The Lion King 1 1/2 (G, 2004)

common sense media says

Clever and mostly charming--most kids will enjoy.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie has a surprising amount of potty humor--everything from Pumbaa's gas problem to jokes about belching, nose-picking and toilet-training. Some kids may get upset that Timon leaves his family and heads off alone in search of happiness and that Pumbaa does not have any family at all. The hyenas may frighten some children--they are constantly trying to kill the meerkats. Also, at one point Timon's mom says of the hyenas "When they die, they become the grass." This comment may need to be explained.

Positive messages: The other meerkats make fun of Timon. Some potty humor--jokes about passing gas, burping, nose-picking.
Violence & scariness: The hyenas attack the meerkats. Some comic violence (the friends fall over a waterfall, almost fall off cliffs, etc.) The hyenas may frighten some children. The meerkats are constantly in danger from predators.
Sexy stuff: Not applicable.
Language: The naughtiest comment is "'s whip some grass!"
Consumerism: Inside the DVD are ads/coupons for Disney products as well as a brochure for the Disney Visa credit card.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on The Lion King 1 1/2

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how Timon and Pumbaa's version of events is different from the ones presented in the original movie. Is one version the "right" one? For kids who have not seen the original, you might ask them what Timon eventually learns about friendship.

What's the story?

What's the story?
THE LION KING 1 1/2 shows the events that occurred during The Lion King through the eyes of Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog. While these two were pretty much relegated to minor comic sidekick roles in the original movie, here they're the stars of the show.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
The idea of seeing events from another perspective is an entertaining one for kids old enough to understand the concept--young grade schoolers are sure to get a kick out of the scene where King Mufasa presents his young son Simba to the animal kingdom (in the original movie this is a moving scene in which the animals bow down in reverence; here we learn they are really bowing down because the stench of Pumbaa's gas is so pungent). However, Timon and Pumbaa watch the events from a movie theater. The flow of the story is interrupted so they can make snarky comments or jokes, which is disruptive and likely to annoy adults. Even kids are likely to get frustrated when the action is literally stopped for a minute so that Pumbaa can take a bathroom break and the audience is left to look at Timon staring at a blank screen.

For a direct-to-video feature, the animation is impressive, although the new songs are forgettable (mostly we hear snippets of songs from the original movie). Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Ernie Sabella and the original voice cast are all back, and they manage to make their characters interesting. But parents may be disappointed by the surprising amount of potty humor here--it's too bad that the writers thought lowbrow humor was the only way to engage kids.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Bradley Raymond
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 77 minutes
Theatrical release: February 10, 2004
DVD release: February 10, 2004
MPAA Rating: G
MPAA explanation: all audiences

This review was written by Beth Pratt
 
 

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What parents & educators say

5

Most useful reviews by all members

CaSmFiRe
kid, 11 years old
 
A BIG Disappointment For Me
I was kind of expecting better. During the movie I was face-palming. It was such ridiculous shots at humor, that I basically killed myself watching this. Timon and Pumbaa are my faves, so I was hoping that their movie would have more mature humor like the others, which was what I was expecting. I only laughed at few parts. So, yeah, I couldn't DARE call this a sequel, really disappointing.

arthur16morgana
teen, 16 years old
 
lion king is awesome
i love the lion king movies.they are amazing.

 
The Lion King 1 1/2
Sexual Content (Not an Issue): The two main characters (both male) share a Lady and the Tramp style kiss - played for comedy. Violence (Pause): Hyenas attack the meerkats, some comic peril. Language (Not an Issue): "Whip some grass". Social Behavior (Pause): Timon is made fun of by other meerkats. Some crude humor. Commercialism (Pause): Advertisements in the DVD.

rebma97
teen, 14 years old
 
Hakuna Matata!
Sorry,I just had to post the quote since I like the song :). Anyway, this film was okay (most Disney classic sequels aren't as good as the first), but I do like it how it took the movie from the perspective from Timon and Pumba. But there was too much potty humor in it for me. There isn't a lot of violence, but there still is some. It's less than the first film, but it still has some other violence from the first film, like the hyneas attacking. Overall it was okay.

mannymateo10isback
teen, 14 years old
 
better than part one and two, i used to watch this a millions of times since i was about 7 years old but i still loved it!!

angel6757
teen, 14 years old
 
Just a little peril but nothing major.......... overall kid friendly.

Nectaria
teen, 17 years old
 

 
THE LION KING 1 1/2
The movie THE LION KING is one of my all time favorite Disney movies and Movies period. The prequel/sequel THE LION KING 1 1/2 is just as delightful. With witty cute humor I was overwhelemed with laughter and so was my family who are older and don't realy like Disney movies as much as I do. I would rush to buy this if you are a Disney fan or maybe just rent it!

 
Too Funny for Words!
Good clean humor for the entire family. The use of "potty" words only adds to the enjoyment.

Peenut2k7
kid, 10 years old
 
Least scary of all of the movies
Gangbanging this movie is the worst mistake you could possibly make. THIS was the Lion King movie I really grew up on, as it was the least scary. The really toned down the stampede, made a fun version of Hakuna Matata, and besides- TIMON AND PUMBAA HAVE THEIR OWN MOVIE!!!

 
A Disappointment.
I was disappointed with Lion King 1 1/2, I liked Lion King II much better. The potty humour is just boring and immature, and takes away from the film. This movie lacks the life lessons that the other 2 movies taught. Generally, however, it's harmless entertainment for the kiddies.

TheGreatNoOne
teen, 17 years old
 
"Ooh, that violates so many laws of canon!"
Many fans of the original Lion King will most likely come to hate this movie because of its canonical violations. Simba practically grew up in a day, Timon was down distracting the hyenas when they should've been ganging up on scar, and the presentation for the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" clip is put together rather... oddly. This being the reason I envision the movie of having a canon of its own. There's a long list of negatives I could be noting down right now about what's wrong with this movie. But I'll choose not to mention them. The one great thing that I feel confident enough to say out loud is that it's really, genuinely funny. I mean, sure, it makes no freaking sense but doesn't that make it even funnier? Just, really, think about it.

 
Ok
I did like Disney Classics a while back, including Lion King, so I gave this a try. It was enjoyable but the movie theatre effect of Timon and Pumba was really dumb and some parts of the movie fit in poorly or didn't fit in at all. There was a few funny parts though, like when Simba woke up in the night.

 
A great Movie for any age.
Although many teenagers won't admit it, they liked old Disney classics. This movie is no exception. A great movie with wonderful animation, music, and voices. Anyone that watches it will love it. This movie is sure to be a favorite.

eeb
adult
 
best of the lion king movies
So much better for little kids than the other Lion King movies. The couple scarier parts are interrupted so kids will know the characters are OK. The only one I'll let my kids watch the entire movie of.

animan32
teen, 14 years old
 
ii
im not saying its a rubbish movie but it is by far the worst in the series it was ment to b a funny film but the only line wich made me laph was the "shall we run for r lives 1

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