Released in the US as Lion King 1½, this is meant to be a bolt-on companion to the first film by exploring the background stories of Timon and Pumbaa. A fair bit of recycling goes on, and don't expect the same majesty of the original movie, or indeed the same quality of DVD release as The Lion King got.

Deleted? Try Unfinished

On disc one of this two disc set you'll find seven deleted scenes introduced by producer George Mendoza and director Bradley Raymond. None of these are even remotely finished animations and seem to be little more than trims. Still, they're nothing as frustrating as the Hidden Mickey Hunt, where you have to spot hidden Mickey Mouse graphics in the film. Poorly conceived and executed, this is the type of feature that leads to remote controls being flung across rooms.

Finally, Some Talent

Peter Graves, he of deadpan airline pilot fame in Airplane!, turns up to host the behind-the-scenes featurette Timon: Behind The Legend. The most amazing thing about this is that Graves looks pretty much the same as he did in the 70s; a remarkable case of self-preservation. He's also quite funny given the script he has to work with, along with a budget-afflicted animated Pumbaa. In the end, Graves walks off in disgust. Wait for us Peter, we're still holding the discs!

Motivational Meerkats

Should you choose to fast forward through the 'making of' featurette, you may like to stop for such choice musings as: what is the motivation of a Meerkat? A better question might be: what's the motivation for this sequel? You'd be better off checking out Timon And Pumbaa's Virtual Safari, which, while mildly entertaining, lacks any proper game element. It's all very thin material, much like the movie which is at least well presented on disc in terms of sound and picture - but then, that's the least you'd expect.

EXTRA FEATURES

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-N5 DVD player.