The Lion King 1/2 (February 10, 2004)

This is honestly one of the weirdest Disney movies ever released- definitely the weirdest sequel. It is essentially a watch party of The Lion King hosted by Timon and Pumba where they tell their place in the main story (“the story within the story” as Timon puts it) It acts like a parody with moments of genuine heart; This should not work and yet it does. Timon and Pumba are just funny enough and endearing enough to make their quips and comments worthwhile- and they actually add interesting anecdotes, including their backstories: Timon is an outcast who left his home after many screw ups to find his place in the world while Pumba is ostracized by his pears due to his stench. This movie shows how they were actually a part of many of the iconic moments from the original (particularly the musical numbers). It also breaks the fourth wall often with clips of songs from other popular Disney movies interspersed throughout (an added bonus!) with a few new songs as well. I feel this, overall, is a better sequel than The Lion King II (which was released before this sequel in 1998) and that sequel was actually exceptionally good. I recommend anyone who is a fan of the first film (which you will need to have seen to understand) watch The Lion King ½ and it is a short, fun romp down memory lane.

Final Rating: 8/10