The lack of continuity from the first movie...

[Luigi Severus]

Did anyone else believe there was a lack of continuity from the first movie, Sarabi was gone (we have this covered in another topic), no shots of "Hakuna Matata" (Timon and Pumbaa's jungle-oasis), no re-used music from the first movie, and why was Zira not mentioned or referenced in the first movie?

[DGFone]

Apart from the fact that two entirely different teams worked on the movies, Simba's Pride has more in common with the first movie than might meet the eye:

Sarabi's voice actress died shortly after the first movie, so Sarabi was left out probably due to a combination of respect for the dead as well as the inability to find another reasonable voice for her.

There is in fact a re-used song straight from the first movie: "He Lives in You". Okay, it's not really true, as that song was written right after the end of production for The Lion King, and is found on the Rhythm of the Pride Lands CD. But for all goods and purposes, "He Lives in You" is a Lion King 1 song, and not a SP song.

/Elitism

And the score of SP is also heavily influenced by the first movie. Sure, it doesn't even come close, but the background music gave me too many feelings of deja vu of the first movie for it to be a coincidence. On that subject matter, "We Are One" also copies that African/Western Pop combination for songs from the first movie, where a song is written as a Western pop song, but to make it fit better, it is given specially fit African vocals (provided by Lebo M) which gives the songs from the first movie that great feel.

As for Timon and Pumbaa's jungle: Was it really needed in Simba's Pride? Even in the first movie, it only served as a place for Hakuna Matata, and as soon as Simba returned, we never see it again. Simba's Pride only deals with the Ouldander/ Pride Lander relationship, so there is no real reason for the jungle to be in the movie. Although where Zira came from all of the sudden is a very good question, and I have no doubt that there are many topics about it already.

[TheLionPrince]

[quote="DGFone"]
And the score of SP is also heavily influenced by the first movie. Sure, it doesn't even come close, but the background music gave me too many feelings of deja vu of the first movie for it to be a coincidence. On that subject matter, "We Are One" also copies that African/Western Pop combination for songs from the first movie, where a song is written as a Western pop song, but to make it fit better, it is given specially fit African vocals (provided by Lebo M) which gives the songs from the first movie that great feel.[/quote]

Actually, the African vocals for "We Are One" were not provided by Lebo M, but by a South African group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo according to the soundtrack listing of Return to Pride Rock.

To give Simba Pride's music greater continuity with the first film's is that Nick Glennie-Smith composed the score for SP whereas in the first film, he served as the choral conductor.

Yes, Zira and the Outsiders was created years after the first film was completed since there was no intention of a sequel given that TLK was seen as the B-movie compared to Pocahontas. The official story we have of their background is that they were allies of Scar until they were banished by Simba for their loyalties to Scar. Their whereabouts in the first film can only be explained by fan fiction and fan fictions.

There was no need for Timon and Pumbaa's jungle story wise so I don't technically see a lack of continuity in Simba's Pride. In fact, I see several hints of continuity you may not notice in your first viewing since as the source of Simba's overprotection of Kiara stemming from the lost of his father, and the fact the cub at the end of the first film and baby Kiara went unanointed (with the face paint) before Rafiki presented to the kingdom.

[PrincessKiara]

I think they could have shown Sarabi at the presentation of Kiara (she wouldn`t need to speak) and have Simba or Nala mention later that she had passed.

The reason Zira was not shown or mentioned in the first movie is simply that she didn`t exist back then. Zira, her cubs and Kiara were created specifically for the sequel four years later. The writers had no plans of making more than one movie back in 1994.