Il re leone 2 - Il regno di Simba

When I first saw the original 'The Lion King' in cinemas at the age of four, I'd been hooked. Ever since then, my favorite movie has always been this Disney classic. The sequel came out when I was seven, and for a cheaply made direct-to-video movie, was quite enjoyable to watch. Basically, the story follows on from the original film. 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 film can be very moving at times, and some songs I even preferred over the original's. However, this movie could have been so much more! Had Disney spent more time on it and released it to cinemas instead of having a direct to video release, this could have easily been just as good as the original. What brought this movie's rating down was the fact the storyline had a lot of unanswered questions - where was this pride int he rpevious movie? Many other gaps fill this film, and are far too vague for the viewer to assume what might have happened.

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. The songs, while not as outstanding as the original, were actually not that bad at all. He lives in You is wonderfully uplifting. Zira was also very convincing, much better than Morgana. I don't think though that she was as convincing a villain as Scar, who to me is on of the best Disney villains along with Jafar, Ursula, Frollo, Maleficent, The Wicked Queen and Ratigan oddly enough. The animation actually wasn't that bad either, though sometimes fell flat in the darker scenes, but it was colourful, crisp and lively on the whole.

The negatives are very few actually. In the Little Mermaid sequel, I put more cons than pros, but not here. Kiara and Kuvu are a little unconvincing, likewise with Simba, they just lacked depth. And the story isn't quite as gripping and is sometimes a little on the predictable side. But of course, the sequel is hardly ever better than the original, with the exception of perhaps Toy Story.

In conclusion, a flawed but enjoyable sequel to a cinematic masterpiece, though the original isn't as good as Beauty and the Beast. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The lion king 2 is probably my favorite Disney sequel. Its one of the movies where the first time around its okay, and then if you see it again, you're like..wow, this is great! Same goes for the songs. I actually love this movie. Compared to the first movie, it isn't all that bad. They didn't ruin anything from the first movie, like the characters personalities, as they do in so many other sequels (like little mermaid 2. puke.) I'd say more of the problem is they kind of down play a lot of characters that had bigger roles. Zazu and Nala are barely in this. Timoon and Puumba are still cute and funny. Kiara, their daughter, is a little flat, But the evil villains are very, very good. Zira is excellent, and Kovu is very complex and interesting. The ending is a little flat as well, but its still a touching movie. Its on par with Aladdin and the king of thieves, which is the only other excellent Disney sequel. (for the record, toy story 2 is Disney and pixar-but is not Disney made. pixar makes it, Disney distributes. thanks.) This sequel actually has depth and every (major) character in this movie has their own personal struggle. Its not simple and happy go lucky like most Disney sequels. I would highly recommend it.

The five main reasons I like this film: 1. The song "We Are One" is a spectacular and I prefer it to all of the songs in the first film! 2. Kiara is a really good character and so is Kovu! I also like Nala in this one, although I prefer her in the last Lion King film. 3. I prefer this one's plot to the one in the first film! I think it's slightly more planned out than the last one's plot. 4. The animation is really good! There's one bit where Kiara and Kovu jump into the air and they animate it so well it looks - spooky! 5. It's a really good sequel for all the fans of the first film! Enjoy! :)

Kiara is the future queen, unfortunately for Simba, she is in love with an outsider, whom she is forbidden to marry. Kovu is also supposed to "follow in Scar's pawprints"...

I wanted to see this for ages but was put off by the fact that it went straight to video. Then I noticed that all Disney sequels (bar Rescuers Down Under) went straight to video, so I bought it. From the opening song this film captures the spirit of the original. The first time I saw it I thought only two of the songs were good (Upendi and One of Us) but after seeing it a few times I realised that the songs are extremely well written and catchy. 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. Overall I am very impressed by this film. It has very high quality animation for a straight to video sequel and introduces some interesting new characters. 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. A definite 5-stars.