The Lion King 1½

The Lion King 1½ (also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata in some countries outside the United States) is an American animated direct-to-video film that serves as a prequel/midquel/parallel to The Lion King. It was released on February 10, 2004 and was produced by DisneyToon Studios. The movie focuses on the meerkat/warthog duo Timon and Pumbaa, showing how they met and what they were doing during the events of the original film.
As the original 1994 film was based partially on the Shakespearean play Hamlet, this movie is highly suspected to be inspired by Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, a play that created a humorous back story for two minor characters from Hamlet.
==Plot summary==
The film begins with Timon and Pumbaa viewing the opening act of the original film, The Lion King, in a dark movie theater. Suddenly, Timon uses a remote control to fast-forward to where they appear in the film. Pumbaa argues that the film shouldn't go out of order and attempts to rewind the film to the beginning. After arguing back and forth, the duo decides to rewind the film to "before the beginning" so as to show their point of view, beginning with Timon's backstory, where he was a member of a meerkat colony in a territory far from Pride Rock ("Digga Tunnah").
One day, Timon collapses his colony's tunnel network. While his mother is sympathetic and encouraging, his uncle, Max, is more skeptical and embarrassed by his nephew. Timon's mother convinces Max to give Timon a job as sentry. Because of Timon's daydreaming about a better life ("That's All I Need"), the job results in disaster, with Max narrowly escaping being eaten by three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Timon loses the little respect he had from his colony, with the exception of his mother. After a heartfelt goodbye, Timon decides to leave the colony for good to find his own place in the world.
On his journey, Timon meets Rafiki, who tells him that he seeks "Hakuna Matata" and advises him to look "beyond" what he sees to find it. Timon mistakes Rafiki's words of wisdom to mean an actual place: Pride Rock.
Along the way to Pride Rock, Timon and Pumbaa meet for the first time, after inadvertently frightening each other. Upon realizing that Pumbaa is all alone, Timon misinterprets this as ferocity and makes the warthog his "acquaintance" to help him find his dream home. The adventures of Timon and Pumbaa begin to coincide with the events of The Lion King at this point. When they walk through the herd of animals witnessing the presentation of the newborn Simba, Pumbaa becomes a victim of his demophobia-triggered flatulence problem, and the terrible smell makes a few animals collapse. The animals at the front see this and believe that the fallen animals are bowing, and soon, they all bow together, much to King Mufasa's delight.
Timon and Pumbaa continue their journey and find a new home near Pride Rock in the form of a small cave. Despite Timon's intentions to be alone, he allows Pumbaa to den up with him, and the two settle in for the night. One morning, they are disturbed by some noise from outside, which is actually Simba, Nala, Zazu, and the animals singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King". Timon gets mad and hits the leg of an elephant who is supporting the tower of animals. The elephant jumps in surprise and causes the tower to collapse. Timon and Pumbaa's home is ruined by this event, and so, they set off to find another home. They travel to the Elephant Graveyard and witness Mufasa and Zazu saving Simba and Nala from the hyenas. That night, going further into the Graveyard, they witness an army of hyenas marching to "Be Prepared", and the duo run away.
Later, they end up in the gorge, only to encounter a wildebeest stampede, which is the same one from the original film. In an attempt to escape, they fall off a waterfall and nearly drown. Timon is ready to give up on his dream home, only to find out that Pumbaa is also an outcast in the world. After accepting one another as friends, they fall asleep on the river bank and wake up to discover a nearby jungle in which they can make their new home. Remembering Rafiki's advice, the duo embrace the "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle ("Hakuna Matata"). Meanwhile, Ma and Max leave their colony to search for Timon after being informed by Rafiki of his whereabouts.
One day, Timon and Pumbaa go bowling for buzzards, which culminates in them rescuing Simba from the harsh desert and their subsequent adoption of the young cub. Over the years, the duo take care of Simba, keeping him out of trouble, helping him sleep, and comforting him over his struggles. As he grows up, Simba becomes more immersed in their lifestyle, even defeating Timon in a snail-slurping contest.
As a young adult, Simba reunites with his childhood friend, Nala, and Timon and Pumbaa try to stop Simba from falling in love with her. This has disastrous results, though it explains a few things not touched upon in the original film: Simba and Nala fall down the hill because Timon and Pumbaa trip them with a vine, and Timon and Pumbaa reappear at the end of the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sequence in a different place because they were running around, trying to interfere with Simba and Nala's romance during the song. Although they fail, Timon is happy when he notices Simba arguing with Nala and running off to the plains. Timon and Pumbaa go back to sleep after mistaking Mufasa's ghost for bad weather.
In the morning, the duo learn from Rafiki and Nala that Simba has returned to the Pride Lands to reclaim his kingdom and that he will need their help. Though Pumbaa follows Nala, Timon stays behind, as he feels betrayed by his friends' departure. Without Pumbaa and Simba, Timon finds himself isolated and unable to enjoy the luxuries of the jungle. Rafiki appears next to Timon, but before he can say anything, Timon realizes that "Hakuna Matata" is about his friends, not his home. Timon catches up to and reconciles with Pumbaa in the desert, and together, they head to the Pride Lands to join Simba and Nala in battle.
After distracting and escaping the hyenas, Timon reunites with his mother and Max for the first time since he left the colony and introduces them to Pumbaa. From a short distance away, they witness Simba confronting his uncle, Scar, on Pride Rock. Scar and the hyenas attempt to drive Simba off the edge, only for Simba to pin his uncle. The hyenas advance upon Simba, protecting Scar, which worries Pumbaa. Realizing the gravity of the conflict, Timon announces his plan to help Simba, instructing his uncle and mother to dig tunnels while he and Pumbaa trap the hyenas.
During the ensuing battle, the hyenas once again attack Simba. However, Timon and Pumbaa distract them with an offensive joke. As Simba fights with Scar, the duo tussle with the clan as the meerkats dig a trap tunnel. Thanks to Timon's quick thinking and heroism, the hyenas plummet into the tunnel trap. No sooner does this happen when Simba throws Scar off Pride Rock. With Scar defeated, Simba becomes the new king and thanks Timon and Pumbaa for all their help. Timon tells his mother that he found his place but that something is still missing: his family. In the end, Timon and Pumbaa return to their jungle paradise, bringing Timon's entire meerkat colony with them. The meerkats enjoy having a safe, work-free, predator-free place to call home, and Timon is hailed as a great hero.
When the film is over, Pumbaa says he wants to watch it again, but Timon refuses. However, Timon's mother, Max, Simba, and Rafiki suddenly arrive and request to watch the film as well. They are then joined by numerous Disney characters, first by Mickey Mouse, then Snow White and her seven dwarfs, and so on. Timon gives up and begins to replay the film. Right before the credits roll, Pumbaa says that he's still not used to crowds.
==Characters==
* Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane), the main protagonist. He is a meerkat who is somewhat self-centered, selfish, and distracted, but he shows strong loyalty and respect towards his friends.
* Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella), the deuteragonist. He is a warthog who is slow-witted, yet very empathic, and he would be anyone's friend.
* Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick as an adult and teen and by Matt Weinberg as a cub), the tritagonist. He is a lion who lives in exile from Pride Rock after believing that he killed his father. He becomes Timon and Pumbaa's close friend, adopting their "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle.
* Ma (voiced by Julie Kavner), the secondary deuteragonist. She is Timon's mother who is quite protective and attached to her son, often trying to get him accepted amongst the colony. She sometimes has small arguments with Max.
* Max (voiced by Jerry Stiller), the secondary tritagonist. He is Timon's cranky, old uncle who has an unfriendly relationship with his nephew, but it softens towards the end of the film.
* Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings), the main antagonists. They are a trio of hyenas who serve as Scar's henchmen.
* Nala (voiced by Moira Kelly) is Simba's childhood friend as a cub and later, his mate as an adult. She appears very briefly in the movie, and she has an extended conversation with Timon and Pumbaa about Simba's past.
* Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume) is a wise, old mandrill who, in this movie, teaches Timon about Hakuna Matata.
* Zazu (voiced by Edward Hibbert) is a hornbill who serves as Mufasa's majordomo.
* Mufasa, Sarabi, and Scar make appearances but have no lines. 
==Production==
According to producer George Mendoza, The Lion King 1½ took four years in the making, placing the start of its development around 1999. April 27, 2022. The project was offered to director Bradley Raymond, then under the title The Lion King 3 as they had yet to have a script. Raymond recalled that it was then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation Tom Schumacher's idea to retell the story of The Lion King through the eyes of Timon and Pumbaa. Additionally, Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, who directed and co-wrote the screenplay for The Lion King respectively, consulted on the production. October 8, 2011. According to Raymond, it was Allers who came up with the Mystery Science Theater 3000–inspired framing of the film. Furthermore, the filmmakers drew inspiration from Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as the first Lion King film had drawn inspiration from Hamlet. August 10, 2019.
In April 2000, it was announced that the Walt Disney Company selected Jeff Ahlholm, Colin Goldman, and Tom Rogers to write the script for The Lion King 3. It was scheduled to arrive in video stores sometime in 2001. April 12, 2001. In May 2003, it was announced The Lion King 1½ will be scheduled for home video release in early spring 2004 with Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, and Matthew Broderick reprising their original roles, and Elton John and Tim Rice returning to compose a new song, "Meerkat Rhapsody". May 9, 2003.
The film was animated by Walt Disney Animation Australia in Sydney, New South Wales and DisneyToon Studios in the United States. 
==Release==
Upon its initial release, The Lion King 1½ was accompanied by with a marketing campaign tie-in with McDonald's with six Happy Meal toys including Simba, Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, Mufasa and Ed. February 5, 2004.
===Home video===
In May 2003, the DVD edition was confirmed to include music videos, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes views of how the movie was made, and two featurettes: Timon -- The Early Years; a mockumentary tracing Timon's childhood through tongue-in-cheek interviews with family and friends; and Disney's Funniest Moments, highlighting Disney animated characters from the Seven Dwarfs to Brother Bear. Two games also will be including a virtual safari backlot tour through the Pride Lands ride and a Lion King trivia game in the format of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire titled Who Wants to Be King of the Jungle?, hosted by Meredith Vieira, then-host of the current U.S. syndicated version. In February 2004, more than 3 million copies of its VHS and DVD units were sold in its first days. February 13, 2004. That same month, Variety reported the film sold about 2.5 million out of 3.1 million copies before its first weekend on DVD generating about $55 million in its first three days of release. February 15, 2004. A DVD boxed set of the three Lion King films (in two-disc Special Edition formats) was released on December 6, 2004. In January 2005, the film, along with the sequels, went back into moratorium.
The Lion King 1½ was first released on Blu-ray in a The Lion King Blu-ray trilogy on October 4, 2011. It received its separate Blu-ray release on March 6, 2012, just like The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. It was produced in two different packages, a 2-disc version with Blu-ray and DVD, and a DVD edition. The release has also been attached with a new Timon & Pumbaa short, in which they gaze at the night sky as the star constellations resemble their favorite meal: grubs.
Thelionking1_2midquelbluray.png|Blu-ray cover for The Lion King 1½
The_Lion_King_1.5_Digital_cover.png|Digital cover for The Lion King 1½
==Reception==
The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 76% approval rating based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10.
Frank Lovece of TV Guide gave the film 3½ stars out of 4 stating that "This retelling of THE LION KING (1994) from the point of view of comic sidekicks Timon (voice of Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (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 Timon and Pumbaa TV cartoon series.'"http://movies.tvguide.com/lion-king-1/review/137367 Joe Leydon of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing "toddlers and preschoolers will be equally enchanted and amused by colorful toon shenanigans." February 10, 2004.
==Awards and nominations==
Award	
Outcome	
2005 Annie Awards	
2005 Annie Awards	
2005 Annie Awards
Best Home Entertainment Production	
Won	
Music in an Animated Feature Production	
Nominated	
2005 DVD Exclusive Awards	
2005 DVD Exclusive Awards	
2005 DVD Exclusive Awards
Best Animated Character Performance (Nathan Lane - voice, Alexs Stadermann - animator) for "Timon"	
Won	
Best Animated DVD Premiere Movie	
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	
2005 Saturn Awards	
2005 Saturn Awards	
2005 Saturn Awards
Best DVD Release	
Nominated	
==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 film: "That's All I Need," re-performed by Nathan Lane as Timon, and "Digga Tunnah." The rest of the soundtrack includes various R&B tracks, including remakes of the Kool and the Gang classic "Jungle Boogie" by The French, and two instrumental pieces from Lion King 1½ composer Don L. Harper. The theme of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly composed by Ennio Morricone also appears on the soundtrack.
# "Grazing in the Grass" - (Raven-Symoné)
# "Digga Tunnah Dance" - (Lebo M and Vinx)
# "That's All I Need" - (Nathan Lane)
# "Hakuna Matata" - (Lane and Ernie Sabella)
# "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Lebo M)
# "Jungle Boogie" - (Kool and the Gang)
# "Timon's Traveling Theme" - (Lebo M)
# "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" - (Ennio Morricone)
==Trivia==
* The end of the movie features cameos from several Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin and Jasmine on the Flying Carpet, the Genie, Lady and the Tramp, Belle, the Beast, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Hyancith the Hippo, Stitch, Goofy, Mad Hatter, Rabbit, Donald Duck, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, Quasimodo, Victor, Hugo, Laverne, Pocahontas, Baloo, Mowgli, Terk, Dumbo, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and Br'er Bear.
* This movie tells the story of Timon's origin, how he first met Pumbaa and how their friendship came to be. However, the episode "Once Upon a Timon" of The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa told a similar yet different storyline of Timon's past and how he and Pumbaa first met and became friends. This is presumably due to DisneyToon Studios and Walt Disney Television Animation not speaking to each other enough to maintain consistency between their works.
** The episode "Mombasa-In-Law" presented a different portrayal of Timon's mother than that of The Lion King 1½, though it was revealed at the end of the episode that she was actually Timon's practical joking friend Fred in disguise and Timon did state that he barely recognized her when he first saw her.
** Despite that, the film does contain several (possible) references to Timon & Pumbaa, such as Timon calling Pumbaa "my porcine pal" and tripling Pumbaa's name (both of which he did quite often in the series), as well as calling his mother "Ma" (like he did in the aforementioned "Mombasa-In-Law" episode). Additionally, one of the meerkats singing "Digga Tunnah" bears a resemblance to Fred from the TV series (minus the red nose and buck teeth).
** The shot where Timon grabs a leaf from a tree and uses it to wipe himself is a reference to the Timon & Pumbaa episode "Congo on Like This".
* Despite this film being a prequel/midquel/parallel to the original, aside from the aforementioned contradiction with "Once Upon a Timon", it contains a number of inconsistencies with said film. Some of the listed inconsistencies may have explanations while others are irreconcilable:
** Timon does not recognize Rafiki in the original film, yet this movie shows that he previously met, and learned Hakuna Matata from, Rafiki and recognized him all throughout his journey.
** This film shows that during Simba's presentation, all the animals in the back passed out due to Pumbaa's gas, making the animals in front mistakenly believe they are bowing and decide to bow themselves. However, in the original film, it is shown that none of the animals have passed out.
** Timon and Pumbaa find their first home on the day Simba was born and are woken up by "I Just Can't Wait to be King". It's possible that they stayed there for longer than it was shown, but unlikely considering their reactions making it clear that it's the next day.
** All the animals fall on top of each other, crushing Timon and Pumbaa's first home. However, in the original film, the animals run away, leaving Zazu trapped under a rhino.
** When an adult Simba and Nala recognize each other and rejoice over their reunion, Timon and Pumbaa are not in their original positions. In the first film, Pumbaa was still stuck under the tree root with Timon atop of it, whereas in this film, they are where they were when they started singing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".
** This film shows Timon witnessing Simba and Nala's fight in which Simba storms off, making Timon rejoice over their separation. However, in the first film, when Nala asks Timon and Pumbaa if they've seen Simba, which happens after her fight with him, Timon replies that he thought Simba was with her.
** In this film, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed chase Timon and Pumbaa into a cave after they hula dance, but in the original film, many hyenas are seen chasing them. Additionally, Banzai is shown to not recognize Pumbaa in the original film, yet this film shows Banzai running away from Pumbaa shortly before the battle.
** When Simba confronts Scar at the top of Pride Rock in the original film, the hyenas are shown to have followed him to the top and watch Scar calling them the enemies, which results in them turning on him. However, this film shows the hyenas focusing their attention on Timon and Pumbaa while Simba confronts Scar at the top of Pride Rock. While it could be interpreted that the hyenas overheard Scar's betrayal before going after the duo, the elapsed time seems too short for that.
** The final scene implies that Timon and Pumbaa returned to their jungle home with the rest of Timon's colony, with Simba going along with them, yet in the original film, they are all residing at Pride Rock in the finale. Given that the film transitions from Simba's coronation to the jungle, it's possible that Timon and Pumbaa returned to the jungle just after Simba became King, and then returned for Kiara's presentation in the second film.
* A total of twenty hidden Mickeys appear in the movie. The last one is Mickey Mouse himself.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocQmUmmHntY
* This is the only Lion King film where the title doesn't make a second appearance at the end of the film.
* Timon's line "Pumbaa, this could be the start of a beautiful... acquaintanceship." is a reference to the film Casablanca.
* It is revealed from Timon that Shenzi's full name is "Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena".
** This is the second installment in the franchise in which a character is given a full name. The first being The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, in which Timon's is revealed to be "Timon Leslie Berkowitz" and Pumbaa's is revealed to be "Pumbaa Smith".
* This is the first direct-to-video film released under the Disneytoon Studios label after Disney MovieToons/Disney Video Premiere split from Disney Television Animation, which was then known as Walt Disney Television Animation, to be owned by Walt Disney Animation Studios, which was then named Walt Disney Feature Animation, in January 2003 & then, renamed Disneytoon Studios in June of that year.
* Several story elements are recycled from early concepts of the original Lion King:
** In the beginning of the film, when Timon is about to explain his background, he and Pumbaa sing "When I/he was a young meerkat!" This was a verse of "Hakuna Matata" that Timon was supposed to sing in the first film, explaining his background.
** "That's All I Need" is a reworked version of "Warthog Rhapsody", which was scrapped in favor of "Hakuna Matata".
*** The song was originally titled "Meerkat Rhapsody" in early development.
** Several of the shenanigans that Simba gets into in this film mirrors ones shown in concept art for "Warthog Rhapsody".
** When Nala alerts Timon and Pumbaa of Simba returning to Pride Rock to challenge Scar, Timon refuses to stay, only to come along and later help Simba. This was a deleted scene from the 1993 script of The Lion King.
* According to storyboards and concept art, the film was at one point titled The Lion King III: Hakuna Matata.
==Media==
The Lion King 1 1-2 (2004) Trailer (VHS Capture)|The 2003 trailer for The Lion King 1½
Disney's The Lion King 1½ (3) Movie Trailer|Official trailer for The Lion King 1½
The Lion King 1.5 Tv ad|The Lion King 1½ DVD ad
Lion King 1 1-2 & Lion King 2 Special Edition Bluray Trailer HD|Blu-Ray trailer for the two Lion King sequels
2004 The Lion King 3 on Disney DVD TV Commercial|A UK trailer for The Lion King 1½, where it is known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata
Making of The Lion King 1 1-2 (2004)|The Making of The Lion King 1½
Behind The Legend Timon|Behind the Legend: Timon
==References==
Category:Films
Category:Real world