Nala (and Kovu) were not helping

[PrincessKiara]

I`ve been watching a couple of reviews of Simba`s Pride on YouTube as it`s always interesting to hear what people think of this movie.
One point regarding Nala was brought up that I wanted to discuss here.
At the end of the movie, when Kiara and Zira are both falling down the cliff, Simba is the one to jump after them to save/help his daughter. Nala, as well as Kovu, do nothing, they stand at the top, calling out Kiaras name, and Nala tells Kiara to hold on, and alerts Simba to the rivers movements. The person doing the review said there was no way the old Nala (TLK Nala) would have stood by like this, watching. She would have jumped down that cliff right alongside Simba.

You can also ask yourself why Kovu isn`t doing anything. It`s both his mother and his girlfriend/mate who are in mortal danger.

Then again, how much good would it do if more lions were jumping down that cliff coming to Kiara`s rescue? After all, all Simba does is help her get up on that last ledge, Kiara manages fine on her own besides that.

I`m personally fine with the ending/Ziras death being handled this way. The core of the movie is Simba and Kiara, and it makes perfect sense that he would be the one trying to save her. Nala is very much in the background in this movie as it focuses on the father-daughter relationship.
Kovu on the other hand.. I do think it`s strange that he doesn`t act in this situation.

[Regulus]

Yep. You've basically just pointed out one of the reasons why all the characters in TLK 2 are little more than cardboard cutouts of their TLK selves.

Good job. Here, have a cookie. :3

[Tsuki]

It could also be that both Nala and Kovu were stunned by what had just happened and didn't react as quickly as Simba did. Before they realised what was happening, Simba had already taken action and they may have thought that they would just make things worse if more than one of them jumped down to save her.

Well that was always my view on it .

But I do think Kovu should have said something to Zira.

[Hatari05]

That's kind of it if you question a characters actions simply think what you would do true your daughter and husband are in potential danger or your lover is but would jumping into danger recklessly help? Simba didn't need help he wasn't in danger not really anyway Nala diving after both of them wouldn't help
Kovu has a connection to both Zira and Kiara and as such should probably stay out of the situation trying to save both could very well get both killed.

Of course the real reason is the same reason Nala didn't help Simba fight Scar it wasn't their moment I mean where was Nala during the climax we see one or two shots of her yes and why was she just standing back and watching when Scar pretty much turned the Pride on him she trusts him she loves him and Scar winning won't help anyone why isn't Nala doing anything? It was Simba's story he needed to find out the truth and he wouldn't of if Nala had tackled off of Pride Rock which would've been the sensible thing to do.

The same thing applies here Simba and Kiara were the heart of the movie even more so than Kovu and Kiara as such the end of the climax hinges on them it's their moment. The first one did the same thing using characters when it was convenient for the story Nala doesn't do much in the climax because it was Simba's story she sits back and watches Scar almost kill Simba because Scar has to expose himself. She doesn't do anything in the end of the second one because it was about Simba and Kiara and needed to conclude with them.

Kovu reacting to Zira was shown it was brief but they didn't have a lot of time also Scar was Simba's uncle yet he didn't react to his death either at all so same situation here in fact most of the things the second one is accused of the first is guilty of too doesn't make the movie any less great but it is guilty of the most of the same things.

[SlayerOfLight]

One word: laziness.

[Elton John]

[quote="Nicholas"]One word: laziness.[/quote]

From the characters or the people who wrote the story?

I'm going to be honest, I like tlk2 but it's story has a lot of flaws. Not that the first movie was perfectly written but a lot of things from it could be explained with a little logic.

I never got over the fact that we are supposed to accept that kovu, vitani, nuka and zira were in tlk1 all along when they were created just for the sequel.

In spite of all this I enjoy the movie... I just try not to think too hard about all the plotholes it created.

[Hatari05]

Than I suppose it was laziness that Nala just sat back and did nothing while Scar was about to kill Simba or that Rafiki didn't show up until the battle happened or that no one helped Simba with Scar or that Timon and Pumba show up out of no where despite being chased by the hyena pack before or the fact that Rafiki apparently had contact with Mufasa since he knew how to have Simba contact him yet didn't know he was alive I could go on. As I said the first movie is guilty of nearly everything the second one is. Sarabi has her son back and doesn't do anything when he's in danger that's a pretty big deal but they couldn't Simba needed to find out the truth just like Kiara needed to protect her father and try to save Zira is that laziness.

Whose to say they weren't there was a war being fought, a war we really didn't see it's about a minute long who knows what the rest was whose to say Zira and Sarabi weren't fighting off screen. Naturally they weren't thought of but it's not as much of a stretch as you think yes we didn't see them but so much could've happened that we don't know about it's not a plot hole so much as it's a mystery we know so little about Scar's reign anything could've happened to answer your question just like the first the second can be explained provided you use a little logic as well I have seen fans make answers to your question again and again the second movie can be explained if you think outside the box a little.

[Captain Cupcake]

[quote="Hatari05"]it's not a plot hole so much as it's a mystery we know so little about Scar's reign[/quote]

It is actually a plot hole when it comes to Kovu and Vitani, because their ages(or, to be more accurate, their sizes) don't make sense if they were already around at that time.

As for the idea of Zira and her fellow Scar enthusiasts in general, it's true that it's not exactly a full blown plot hole, but it is a contrived concept wedged into the story forcefully. It's an idea that ultimately undermines the entire conflict Simba is going through at the end of the film, as well as the suffering the pride had to go through during that dark period before his return. When you realize that a good number of lionesses aren't actually on Simba's side at the time and were totally okay with Scar being the abysmal ruler he actually was, all the drama and the pain everyone had gone through loses a lot of weight.

[Hatari05]

Not exactly Hitler had supporters Stalin had supporters and they ruled of iron fist they turned their country into an absolute horrible place people died in droves and went hungry their rule was pretty much Scar's but they still had supporters how anyone's guess it's actually more realistic. How does the drama lose weight Sarabi still suffered, Nala still suffered and the pride still suffered there were just some who really didn't care which is actually pretty horrifying when you think of it.

We don't know if the lions age like real lions it was never stated how long Simba was gone if they just age more like humans which a lot of fan writers do than it can work Kovu is a little older than Kiara but not by much.

[Captain Cupcake]

[quote="Hatari05"]Not exactly Hitler had supporters Stalin had supporters and they ruled of iron fist they turned their country into an absolute horrible place people died in droves and went hungry their rule was pretty much Scar's but they still had supporters how anyone's guess it's actually more realistic. How does the drama lose weight Sarabi still suffered, Nala still suffered and the pride still suffered there were just some who really didn't care which is actually pretty horrifying when you think of it.[/quote]

Realistic elements such as those don't automatically translate to good storytelling all the time. At least not with how this particular story portrayed these events. When it comes to Simba's whole fight to take back his throne, the severity of the damage Scar's poor rule did to the Pride Lands plays an integral part to the experience and shows how high the stakes are. The moment you have a number of their pride suddenly being okay with it all along, the weight of said stakes is significantly diminished.

Having a twist where there are a few lioness supporters in the mix would only work well if there was a larger focus on Scar's time as king, showcasing all the inner workings of the pride, relationships being formed, and influences being made. You need to actually see all these things be properly established and be developed first before such an element can be introduced in the story. But that's not what the film revolves around. It's about Simba accepting his responsibilities, taking his place as the rightful ruler, and restoring balance to the kingdom. Having part of the pride being in full support of the complete opposite of that goes against that theme.