My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: "The Lion King 1 1/2" - A Comedic, Snarky and Meta-Contemporary Remake of "The Lion King"

Hi folks! Welcome to My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are meant to be my analyses only. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries is meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize.

I just held him for a second and fortunately the picture was taken in that mere second:)

Since I've dared to tap into the fragile subject of cheapquels (thanks
for not ripping me to pieces for this guys), I've pretty much tapped into those cheapquels that I've found worthy to analyze. Despite that I`ve made an entry about that The Lion King II: Simba's Pride's is regarded higher than it's cheapquel counterparts, at the end of the day both of thedirect to video-releases of The Lion King have been highly regarded. The appeal of Simba's Pride was (as something that I've already mentioned in my entry) that it was irresistibly cute and charming (despite it's cheapquel faults). The Lion King 1 1/2, however, is another case. And while it's highly rated, the opinions around it are rather scattered.

Made by Disney's Australian studio (and also having a theatrical release in some Domestic cities), 1 1/2 was not a small success. It earned 1.5 million units the first day. And selling 2.5 million copies in the first weekend on DVD (which received a two-disc release at first) and overall 6. million. Released as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata in certain countries, some crew members from the first film were on board on this project and suggested gags (a few of them being Irene Mecchi and Roger Allers).

The Structure of The Lion King 1 1/2 and It`s Source Material

It's taken on a bad day,
since we're in shadows :)

On my two prior cheapquel entries (before this one) I've ranted about how these cheapquels are structured and how they handled their plots and storylines. But what makes The Lion King 1 1/2 unique in retrospect is that it's bascially a another version of it's predecessor, just told differently.
It also places 1 1/2 in the same league as Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. Which also gained some praise for being a version that deliberately turned the premise of the original movie on it's head. To improve the story (or more precisely; to fix the gaps that has annoyed feminists for years).
1 1/2 is basically a different take on The Lion King story. From a funnier and "clever" point of view (since The Lion King films have unofficially drawn their sources from William Shakespeare, 1 1/2 is based on Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead. With a little bit of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in it, at least by it's silhouette parts, where at the end several other Disney characters makes cameos). Of course a prominent question would be why there wasn't made an actual third movie which continued the legacy. Since there were rumors of a third continuation (it would be tempting to ponder how 1 1/2 would've been received if it was released at the height of the success of it's predecessor).

How the Meta-Aspect Have Made Audiences Torn About The Lion King 1 1/2 and How It`s a Product of Our Cynical Times

I'm the Clopin of the Savannah :)

Look at this, Mike Oldfield :)

Because of those reasons, it would be awfully tempting to label this third entry of The Lion King saga as pure blasphemy. Since it's practically a movie that was meant to irreverently mock and turn on it's head of the events (the crew confirmed that this task was relatively easy). Which is why some people have been turned off by The Lion King 1 1/2. However, for others it`s, the exact reason why they likes the film and find it entertaining (as it was for me). While arriving almost a decade later than it's predecessor, it would be easy to label 1 1/2 as a cynical, cash-in product of our times. Since irreverent animated comedies were dominating the Box Office at the time (*cough, Shrek, cough*). But that's unfortunately how the world has evolved, guys. Animated movies have changed and changed the taste of the audiences, too. And of course the world has become cynical.

The Lion King 1 1/2`s Comparison To It`s Predecessor, Breezy Fun and My Personal Opinion About The Film

At least it's healthier than a lollipop :)

Out of the Lion King triology, 1 1/2 is definitively the most fun (and it's also the least epic one. Since it's small in scope, which was a conscious choice from the creators).
The original Lion King is known for blending it's different components into a compelling whole. And for it's epic majesty. Whereas Simba's Pride was mostly cute. 1 1/2 is fun, breezy and frankly is better for it. Frankly, I genuinely liked the film when I saw it initially and found it laugh-out-loud hilarious and clever. And I still like it today. However, I'll still have to admit that not all of the comedy has aged well and some parts does comes across as crude and not funny.

The Change of Lead Characters in The Lion King 1 1/2, Storyline, New Characters, Voice Actors, Visuals, Music and Pop Culture References

Mickey isn't the only one who has just three fingers :)

I went on a trip with John Lasseter and he put it on me:)

Disney have managed to take certain characters who weren't the leads in their originals and made them protagonists in their sequels (as evident in The Return of Jafar and even Cars 2). While of course both Timon and Pumbaa are the center of the attention, it`s basically Timon who`s the main lead of this picture (director Brad Raymond suggested that our duo would come from different backgrounds and having different goals. Despite how the meerkats and warthogs were originally meant to live together in a early storyreel).
And yes guys, in true Disney fashion, Timon is an outcast among his meerkat colony and wants to prove himself among them. It's well known that Timon's original verse of Hakuna Matata was thrown out due to it not working. But frankly, the storyline in The Lion King 1 1/2 seems as an expansion of that verse (of course Hakuna Matata is prominent in this film, yet it's added later on in a new-recording. When Pumbaa tries to find a proper theme for their new home, which Ernie Sabella feared that would be taken out of the movie. And originally Timon and his clan would go to Pride Rock to seek out the lions).

Timon is actually given a mother, voiced by Marge Simpson, uh, I meant Julie Kavner (who came up with the nickname Timmy and the final design of her character). And an uncle Max, voiced by Jerry Stiller (originally Timon was going to have a father as well. But he was discarded since the movie got filled with too many characters). But the film serves as an origin story for Timon and Pumbaa. Of course this makes Simba less of a lead and is given less focus (young Simba was of course by then voiced by a different actor, Matt Weinberg). And Rafiki was originally going to be the narrator of the story.

Timon and Pumbaa were reprised by their original voice actors, Nathan Lane and Sabella (who knew each other from Broadway's Guys and Dolls). In fact, what's astonishing about these cheapquels is (regardless of their stigma), the original voice casts usually returns to them.
With the exception of Rowan Atkinson (Whoopi Goldberg ad-libbed several of the lines and randomly ran into Sabella in town, without knowing that he was doing 1 1/2 too).
A remarkable thing about this film is how it basically reuses the scenes from it's first movie. It's not always a smooth transition, however, and it's shortcomings are evident. However, 1 1/2 have been animated superiorly than most other Disney cheapquels and been praised for it (while CGI was also used in certain scenes). The theme "look beyond what you see" was a theme that became actually more evident than more than one aspect.

At least it's cheaper than accessories and bling :)

1 1/2 has also a couple of new songs (which Lebo M was actually eager to work with). As the catchy
Digga Tunnah performed by the meerkat colony (which was an interesting song to make, a fun song about the boring monotony. Which was partly inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Whistle While You Work). And That's All I Need, which originally was The Warthog Rhapsody from the first Lion King. A new-recorded version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight is played through the montage where young Simba is taken care of by Timon and Pumbaa (their dialogue before finding Simba unconscious in the desert was taken from the Junior Novelization of the movie, by Gina Ingoglia).

1 1/2 doesn't shy away from borrowing tunes used frequently in pop culture. Since Kool and the Gang's Jungle Boogie is played. As well as Ennio Morricone's theme for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (during the snail eating contest), Peter Gunn Theme (during Can You Feel the Love Tonight) and Fiddler of the Roof's Sunset Sunset, sung by Timon in the montage where Simba grows up.
Then-Disney Channel starlet Raven-Symone (unsurprisingly enough) contributed with the end credits song Grazing in the Grass. The score was written by Don Harper (The Hulk, The Rock, Texas Rangers). A neat thing is that we're for once given a longer sequence for teenage Simba (which Matthew Broderick played), which was a missed addition in the first Lion King.

The Successful and Non-Successful Aspects of the Comedy in The Lion King 1 1/2

At least we can watch the show here... for free :)

They're just dots. Just think that they're going to dissapear :)

However, regarding the comedy, it's pretty clear what works and what doesn't work. The Lion King 1 1/2 works when it doesn't try too hard to be irreverent. And manages to poke fune in a clever way (Disney took a cue from The Emperor's New Groove with this movie. With the zooming from the waterfall. Alongside with some other nods to Disney properties, as Timon singing It's a Small World and apparently having over 20 hidden Mickeys. Even the Audio Commentary for Brother Bear was executed with the shadows of the moose, most likely inspired by this movie).
What doesn't work is when the film tries too hard to recreate the events of the first movie. By Timon and Pumbaa causing them. The Circle of Life-sequence is reused, but it's Pumbaa's flatulence problem which makes the animals bowing (yet Pumbaa's flatulence problems was something Sabella was proud of.
Another example is the joke during the wildebeest stampede. Which simply wasn't called for, since Mufasa was after all dying off-screen (frankly, Disney were in a time where they were mocking several death scenes. Which one of the outtakes for Brother Bear even were doing, where Kenai's brother Sitka was apparently not dead on his deathbed).

One Overlooked Strength of The Lion King 1 1/2: It`s Emotional Moments

Puss in Boots from Shrek taught me this :)

Despite all this, folks, I honestly think The Lion King 1 1/2 deserves genuine praise for one thing that it's not known for; For managing to pull off the emotional scenes quite nicely.
And that's really one of the film's overlooked strengths. Despite being known for a comic romp, at least 1 1/2 manages to be heartwarming and sincere with it's emotional moments. Without being too sappy. And the film does have a couple of those moments, which it pulls off quite nicely.

Epilogue

You'll get plenty of time for rest later :)

Sorry, I thought you were a honey can :)

As I've confirmed several times, these additions are mostly served to be analyses of films, not reviews. Despite that I'm putting some personal remarks and notes here and there, while I'll admit that perhaps I'm shaping these entries to look like reviews sometimes.
So I've pretty much cited my opinion about The Lion King 1 1/2. Is it outrageous blasphemy? Perhaps. Is it flawed? Yes. But it's still a fun romp that doesn't take itself seriously, nonetheless. And frankly it`s a movie that deserves praise and recognition for what it is. So it's a enjoyable escape into a irreverent take on The Lion King and is pure fun. However, we'll have to wonder if we're actually going to get a true third film to this franchise. And no, let's not count The Lion Guard into this ;)

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My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses

mandag 4. september 2017

"The Lion King 1 1/2" - A Comedic, Snarky and Meta-Contemporary Remake of "The Lion King"

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize.

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