I voted 8 on the poll.
I absolutely LOVE Simba's Pride - I think it's unfair to be harsh on it. it's a direct-to-video sequel, and for what it is, I think it's very good.
I don't doubt that nostalgia plays a part in it. TLK came out the year before I was born, but SP came out when I was juuust old enough to very vaguely remember seeing SP trailers at the beginning of VHS tapes or on TV or what have you. so it definitely carries with it a certain feeling I associate with that part of my life that I remember in an incredibly distant and vague way, which is very comforting.
still, I had my anti-SP phase. in my early teens, when I was participating in online TLK fan communities more, I was really in the "complaining about Nala's eye color" sort of camp, often arguing that SP is inexcusably lazy. I had quite a negative outlook on the film, aside from my love of Zira.
luckily, I loosened up over the years. it was actually when I started college that I truly began to appreciate the film again. I was having a very bad time emotionally and had an extremely strained relationship with my best friend, who was the only person at my school I felt I could turn to, as I was having such a hard time truly connecting with my new friends and acquaintances. ANYWAY.....I would often watch VHS tapes of older Disney movies alone in my room and get incredibly emotionally invested in them, with my life circumstances making me feel a lot more inclined to view the films in an ultra-positive light. SP was one of those - I'm pretty sure I shed some tears to SP in that dorm room, and I never cry...it was just really that beautiful and touching to me, lmao.
anyway, sorry this is becoming my life's story....I guess I'll make some lists....
why i love it:
- the opening sequence. I think it was a wise choice to use He Lives in You, and I think the imagery and mood of the scene is lovely.
- the character of Kiara. she often gets a lot of hate in the fan community, and I used to dislike her a lot too. I thought she was annoying, bratty, and dumb. I really can't help but feel this was an 'internalized misogyny' type of reaction, and I'm so disappointed I used to feel that way. she's such a good character. even from the time she's a cub, she's exploring her sense of self and thinking quite introspectively. she doesn't let Simba's overprotectiveness hold her back from pursuing what she wants and is ultimately for the best in the end. she was able to see Kovu for who he really is and to interpret the real meaning of the "we are one" message when Simba couldn't.
- the character of Kovu!! I absolutely adore him - he might be my favorite character from the whole franchise. I'll admit it right away: I'm a sucker for a moody male character trying to escape from the fate someone else has set down for him. Kovu reminds me of two other characters I adore - Prince Zuko from ATLA, and Brambleclaw from Warriors. lol. anyway, not only does he have a nice-looking design, I just really enjoy his personality. he has spent his whole life being conditioned by Zira to kill, but it doesn't take much time spent with Kiara for him to start rethinking everything and wondering if there's more to him than just being the next incarnation of Scar. that shows a great amount of strength, and like Kiara, introspectiveness IMO. even his hatred for Simba, which has been drilled into him hardcore for his whole life, melts away very quickly.
- on that note, Kovu's exile absolutely kills me and is very powerful. I think that's the bit I've cried at most notably, LOL. I just feel so bad for him being thrust into his fate and being unable to escape Scar's pawprints! )~:
- the Outlanders in general. Zira is an incredible villain. her intensity and drive is downright scary. I love Nuka and Vitani's character designs, and I think a lot is expressed through these characters' appearances and their brief scenes. I wish we knew more about them. Nuka's desire to please his mother and get her attention is so sad. and there's just
something about Vitani - I can't quite put my finger on it. she's so tough and a willing participant in Zira's plot, yet she immediately listens to Kiara during the ending battle. some people would probably consider that to be a flaw in the film, but I think it just makes her character more interesting.
- the dynamic between Zira and Simba. I'm just going to link Hitari05's thread "
Simba and Zira similarities" to illustrate this point. I never noticed some of the subtleties of the two characters' dynamic before I read that post, and I'm impressed by it.
- the music in general. obviously the score is nowhere near as good as the first film's -
no other score is, IMO - but it's very effective. I enjoy all the original songs, and My Lullaby is one of my favorites from the franchise.
why it could be better:
- my biggest gripe is that the deleted scenes were deleted. Nuka's original death scene and Zira's suicide are so impactful that I think just those two moments could have improved the film significantly. the fact that they even exist does imply to me that the SP creators were definitely considering the serious tone of the original while making the sequel.
- I don't get as angry about it as I used to....but the sudden design differences in Simba and Nala
are distracting sometimes. I just wonder
why it happened? surely the crew must have referenced the original character designs, lol.
- not enough Nala. hate to see her get pushed to the side. and
certainly not enough Sarabi or Sarafina.
- obviously, the art and animation are not as impressive as the original. that's expected, and overall this isn't a very big deal to me because I think SP is very, very nice to look at.
- the Outlanders are not given enough background story. it'd be great to know what their exile was like, how Zira knew Scar and for how long, where Kovu came from, whether or not Nuka and Vitani are Zira's cubs, etc...
- the slightly rushed ending. everything after Zira's death happens a bit too fast. not enough of a look at how Kovu and Vitani feel about their mother's death. the sudden integration of the Outlanders, and their apparent knowledge of what to do in that weird ceremony bit that takes place at the end. lol.
in the grand scheme of things, I wish SP had been a bit more intensely emotional in some places and had given us as much character backstory and lore-building as possible. there were multiple areas where this could have been done, but the opportunity wasn't taken. still, that doesn't stop it from being a really enjoyable sequel with good characters and a solid story IMO.