Review of The Lion King 1½ (2004) by Jonathan Y — 23 Aug 2008
What by all rights should have been a complete embarrassment is instead a pleasantly surprising treat, thanks largely to a snappy script, vibrant animation, colorful tunes, spiffy voice acting by returning thesps Lane and Sabella, and especially by a refreshingly irreverent comic sensibility that straddles the fine line between inspired and obnoxious, but thankfully almost never trips over it.
Given how lackluster and uninspired most Disney sequels have tended to be, watching 'TLK 1 1/2' leaves you with the impresson that this fun little flick sort of slid in under the radar... maybe the higher-ups in charge simply weren't paying attention long enough to screw it up.
In any case, this semi-prequel provides plenty of chuckles while expanding the backstories and personalities of the original film's comic relief duo into something truly clever, and even (dare I say) occasionally poignant.
'TLK 1 1/2' may be rough around the edges, but like its odd-couple heroes, it's also genuinely endearing.
This review of The Lion King 1½ (2004) was written by Jonathan Y on 23 Aug 2008.
The Lion King 1½ has generally received positive reviews.
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