(c) Disney

Its often dangerous to introduce new characters into an existing storyline (such as Forte, Angelique and Fife in Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas), but director Bradley Raymond (who, with Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World and The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, has a background in direct-to-video sequels) wisely chose to keep them to a minimum, and the results fit into the Lion King mythos with a lot more success then, say, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’s Kiara and Kovu did. As Timon’s lovingly devoted Ma and crusty ol’ Uncle Max, Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge on The Simpsons) and Jerry Stiller (another Teacher’s Pet alum) bring an East Coast realness and humor to their characters (I especially like Ma’s endearing nickname for her son: ‘Timmy’ and Max’s sentry duty ritual, “scurry, sniff, flinch!�?), and their character animation (as in the rest of the film) is on a par with any current feature animated film.

On a related note, most new songs in video sequels are as forgettable as their titles (anyone catch themselves humming “Follow Your Heart�? from Cinderella II: Dreams Come True or “World Without Fences�? from Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure lately?), so again the 1 ½ filmmakers hedge their bets and come out on top, with only two new songs in addition to brief snippets of the original score. The work theme “Digga Tunnah�? (written by Martin Erskine and Seth J. Friedman) is a catchy ditty that introduces us to the meerkat colony and their unshakable work ethic, and Timon gets his very own splashy “I want�? song with “That’s All I Need�?, which actually isn’t new but a reworked version of Elton John and Tim Rice’s “The Warthog Rhapsody�? song originally written for the first film and featured on the Rhythm of the Pridelands album.

When all is said and done, I’m sure that The Lion King 1 ½ will take a lot of people by surprise at how funny and heartwarming it truly is, and may go a long way in changing the perception of direct-to-video features in the future.

In a first for a Disney video sequel, The Lion King 1 ½ was released as a two-disc set, with a host of entertaining extras as self-referential as the main feature.

• In lieu of an audio commentary (thank you), Disc 1 features a Hidden Mickey Hunt, which challenges you to find twenty of the familiar three circle images hidden throughout the film. Onscreen icons alert you to their pending presence, and you use your remote to record your finds. I only found fifteen, so if any readers out there score a perfect twenty, let us know if there is any type of bonus.
• Seven Deleted Scenes are also on Disc 1, mostly from Timon’s back story and including two alternate opening concepts and such abandoned characters as Timon’s dad and “Fearless�? Buzz, the bravest meerkat who ever was�?.
• Disc 2 begins with Timon: Behind the Legend, an A&E Biography-type expose complete with host Peter Graves and Timon’s baby pictures. A great idea that, unfortunately, doesn’t go anywhere, ending abruptly.
• Just as irreverent as the main film, Before the Beginning: The Making of ‘The Lion King 1 ½’ is hosted by director Bradley Raymond and producer George Mendoza. Animation for the feature was mostly completed by Disney’s Australian studio, and this featurette features what is billed as “Nathan Lane’s only interview for a Lion King movie�?. Oy.
• Current Disney Channel fave Raven (That’s So Raven) performs the end title song “Grazing in the Grass�? in a 70’s flavored dance-arama music video.
• Following on the heels of The Lion King Platinum Edition DVD is the second of Timon and Pumbaa’s Virtual Safari, here billed as ‘version 1.5’. Ma and Uncle Max join the twosome for a wild ride through their new theme park ride and, as would be expected, in-jokes abound, from a wildebeest ride vehicle to the “you must be this tall to ride�? signs. Any further elaboration would ruin the fun, but its safe to say that T & P (with a little help from those wacky folks at Disney Imagineering, who helped design this feature) take their inspirations from some very famous E-ticket attractions.
• Another elaborate addition and probably the most extensive game ever created for a DVD, Timon co-stars with Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? host Meredith Vieira in Who Wants To Be King of the Jungle? All the Millionaire trappings are here, from the dramatic lighting and music down to “Is that your final answer?�? Players help Timon answer a series of Lion King trivia questions from all three movies (be forewarned: the Lion King II: Simba’s Pride questions are hard); if you answer all of them correctly, Timon gets a lifetime supply of grubs, so you know the stakes are high. But you can always use your ‘lifelines’, such as “Poll the Herd�? and “Phone an Animal�? (Ma and Uncle Max are a riot here, as is Pumbaa with his little cel phone). And of course, Timon isn’t above kibitzing on the side. The questions rotate, so this is actually another rarity in DVD games: one that can actually be played more then once. (Hint: hit the ‘chapter forward’ button on your remote to skip the introduction when replaying.)
• For a less challenging game, help a movie theater usher Find the Face by matching famous Disney characters to their silhouettes.