Happy 20th birthday!

[TheLionPrince]

Twenty years ago, on October 27, 1998, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was released on videocassette.



Speaking from personal experience, the videocassette had one of the best collection of previews. It had promos of The Lion King musical on Broadway, the soundtrack CD Return to Pride Rock, the Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World, and trailers of the home video and upcoming theatrical releases of A Bug's Life (1998), Mulan (1998), Mighty Joe Young (1998), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Doug's 1st Movie (1999), and The Rescuers (1977).

The actual movie was a trip. My four-year-old mind probably couldn't comprehend all the details, but it was very fun to see all my favorite characters again. The songs were good enough. It was decades later when I noticed how dark the VHS quality was. It was probably hide the cost-cutting animation since the DVD and Blu-Ray editions really expose how crude the animators drew the background characters. To conclude, I still think it's one of the better direct-to-video Disney sequels. It could have been better with more plot expansion and character development, but I'm happy with what I've got.

[Elton John]

shame that the soundtrack isn’t on itunes. I don’t have a cd player anymore. Most modern devices lack a cd player.

[SimbasGuard]

I had been eagerly awaiting this movie since I first heard that it was in the works. It was everything I had hoped for. Even closer analysis of it could never destroy my love for this movie. It is the best Disney sequel. I still hold out hope for a actual sequel to this movie.

This movie is good enough that I could see Disney making a Live Action Remake of it if The Remake of The Original is successful (like it won't be). I do have mixed emotions about this because I felt this movie should have been made for Theaters. Michael Eisner said that it was treated as if it were going to be a Theatrical Release (I can't site a source). However given what we have since learned I think we can all agree that is doubtful at best. At least they were willing to pony up the cash to get the Lon's share of the original cast back.

In any event Lion King 2 is a worthy sequel to the original.

[Hatari05]

[quote="SimbasGuard"]I had been eagerly awaiting this movie since I first heard that it was in the works. It was everything I had hoped for. Even closer analysis of it could never destroy my love for this movie. It is the best Disney sequel. I still hold out hope for a actual sequel to this movie.

This movie is good enough that I could see Disney making a Live Action Remake of it if The Remake of The Original is successful (like it won't be). I do have mixed emotions about this because I felt this movie should have been made for Theaters. Michael Eisner said that it was treated as if it were going to be a Theatrical Release (I can't site a source). However given what we have since learned I think we can all agree that is doubtful at best. At least they were willing to pony up the cash to get the Lon's share of the original cast back.

In any event Lion King 2 is a worthy sequel to the original.[/quote]

I don't think it originally being a theatrical release is too much of a stretch it was probably decided it wouldn't be early in production which is unfortunate as a theatrical release could've really benefited it giving it more time to explore everything.

My history with this movie is weird as nearly everything about it turned around over the years. The music I always liked but preferred the first when I was young, as an adult I prefer Simba's Pride songs mainly for their profound meanings, Love Will find a way and we are one have across the years become meanings I live by. I also feel a deeper passion and emotion that speaks to me, qualities that simply wouldn't occur to me when I was young. Simba's Pride was a movie I came to appreciate as I got older, and one I have analyzed to a very in depth degree.

I feel a remake would greatly benefit the movie as it's biggest problem is it needs more time 25 minutes could go a long way. Still Simba's Pride remains one of my favorite movies ever and very few have the same meaning to me as an individual.

[MeerkatOnTheMoon]

Next month marks "Simba's Pride"'s 21st Birthday wow. Time really flies. I was 9 when it came out. I think "Simba's Pride" was released at a time when Disney sequels went direct-to-video. The second "Aladdin" movie came out in 1994 when "The Lion King" was released, and it went straight to video. I was comforted by the fact that "Simba's Pride" became the best-selling Disney sequel during its release though, and I remember there were tons of merchandises available, including the Happy Meal toys.

The animation for "Simba's Pride" had a cinematic quality to it, the tone captured that of the first movie, and what impressed me the most was all the original voice cast returned except Rowan Atkinson as Zazu. It could've had a longer duration but all in all, it's still the best Disney sequel in my book. Wonderful soundtrack too. I agree with Elton that it needs to make it on iTunes.