"The Lion King 1½" and "The Lion King" Now on Blu-ray

The Lion King 1½

Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa are Back For a Limited Time, Includes a New Timon and Pumbaa Bonus Feature Available March 6, 2012 on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital

Synopsis: Hilarity reigns in the motion picture comedy-adventure that takes you waaay back to the beginning before Simba’s tale began…now more fabulous than ever for the first time in a 2-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack!

From their uniquely hysterical perspective, Timon and his windy pal Pumbaa—the greatest unsung heroes of the savanna—reveal where they came from, how they helped Simba save the Serengeti and what really happened behind the scenes of The Lion King’s biggest events.

This essential chapter of The Lion King trilogy features your favorite characters voiced by the original cast (Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Ernie Sabella plus Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller) and music by Elton John and Tim Rice. You’ll feel the love for every outrageously funny moment.

Cast:
Nathan Lane (Broadway’s “The Producers”) as voice of Timon
Ernie Sabella (The Lion King) as voice of Pumbaa
Julie Kavner (TV’s “The Simpsons”) as voice of Mom
Jerry Stiller (TV’s “The King of Queens”) as voice of Uncle Max
Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as voice of Simba
Robert Guillaume (TV’s “Benson”) as voice of Rafiki
Moira Kelly (The Lion King) as voice ofNala
Whoopi Goldberg (voice in Snow Buddies) as voice of Shenzi
Cheech Marin (Cars) as voice of Banzai
Jim Cummings (Winnie The Pooh) as voice of Ed
Director: Bradley Raymond (Tinker Bell and Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue)

Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari
This new animated bonus feature shows Timon & Pumbaa watching home movies of their animal friends at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

Deleted Scenes
Director Bradley Raymond and Producer George Mendoza explain why these segments did not make the final film.

1. Opening Concept #1
2. Opening Concept #2
3. Old Fearless Buzz
4. Timon talks to Dad
5. Timon, Dad & Mom
6. Intro to “Scurry, Flinch, Sniff”
7. Timon & Pumbaa look for Oasis

Timon: Behind the Legend
Hosted by Peter Graves, this mock-umentary traces Timon’s childhood. There are interviews with Timon’s mom, Uncle Max & Pumbaa, plus snapshots show him growing up.

Before the Beginning: The Making of Lion King 1 1?2
Director Bradley Raymond and Producer George Mendoza walk viewers through the film… from before the beginning. Brad and George are silhouetted against their own film with a remote, just like Timon and Pumbaa.

“Grazing in the Grass”
Music video performed by Raven.

Digital Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari
Timon: Behind The Legend

Rating: G in U.S. and G in Canada
Bonus materials not rated.
Feature Run Time: Approximately 76 minutes
Suggested Retail Prices: 2-Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
High Definition Digital = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
Standard Definition Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: 1.66: 1/1080p High Definition
DVD: 1.66:1/Widescreen
Sound: Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish, 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: 5.1 Dolby Digital English, French andSpanish
Languages: English
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish
Special Edition Available March 6, 2012 on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital
Includes a New Timon and Pumbaa Animated Short




The Lion King 2

Synopsis: The king of animated films reigns in this final chapter of The Lion King trilogy, now breathtakingly beautiful for the first time in a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack! Experience the power of “Upendi”—which means “love”—as Kiara, Simba’s strong-willed daughter, seeks adventure away from her father’s watchful gaze. Timon and Pumbaa can do only so much to protect her, especially when she encounters an intriguing rival, Kovu, a cub who is being groomed to lead Scar’s pride.

As Kiara and Kovu search for their proper places in the great “Circle Of Life,” they discover that it may be their destiny to reunite their prides andbring peace to the Pride Lands.

Featuring the original all-star voice cast, breathtaking animation and enchanting songs, Kiara and Kovu’s adventure thrills audiences of all ages as the glorious “Circle Of Life” continues for a new generation.

Cast: Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as voice of Simba
Nathan Lane (Broadway’s “The Producers”) as voice of Timon
Ernie Sabella (The Lion King) as voice of Pumbaa
Neve Campbell (Scream) as voice of Kiara
Jason Marsden (TV’s “G.I. Joe: Renegades”) as voice of Kova
Andy Dick (TV’s “Community”) as voice of Nuka
Robert Guillaume (TV’s “Benson”) as voice of Rafiki
James Earl Jones (The Lion King) as voice of Mufasa
Moira Kelly (The Lion King) as voice ofNala

Directors: Darrell Rooney (Mulan II) and Rob LaDuca (Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland)

Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia
In this new animated bonus feature, Timon & Pumbaa gaze at the night sky as the star constellations resemble their favorite meal, insects!

“One By One”
An original animated short with vocals by The Lion King vocalist Lebo Morake.

Timon & Pumbaa: Find Out Why
In this series of animated shorts, Timon and Pumbaa provide answers to some of life’s most puzzling questions including:

1. Why is there lightning and thunder?
2. Why do we sneeze?
3. Why don’t Pandas live in the desert?
4. Why is there wind?
5. Why does an airplane fly?

Proud of Simba’s Pride
A featurette that traces the making of the movie.

“Love Will Find a Way” Music Video
Performed by Kenny Lattimore and Heather Headley.

Digital Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia
“One By One”

Street Date: March 6, 2012
Rating: G in U.S. and G in Canada
Bonus materials not rated.
Feature Run Time: Approximately 81 minutes
Suggested Retail Prices: 2-Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
High Definition Digital = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
Standard Definition Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: 1.78: 1/1080p High Definition
DVD: 1.78:1/Widescreen
Sound: Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: 5.1 Dolby Digital English, French and Spanish
Languages: English
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

Review: "The Lion King" Still Reigns

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 94 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lion King (1994)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTORS: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
WRITERS: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton; from a story by multiple writers
PRODUCER: Don Hahn
EDITOR: Ivan Bilancio
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
SONGS: Elton John and Tim Rice
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of adventure and comedy

Starring: (voices) Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Moira Kelly, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Niketa Calame, and Robert Guillaume

The Lion King is a 1994 Oscar-winning, animated film from Walt Disney Pictures. It is the story of a young lion who must take the place of his late father, the king, and save his land from his scheming uncle, his father’s brother. If The Little Mermaid (1989) was the beginning of the “Disney Renaissance,” then, The Lion King was the apex of Disney’s hand-drawn animated films during that renaissance.

The Lion King is set in Africa. King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) rules over the Pride Lands from Pride Rock. As the story begins, Queen Sarabi (Madge Sinclair) has just given birth to a cub, Simba, who will one day be king. Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is a playful and willful cub, but Mufasa guides and prepares him for the day when he will rule. Meanwhile, Mufasa’s brother, Scar (Jeremy Irons), lurks in the shadows, bitter that he is not king, and he plots with the hyenas to murder Mufasa. After tragedy strikes, Simba leaves the Pride Lands, intending never to return.

Years later, an adult Simba (Matthew Broderick) lives in exile. His constant companions are a meerkat, Timon (Nathan Lane), and a warthog, Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella). However, Simba’s past returns in the form of an old friend looking for food. It is then that Simba is forced to make important decisions about both his future and that of the Pride Lands.

The Lion King was Walt Disney Animation Studios 32nd full-length animated feature film. Some of Disney’s hand-drawn animated (or 2D animated) films produced in the last four decades are exceptional, even superb. None are as good as The Lion King. One could argue that The Lion King embodied everything up to that time that was great about Disney animated films. The Lion King is an engrossing animal fable or Disney anthropomorphic story like Bambi. It has a superb musical score and the kind of songs that are soaring, inspirational, heartfelt, toe-tapping, and/or romantic, in the tradition of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Its animation brings together the “art of Disney” animation, which is the illusion of life, and also the early introduction of computer animation – from the coloring to the computer generated wildebeest stampede.

The story, which borrows from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the Holy Bible, is a universal story of a young hero’s journey from carefree childhood and youthful tragedy to reluctant man-child and adult responsibility. The obstacles that Simba faces, his conflicts and struggles, and his confusion all feel honest and true – not contrived and overly sentimental. The audience can buy into Simba because so much about his him seems genuine.

Each Disney animated film always has good voice performances and at least one great performance. The Lion King has more than a few great voice performances. James Earl Jones is regal personified as King Mufasa, while Jeremy Iron is his evil, velvety opposite. Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings are superb as the hyena trio. However, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are scene-stealing showstoppers as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, by creating signature, unforgettable Disney characters.

The classic Disney animated films always get me, and The Lion King charms me now just as it charmed me 17 years ago. This superbly animated feature is simply magic.

10 of 10

NOTES:
1995 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Music, Original Score” (Hans Zimmer) and “Best Music, Original Song” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"); 2 nominations “Best Music, Original Song” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Circle of Life") and “Best Music, Original Song” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Hakuna Matata")

1995 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Hans Zimmer) and “Best Sound” (Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David Hudson, and Doc Kane)

1995 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” (Don Hahn), “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Hans Zimmer), and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"); 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Elton John-music and Tim Rice-lyrics for the song “The Circle of Life”)

Sunday, November 20, 2011

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Review: Tim Burton's "Big Fish" Out of Water

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 3 (2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Big Fish (2003)
Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITER: John August (from a novel by Daniel Wallace, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions)
PRODUCERS: Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, and Richard D. Zanuck
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Philippe Rousselot
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA with elements of comedy and fantasy

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham Carter, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard, Matthew McGroroy, David Denman, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, Ada Tai, Arlene Tai, Deep Roy, and Hailey Ann Nelson

Tim Burton is an imaginative, creative, and innovative filmmaker, but his eccentric vision is traditionally wasted on studio fare. He’s sometimes managed to make average to very good movies out of junk, as in Planet of the Apes. He’s made visually appealing films that sadly misfire, Mars Attacks. He’s made fairy tales and fables into visually appealing films like Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow. He occasionally makes a films that live up to people’s expectations of him as a great filmmaker, as in Beetlejuice and Ed Wood. His new film Big Fish belongs in the category with Planet of the Apes.

Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) has a father Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) who likes to spin tall yarns. It’s how Ed tells the story of his life, mixing tall tales (or big fish stories) with what actually happened; that must mean his stories have a life lesson somewhere inside. As the Young Ed (Ewan McGregor), he claims to have had many adventures: as a star athlete, as a circus worker, and as a soldier. Will grows to hate those stories and what he sees as his father’s dishonesty. He goes away, until his mother Sandra (Jessica Lange) calls Will and his wife Josephine (Marion Cotillard) home because Ed is dying. Ed wants to make peace with his father, so he tries again to figure out fact from fiction, but maybe he’s missing the point.

For all his visual aplomb and quirkiness, Tim Burton made a pleasant, but ultimately safe father-son movie with a few oddball characters thrown into the mix. And when it’s all said and done, there’s nothing really odd about them other than they might not look or act like the average folks. On the surface, they may appear strange, but underneath, they’re just your typical country witticism-spewing role players. There’s potential in each one, but Burton wastes it by making them less dangerous. Fairy tales and oddities are dangerous because they challenge our preconceived notions of what is and what is not. To make them little more than weird looking is to take away what makes them truly different and all you have left is fluff.

It’s not entirely Burton’s fault; he’s admitted before that he wouldn’t know a good screenplay if he saw one, and weak screenplays are often the biggest flaw of his films. He focuses on making his movies look unusual, but the story ultimately fails to live up to his visual promise.

The acting in Big Fish is pretty good, but it’s wasted. How can you have a major talent like Jessica Lange and regulate her to making sad faces with sad smiles. Don’t get me started on Robert Guillaume playing the patient and wise Negro who just so happens to say those typically wise-Negro words that finally make Will “get it” about his father.

Big Fish isn’t bad; it’s just pleasant. It’s not a bad time at the movies. There are some laughs and some clever moments. There’s a bit of magic in the air, but be careful you don’t choke on maudlin and sentiment.

5 of 10
C+

NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Music, Original Score” (Danny Elfman)


2004 BAFTA Awards: 7 nominations: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Kevin Scott Mack, Seth Maury, Lindsay MacGowan, and Paddy Eason), “Best Film” (Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, and Richard D. Zanuck), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Jean Ann Black and Paul LeBlanc), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Albert Finney), “Best Production Design” (Dennis Gassner), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (John August), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Tim Burton)


2004 Golden Globes: 4 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Danny Elfman), “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Eddie Vedder for the song "Man of the Hour"), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Albert Finney)

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