Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012
Price: DVD $29.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.99, standard-definition download $29.99, high-definition download $39.99
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Disney’s two sequels to its timeless animated film The Lion King, The Lion King 1.5 (2004) and The Lion King 2 (1998), were released on Blu-ray and DVD on Oct. 4, 2011, but only in a mega-priced The Lion King Trilogy set, so it’s great to see them get their own separate releases.
Both of the G-rated animated sequels feature the voices of Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as the young lion Simba, Nathan Lane (Stuart Little) as Timon and Ernie Sabella (TV’s House of Mouse) as Pumbaa.
In The Lion King 1 1/2, Timon and Pumbaa tell where they came from and explain what really happened during the big events of the franchise’s first movie.
In The Lion King 2, Timon and Pumbaa have a new cub in their life, Kiara, the strong-willed daughter of now-grownup Simba.
Neve Campbell (Scream 4) voices Kiara, and both films also feature Robert Guillaume (TV’s Sports Night) and Moira Kelly (TV’s One Tree Hill). Jerry Stiller (TV’s The King of Queens), Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple) and Cheech Marin (Cars 2) also lend their voices to The Lion King 1.5.
Each new DVD and Blu-ray has a new animated bonus feature. On 1.5, it’s “Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari,” in which the pals watch home movies of their friends at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
The Lion King 2 features “Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia,” in which they find their favorite meal, insects, as star constellations.
The Lion King 1 1/2 also offers:
- seven deleted scenes with intro by director Bradley Raymond and producer George Mendoza
- “Timon: Behind the Legend,” a mockumentary about the character’s childhood, with interviews with Timon’s mom, Uncle Max and Pumbaa
- “Before the Beginning: The Making of Lion King 1.5“
- “Grazing in the Grass” music video performanced by Raven.
The digital download of The Lion King 1.5 comes with “Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari” and “Timon: Behind the Legend.”
As well as “Insectapedia,” The Lion King 2 includes these extras:
- “One By One” animated short with vocals by The Lion King vocalist Lebo Morake
- “Timon & Pumbaa: Find Out Why” series of animated shorts with Timon and Pumbaa answering some of life’s most puzzling questions, like why we sneeze
- “Proud of Simba’s Pride” featurette about the making of the movie
- “Love With Find a Way” music video by Kenny Lattimore and Heather Hadley.
The download includes “Insectapedia” and “One By One.”
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Buy or Rent The Lion King 1.5
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  DVD  | Blu-ray/DVD Combo |
 DVD | Blu-ray/DVD Combo |
 DVD | Blu-ray/DVD Combo |
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Buy or Rent The Lion King 2
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DVD  | Blu-ray/DVD Combo |
DVD | Blu-ray/DVD Combo |
DVD | Blu-ray/DVD Combo |
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Lion King 2 is my favorite movie