The Lion King 1½ on AllMovie

Ten years after The Lion King shot to the top at the box office and first introduced the characters of Simba (Matthew Broderick) and his pals Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), Disney presented this retelling of the Academy Award winning animated musical. Switching the perspective to that of meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, The Lion King 1 1/2 puts a new spin on the events of the original film. This time around, the comic duo are conveniently at the center of much of the story. Along with returning castmembers Moira Kelly, Whoopi Goldberg, and Chech Marin, The Simpsons' Julie Kavner and Seinfeld's Jerry Stiller lend their voices to newcomer characters Timon's Mom and Uncle Max, respectively. The straight-to-video film also features the never-before-heard song "That's All I Need."