Lets face it. Direct to video sequels are never 'Wow' material. This is no exception.
I feel that marketing films like this as a 'sequel' is misleading, as they are nowhere near the mark of sequel material.
You can tell how cheaply this was made; the voices have nowhere near as much effort and feel behind them as the original, and the animation is about that of a TV cartoon- a little rough around the edges.
For me, it's just an average thing to pass the time on a quiet evening every so often.
Music wise, the score is lovely; despite not to the same standards as the predecessor, it has its own charm to it and is all round quite suiting. However, there is an issue I can see.
The original film, song felt written around the story and pieced in to suit the mood and story. The songs were spread out through the film, but this film is the opposite. Four or five songs within the first 40 minutes is too much, and each one deliberately set up rather than gently flowing in. Don't get me wrong, there are some truly fantastic songs, just too close together and too forced.
Story wise, it's very much similar in parts to the original. 'You killed your relative,' 'Its not my fault' forms a key part of the plot, and there are several direct copies from th first, such as death by falling from hanging off a cliff-face. A heartwarming story in places, like Romeo and Juliet with love between rivals, but that's about it. There's nothing that truly stands out to me and makes you want to watch it again, and nothing that really grips you as the story unfolds. The speech feels forced rather than natural in places.
There's a nice mix of characters used in the film, bit the returning ones aren't all the same personalities, which is their defining part. Timon and Pumba don't feel wacky for their characterisation, but because we expect them to be so; they just feel wrong. Even Simba appears out-of-place in his homeland. The new characters however work well, and with a better script and voice acting, really cloud have brought something to the Lion King that would have made a real difference And created a true impact on the pride of Simba AND the audience. The turning against the evil villain was pretty predictable, but felt out of character. It could have developed further I feel than simply 'I'm evil, but now I'm good.'
Overall, I did enjoy it at times, but if you want a film that is emotionally moving, gripping and enjoyable, then I'd suggest you see the first one. This is good to while away a wet afternoon perhaps on an occasion, but that is all.
I feel that marketing films like this as a 'sequel' is misleading, as they are nowhere near the mark of sequel material.
You can tell how cheaply this was made; the voices have nowhere near as much effort and feel behind them as the original, and the animation is about that of a TV cartoon- a little rough around the edges.
For me, it's just an average thing to pass the time on a quiet evening every so often.
Music wise, the score is lovely; despite not to the same standards as the predecessor, it has its own charm to it and is all round quite suiting. However, there is an issue I can see.
The original film, song felt written around the story and pieced in to suit the mood and story. The songs were spread out through the film, but this film is the opposite. Four or five songs within the first 40 minutes is too much, and each one deliberately set up rather than gently flowing in. Don't get me wrong, there are some truly fantastic songs, just too close together and too forced.
Story wise, it's very much similar in parts to the original. 'You killed your relative,' 'Its not my fault' forms a key part of the plot, and there are several direct copies from th first, such as death by falling from hanging off a cliff-face. A heartwarming story in places, like Romeo and Juliet with love between rivals, but that's about it. There's nothing that truly stands out to me and makes you want to watch it again, and nothing that really grips you as the story unfolds. The speech feels forced rather than natural in places.
There's a nice mix of characters used in the film, bit the returning ones aren't all the same personalities, which is their defining part. Timon and Pumba don't feel wacky for their characterisation, but because we expect them to be so; they just feel wrong. Even Simba appears out-of-place in his homeland. The new characters however work well, and with a better script and voice acting, really cloud have brought something to the Lion King that would have made a real difference And created a true impact on the pride of Simba AND the audience. The turning against the evil villain was pretty predictable, but felt out of character. It could have developed further I feel than simply 'I'm evil, but now I'm good.'
Overall, I did enjoy it at times, but if you want a film that is emotionally moving, gripping and enjoyable, then I'd suggest you see the first one. This is good to while away a wet afternoon perhaps on an occasion, but that is all.