and Pumbba got her back onto land. Kiara tells them only half of her is a princess. Pumbba asks, "Well, who's the other half?" While they wait for her to answer, they start having a snack. Then they started arguing about slimy and crunchy grubs. While they were arguing, Kiara sneaks into the "Outlands" where she meets a young cub named Kovu (Ryan O'Donohue). After escaping a river filled with nile crocodiles, the two become friendly, unaware they are being watched by Kovu's mother, Zira (Suzanne Pleshette).
Simba arrives and confronts Zira, who reminds Simba that he exiled the Outsiders, and that if he wants to punish them, Kovu is Scar's hand-chosen successor. Unwilling to harm the cub, Simba orders them to leave. Later Simba scolds Kiara for endangering herself. In the Outlands, Zira's eldest son, Nuka (Andy Dick), complains to his younger sister Vitani (Lacey Chabert) about Kovu's status as "the Chosen One" the cub chosen by Scar to lead the pride after his death. ("I should've been the "Chosen One". I'm the strongest, I'm the smartest, I'm the oldest, etc.") At that moment, Zira returns and scolds both of her sons, but Kovu accidentally gives her the idea to use Kovu's new friendship with Kiara as a means of exacting her revenge on Simba for Scar's death.
Now an adult, Kiara (Neve Campbell) heads out from home for her first solo hunt, however Simba again sends Timon and Pumbaa to follow and watch her progress after he promised to let Kiara hunt on her own. Furious to find out her father still insists on maintaining surveillance, Kiara goes further from home to hunt, though is still unsuccessful in her efforts. Meanwhile, Zira's plan to implant Kovu in Simba's pride has been set in motion; Nuka and Vitani (Jennifer Lien) set fire to the plains where Kiara is hunting, causing her to faint and giving Kovu (Jason Marsden) the chance to rescue her. Drawn by the smoke, Simba finds them together and reluctantly accepts Kovu's request to come to Pride Rock in return for saving Kiara's life, though he forces Kovu to sleep outside. That same night, Simba has a nightmare about his father's death, where Scar suddenly morphs into Kovu and Simba takes his father's place falling off the cliff.
The next morning, he goes outside to a watering hole where Kovu contemplates attacking him, but Kiara interrupts and they go off together so Kovu can help her learn how to hunt. Kiara kept on failing. During the lesson, Kovu was setting an example for Kiara, thinking Timon was just an ordinary meerkat. They run into Timon and Pumbaa struggling with some birds, so the two lions help them chase the birds off. Together, they have fun playing, something Kovu notes he has never experienced before. That night, Kovu tells Kiara that he is not Scar's real son, but "was a part of him". Simba watches from above, seeking guidance from the "Great Kings" and Nala advises him to give Kovu a chance, because he is not his father. Kovu decides to leave after he almost confesses his real intentions to Kiara, but Rafiki stops him and invites the young lions to experience "Upendi" love. After a musical journey through the jungle, the two fall in love.
In the morning, Simba invites Kovu for a walk and tells him the true story of Scar, which Kovu had never heard. However, their walk is interrupted by an ambush from Zira, her daughter and son and her pride. After a brief fight, Simba manages to escape by scaling a wall of logs in a dried-up gorge. Nuka chases after him in the hopes of impressing his mother, but he slips and is killed by falling logs. Zira blames Kovu for Nuka's death, swiping a paw across his face and scarring his eye. Kovu flees and returns to Pride Rock where he begs forgiveness. Convinced that Kovu was aware of the ambush, the wounded Simba exiles him and orders Kiara confined to their den. Kiara later escapes and, after a long search, reunites with Kovu.
Meanwhile, as a thunderstorm struck the Pride Lands, Zira leads her pride in a war against the Pride Lands, and a fierce fight breaks out. As Zira and Simba face off, Kovu and Kiara leap between them and demand that the fighting cease. Kiara reminds her father that, by his own words, "we are one". ("A wise King once told me, we are one. I didn't understand him before. Now I do." "But they-" "Them? Us! Just look at them. They are us. What differences do you see?") The Outsiders realize Kiara is correct, but Zira ignores her. Vitani agrees with Kiara. Unmoved by her insight, Zira wickedly tells her daughter that she will die too if she will not fight, which turns the other Outlanders against her. Now alone, Zira attempts to attack Simba, but Kiara pushes her away, and they both fall over a cliff. Kiara lands on a rock, but Zira slides towards a storm-swollen river. She refuses Kiara's offer of help, then slips and falls to her death. Simba allows the Outlanders, including Kovu, to return to the Pride Lands, and Kovu is allowed to stand with Kiara at the top of Pride Rock with Mufasa proudly proclaiming "We are one".

Tags: revenge

Review:
To beat the original Lion King would be a near-impossible feat, so when put in perspective, the movie really isn't all that bad.
The story is neatly tied in with the original film, with the concept of Scar, the antagonist of the first film, having a family bent on revenge over Simba, the protagonist of the 1st Lion King.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride doesn't even come close in my eyes, but I don't think Disney was really shooting for that.
That is just something uncommon with Disney sequels.I know I've complained a lot, which is sort of hard for me to do, because I love The Lion King and Disney, but LK2 just isn't my type of flick.
I feel there are a few points not accounted for in the film notably the origin of the Outland lions (I can only conclude that only a few followed Scar and others joined them in the time period between Kiara as a cub and as an adult) but I prefer these things left to the imagination.
I would really like the Lion King to be a trilogy (I am a great fan of trilogies) so come on, Disney, Make a third film, preferably detailing the young Scar and Mufasa.
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride - best direct-to-video sequel ever: wise, romantic storyline, beautiful characters - some of them looks like much better than characters from 1st movie.
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride - one of the last great traditional cartoons from Walt Disney Pictures!
Bad-boy Kovu on the other hand is a lion trained by his evil mother, Zira, to befriend Kiara so that he may overthrow Simba thus, avenging Scar.In the end Kiara and Kovu fall in love and show others that love is the most important thing above all, no matter what you look like or come from.
Like TLK 1, TLK 2 bring us good songs, especially Love Will Find A Way and He Lives In You. The new characters are very good, the villain Zira is cruel, the poor Nuka dies trying to prove his braveness and Vitani...well she's not a real villain like all the other outlanders.
Well, The Lion King 3 is confirmed (2002) and I can't wait to watch this new movie, and I hope TLK 3 being so good like TLK 1 and TLK 2..
It's not as excellent as the original, but it's one of the better DTV sequels from Disney (Cinderella III: A Twist In Time and Aladdin and the King of Thieves).There are some pros and cons that I would like to point out.
The voice acting is pretty neat too and it's great to see Matthew Broderick and the others return along with the new ones.What I don't like about this movie is that the story isn't as gripping or compelling as the original and I don't think I cared for Kira and Kovu which were uninteresting characters in my opinion.
Timon and Pumbaa are still likable comic reliefs although not nearly as funny.Overall, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride isn't an excellent DTV sequel from Disney, but much like Cinderella III and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, it's a much better one while the Cinderella, Pocahontas, and Hunchback of Notre Dame sequels were ranged from disappointing to lame..
Disney did a lot of these straight to DVD sequels in the late nineties and it was no surprise that one of their biggest hits 'The Lion King' got the same treatment.To be fair it's not bad.
Of course, it isn't as good as the stunning original, but it's definitely better than the Little Mermaid, Jungle Book and Cinderella sequels which ranged from disappointing to lame.
It's also in my opinion in the top 3 of the better DTV sequels, which are The King of Thieves(Aladdin)and Enchanted Christmas(Beauty and the Beast).What makes it good is the welcome return of Timon and Pumbaa, who brought great comic relief, although they weren't as funny.
Simba's pride may not be as great as the original movie, but it can stand by itself as a good film.
Especially  the  relationship  between  Simba  and Kiara  is  beautiful,  just  like  a  father-daughter-relationship  should be.Zira  is  quite  a  frightening  character,  just  a  classic  type  of  a really  cruel  female  figure.Yes,  the  film  is  worthy  watching,  but  of  course  not  equally  well as  the  original..
I mean come on, The Lion King II is exactly as incredible as the first one, and it's got some nice new faces, like Kiara, Kovu, Vitani, and it has all the characters that we know and love from the first movie!
That includes Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, Zazu, Rafiki, and even Mufasa and Scar( even if they're dead, their spirits still help Kiara and the whole Lion King family see the fact that 'We Are One'.
It's strange to talk about character chemistry in an animated movie, but I found Lion King II lack the kind of chemistry the first one had.
The sequel wasn't even needed.The film continues the story of the original Lion King, with Simba being the leader of the pride.
Disney direct to home videos Movie Sequels makes bad movies, For example The Lion King 2 which to me a bad idea that Disney ever made, The movie was awful, I hated about the movie, The plot, New Characters, Music Score, Songs and Casting it's just stupid, the 10 Reasons i hated The Lion King 2, 10.
3. The Lion King and other Disney Animated classics that released in theaters don't deserved a sequel.
The only reason I didn't give Lion King II: Simba's Pride a 1 out of 10 is because it was a good story.
Zebras and antelope never speak in the original Lion King (and for good reason as you will discover in the sequel), but in this part they sing, dance and more.The story, however, was very good, just like the voices.
They could have made Lion King II a sequel comparable in critical acclaim to Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 2 if they put some more work into it.
i loved the lion king and i would give a 10/10 for that coz it portrays the affection between a father and a son beautifully....also the songs were awesome at perfect timings and enough durations....the powerful dominant nature of mufasa and the depth of his character with regard to his braveness and leadership as well as his concern to the safety of simba are very effectively scripted to which the voice of mufasa gave life....every father can show this movie to their children and let them grow in correct path respecting the values and opinions of elders....not by forcing them but by explaining them the importance....coming to this movie, almost in entire first half of the film's duration every seen is a remake of lion king but with simba and kiara rather in comparison to mufasa and simba later followed by baseless dialogs and senseless scenes...songs come at regular intervals very frequently and last for very long duration.....simba simply repeats the routine stuff to kiara to which she responds arrogantly and always takes simba;s views in a negative way....kovu character is comparatively better in this movie compared to all others....timon and pumbaa humorous roles in lion king were brought to low standards and other characters here is no need to speak of them.....3 rating just because its a sequel of lion king and the songs in the movie.....
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride was like any other Disney sequel I've seen.
It's barely possibly to follow up a film like The Lion King better than Simba's Pride did.
It's ridiculously good for a sequel, and probably the closest a sequel has ever come to the brilliance of an original without actually being a better film altogether.Following up a masterpiece like 'The Lion King' is not an easy thing to do, but this film did a fantastic job.
All the original voice-actors are back (except for Rowin Atkinson as Zazoo) and even some new ones.It's more humour-based than the original Lion King movie, and I personally think it's a bit funnier.
TLK 2, however, surprised me with more than passable animation, a great (almost original) cast, and even some fun music (He Lives in You is quite moving, and Love Will Find a Way is touching enough) and it's UPendi, not Uffendi, and you'll recall a musical sequence in nearly every Disney film that has ultra-bright colors and generally defies all reality (Under the Sea, Be Our Guest, Friend Like Me, I Just Can't Wait to be King, A Guy Like You, the list goes on).
Despite its smaller budget I feel that this sequel to one of the grandest animated movies of all captures some of the same magic as the original Lion King.
The villain in this movie is also pretty good despite some plot holes about the origins of her pride and their connection to Scar.
I'm sure we all agree that a lot of Disney sequels, be they theatrical or direct-to-video, have a bad rep for failing in charm, good plot, decent dialogue, and memorable songs as the originals (one particularly major exception being "The Rescuers Down Under", of course).
On the other hand, I just don't see why "Upendi" receives some flack, since like the other songs, I think it does serve its purpose rather well.SCRIPT: Though clunky in a few places, I think the writers actually knew what they were doing.ANIMATION: Definitely superior to other Disney sequels (except perhaps "The Rescuers Down Under") and a close second to the first film.MORAL: Whereas the first movie's moral was deep in itself, this movie's moral I think is an even deeper one which I think we can all relate to.Overall, even though this Disney sequel does have its share of flaws (especially Timon and Pumbaa ruining a few dramatic moments), I find "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" to be just as good and enjoyable as the first movie.
I must say the sequel for me had a lot to live up to after how much I liked the first lion king but i think this sequel did a pretty good job.
All in all I'd just like to say this film wasn't as good as the first "The Lion King" but it still deserved better.
I enjoyed the second movie as much as the first.For one i love there adorable daughter Kiara she seemed really smart and rambunctious yes she did seem a little crazy at points but the writers wanted her to be more like Simba when he was young.The relationship Kovu and Kiara had was more like Romeo and Juliet.The songs were interesting but"Love Will Find Away" was a very cute song that showed the real love between one another.Thought I wish Nala was in it more because in the first one she was one of the main characters.
Disney, take a good look at this movie next time you feel the need to bring out a sequel because its definitely one of the better ones :D.
this animated Disney film was actually released before The lion King 1.5,although i don't think it really matters,since this is a sequel to the original and the The Lion King 1/5 wasn't.it was more about Timon and Pumba.anyway,this feature is my least favourite of the 3.for one thing,i don't think it's as child friendly.there are some really dark scenes,and some very dark dialogue to go with it.having said that,a lot of the movie is a love story.at least i feel it is.those moments in the movie are very tender and sweet.but for me,it just doesn't seem to have the magic of the first one,and it doesn't feel as lighthearted as 1/5 did.parents,you might want to screen the movie yourself before letting your young ones watch.particularly the battle scenes.for me,Lion King II: Simba's pride is a 5/10.
I also liked the music, characters and plot of the sequel better.Like I said, I don't necessarily think that the second is better than the first but I think that it is a good movie and I personally would rather watch TLK2.
The artistry on the whole is excellent.The Lion King: Simba's Pride is one of the more inspired Disney sequels.
The Lion King 2 originally seems to be a big risk but that's 2 be expected when you are taking on a sequel 2 Disneys biggest ever hit.
Animation quality is high for a Direct-to-video release, however Simba's Pride is rife with with cheap comic and retro cut-ups, which for me ruined the potentially good dramatic scenes.Content aside, it seems that Disney decided to go buy out a warehouse of bargan-basement tapes to master and release this movie on.
It is a very original film in its own right, with new music, believable characters, and a good plot.
Rather than reusing the basic plot structure of the Lion King, this sequel uses the setting and characters from the original as a backdrop for a completely new story that is just as powerful.
Most Disney sequels are pretty poor, but The Lion King II was an exception though it's obviously not as good as the first one.
this movie is a Disney sequel done right!so why do nuremous people hate it?i understand their are some plot holes and the timeline is kinda uneven,but overall I think it's excellent and I wish Disney would make more sequels similar to this one.Others claim this movie is terrible for these main reasons.1)the animation is nothing like the originalOK first off,while watching this movie I didn't even notice the animation was different till I read another person's review!But their is a explanation for this,Disney has two animating teams,Team A and team B.When the first lion king was being developed,Another famous Disney movie was also in production,Pocahontas.Team A was currently focused on this project so team B was responsible for animating the first film.When the lion king 2 Simba's Pride was being created,Team A had to make it.Honestly,I think they did a really good job!it looks exactly like the original,Except for simba and Nala,They kinda messed up on their designs a bit but that's easy to overlook,the movie isn't based on them anyway.2)The timeline makes NO sense.Again,their is another explanation for this!This movie was made by the opposite team!So I can kinda understand why there are a few plot holes here and there,but I think that those are easy to fill using your imagination,The viewer can make up their own story and just go along with it,so that is pretty simple and a easy mistake to fix.3)Where is Kopa?!
(Kopa fans...Be warned for this one)😑your joking...Really?look,I like the idea of Simba and Nala having a son but that would be to much like the original,Plus,Kopa wasn't a Disney creation!Some people might know this already,He was created by a outside company wanting to pitch in on the fame and fortune on the lion king franchise!And while in a interview with the creators behind the lion king 2 they said very bluntly,They didn't even know kopa existed!And maybe if they knew he was around,they would've contacted his creators and had him in the movie!But that didn't happen...So for those complaining where this cub is,Despite how many facts,Theories,And explanations you come up with,he never existed,The creators of this film didn't know he existed,Get over it!(sorry kopa lovers)Overall,this movie is great!i think out of all the Romeo and Juliet cartoon movies I've seen,I think this is the best out of all of them!Despite the minor flaws,It has memorable characters,A ambitious villain,Catchy songs,and lives up to the original movie!I highly recommend giving it a try!Im positive you'll love it!Maybe even more than the first film!😉.
This movie is the sequel of "Lion King", where Simba is now mature and has a daughter.
The songs are very good, as expected of the sequel of "Lion King", a film that contains some of the most beautiful songs from Disney's movies.
All things considered, The Lion King 2 is actually a fairly good sequel, and while not nearly at the level of the original classic, does a commendable job at moving along the story.I will make the following caveats: 1) It does not have the epic quality of the first, as hard as it tries to do so.
Also, the love song, "Love Will Find A Way," was actually well-done as well, and, forgive me for this, better, I think, than the Academy Award winning "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" of the first Lion King.So, in summary, the direct to video sequel "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" is not the animated classic that the original was, but were you expecting it would be?
The original Lion King was a masterpiece: the characters were lovable, the tragedies brought tears to your eyes, the jokes were funny and the songs were brilliant.Unfortunately the second movie just doesn't have the same feel as the first and doesn't live up to it, like many other Disney sequels.
Simba's Pride is a worthy successor to its parent movie, The Lion King.
THE LION KING II: Simba's Pride is the best straight-to-video movie ever!
The Lion King sequel is good, but not great.
I love this movie not as much as the first but this is one of the first sequels I actually liked!
Absolutely loved the first Lion King, its my favorite Disney movie.
THE LION KING II: SIMBA'S PRIDE, in my opinion, is a very touching and funny Disney sequel about a special friendship for all ages that will warm your heart.
"Lion King II: Simba's Pride" is actually better than anything Disney is releasing in theaters nowadays.
I have always loved Lion King II Simba's Pride and will always!!!
I just love Disney's new animated classic, Lion King 2: Simba's Pride.
And I don't care what people say, the animation was great!(Like you could do better?) Of course, Simba's Pride isn't as good as the original, its still very well done..