Parents' Guide to

The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Romeo and Juliet in the pridelands.

Movie G 2004 81 minutes
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Philip S.
Philip S. Parent of 18-year-old
May 14, 2023
age 2+

Lion king2 and simbia is’s pride the story of Kopa

This lion king 2 simba’s pride is a big failure because that at end of lion king one is a male lion not a female I consider the gender is completely a male and I mean it. The pride of simba is Kopa not kiaraI declare and I demand redo this whole completely and I want to see or to watch it.

This title has:

Great role models
zackuva
zackuva Parent of 9, 11 and 14-year-old
August 21, 2022
age 6+
some scenes are scary one song is very dark

This title has:

Great messages
See all 14 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Simba the Lion King is now a dad. His daughter Kiara is eager to explore beyond the pridelands, but Simba tries to shelter her from danger. One day while exploring, Kiara bumps into Scar's son Kovu (which means 'scar' in Swahili). They like each other, but Kovu's evil mother Zira and Simba quickly intervene and separate the two. Zira fills Kovu's head and heart with hatred and raises him for the sole purpose of someday killing Simba. Years later, on the day of her first solo hunt, Kiara runs into Kovu again. He rescues her from a fire and then asks to join Simba's pride. It's all according to Zira's evil plan, but Kovu falls in love with Kiara and begins to see that the two prides should be united, not divided.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14):
Kids say (42):

LION KING II is good by Disney sequel standards and unique in that the story actually follows directly from the first movie. We see a progression of themes and plot elements planted earlier, as if this story were always meant to be told. Indeed, the story of star-crossed lovers from feuding families has been told countless times before, nevertheless fans of The Lion King will enjoy seeing the characters' story continue. Cute characters Timon and Pumbaa don't have a role beyond following Kiara around, but they add some laughs to the heavy love and vengeance plot. The songs are listenable in the moment while not the makings of a child's favorite soundtrack.

Disney did a pretty good job with the DVD extras on this sequel. Timon and Pumbaa host most of the features, making them fun for kids. Particularly cool is a virtual elephant ride in which kids can pick where they go and feel like they're riding an elephant. Several simple, fun games can be played by little ones who can use a mouse. Older viewers may enjoy interviews with the voice cast members Mathew Broderick, Neve Campbell, Suzanne Pleshette, and others.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Simba and Kiara's goals are different at first, but they come to better understand each other over the course of the movie. What are good ways for parents and kids to work through misunderstandings?

Movie Details

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