The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
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The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is a direct to video movie released by the Walt Disney Company on October 27, 1998 as a sequel to The Lion King and was re-released as a Special Edition DVD on August 31, 2004.
It is the highest grossing direct-to-video animated feature release of all time, with tallies of US$286 million, as of August 2004.
Plot
In this movie Simba's daughter Kiara falls in love with Kovu who happens to be raised in the opposite pride, the Outlanders, and the lion chosen to follow in Scar's pawprints. Zira, Kovu's adopted mother, trains Kovu to be a killer, and hatches an elaborate plan involving setting the Pridelands ablaze while Kiara is out hunting to make Simba accept Kovu into the pride. Simba does so, and Kovu's killer instincts are suppressed by his love for Kiara.
However, after the fire, when Simba begins to trust Kovu, they are surrounded by Zira and her pride. In the following chase, Nuka, Kovu's older brother, attempts to impress his mother by killing Simba, but Nuka kills himself trying. Simba believes that Kovu was part of Zira's plot and banishes him. Kiara flees the Pridelands and is reunited with Kovu; together they decide to go back together to stop the warring prides.
The tensions between Zira's pride and Simba's pride escalate into a fierce battle which is interrupted by Kovu and Kiara. Simba sees that fighting is not the way and the Outlanders abandon Zira and her plans. Zira becomes gripped by a burning rage and leaps at Simba to gain revenge for Scar's death (even though it was not actually Simba that killed Scar). Kiara stands in the way and both Zira and Kiara tumble off the cliff. While Kiara lands safely on the ledge, Zira is left dangling by her claws. Kiara tries to help Zira but Zira attempts to pull Kiara down also. Zira's grip eventually loosens and the lioness falls from the ledge into the rushing river, where she drowns. With both prides reunited, Kiara and Kovu roar out to the kingdom. The Circle of Life is complete once again.
Based on the behavior of actual lion infanticide when prides are taken over, some more science-minded viewers presumed Nala had been one of Scar's cubs in the first movie. Although the movie makes no reference to this "real life" situation, some fans thought Kovu had originally been designed to be Scar's son, but that the idea was dismissed to avoid a possible suggestion of incestual dilemma, as it would mean that Kovu and Kiara are cousins.
The film, somehow, implies male chauvinism, on the fact that Kiara was under her father's complete control throughout the film. An example would be when Simba is about to exile Kovu from the Pridelands. Kiara tries her best to stop it, but Simba orders Kiara to be silenced.
Characters
- Simba - Kiara's father and Nala's mate.
- Princess Kiara - Simba and Nala's daughter and heir to the throne. She falls in love with Kovu.
- Nala - Kiara's mother.
- Zira - Scar's ultimate fangirl. She wants to avenge Scar and reclaim the Pridelands.
- Kovu - A lion of the Outlands. He was chosen by Scar to become king of the Pridelands and is trained by Zira to achieve this goal.
- Vitani - Zira's daughter who sides with her mother. At the end, Vitani goes against Zira's wishes when she realizes that she is no different from Simba and his pride.
- Nuka - Zira's son who is crushed underneath falling logs in an attempt to murder Simba.
- Rafiki - Mandrill who encourages Kiara and Kovu to fall in love in Upendi.
- Timon and Pumbaa - A comical duo who babysit Kiara and unsuccessfully try to teach her the philosophy of Hakuna Matata.nl:The Lion King II