Kovu is adorable

For my final post, I thought it would be fitting to talk about The Lion King 2 because I am writing my essay #3 on The Lion King and its characters, and this movie provides extra insight into their lives beyond Simba's return. Here is my reactions and thoughts while watching The Lion King 2 Simbas Pride: 

• Starting off, I definitely love how they tied in the original Lion King’s beginning to their beginning with the raising of Simba’s child and all the animals gathering to see it.
• Also, the music in this movie is heavily underappreciated. This intro song, “He Lives in You” is just as catchy as “Circle of Life” (in video above). 
• Oh, very Pocahontas with the leaves and such swirling around Simba and Nala. I’m guessing it’s supposed to represent Mufasa’s spirit?
• Favorite quote so far is when Timon and Pumbaa realize that Simba’s child is, in fact, a girl and not a boy (scene included at the end of the clip to the right)
• When I decided to write my essay #1 about Timon and Pumbaa, I was a little worried that I would get sick of them and start to dislike The Lion King (I know, crazy right? Who doesn’t like The Lion King?). But, just watching the beginning of this movie and seeing that they have all the same antics and quirkiness that they had in the original makes me love them even more.

• Aww little Kiara is so much like her dad. It’s very fitting that he is extremely protective of her going outside Pride Rock, since he did so at her age and almost got killed multiple times.
• I love that Simba still relies on Timon and Pumbaa for help. I think that if Disney made it seem that he was completely self-reliant, it wouldn’t have been as believable because he lived with these two for such a long time and they are essentially his adopted dads.

• How could you not love and feel bad for Kovu? He had his childhood ripped away from him and just wants love. 
  
• I ship Kovu and Kiara

• Wow, Disney really wanted this to reflect many of the scenes/plot of the first film. When Simba talks to Kiara about her little incident with Kovu and the gators, it was almost identical to the talk between Mufasa and Simba after the incident at the Elephant Graveyard.

• I’m starting to believe that Disney couldn’t think of many other plots to follow so they just edited the first movie’s plot. The song Zira sings called “My Lullaby” is extremely similar to Scar’s ballad “Be prepared”
• Don’t get me wrong though, I believe that Zira’s song is awesome and will definitely be added to my Disney playlist
• Gosh darn it Simba, why don’t you trust her? Let her be or you will lose her
• Kovu to the rescue!!! Even though I know he is supposed to be seen as evil and everything (even Disney noted him as evil by giving him green eyes à reference to my earlier blog post called "Our Eyes Tell a Story") , I still love him and think he is destined for good
• I would say “come on Simba, give him a chance” but because I know that Kovu’s intentions are not pure, I am quite torn
• Kovu and Kiara’s interactions are adorable
• And just when he thought he could get away, Rafiki jumps in and saves the day yet again
• Ok, “Upendi” proves my point that the songs in this movie are definitely equal to the ones in the first one. They are just soooo good. (video below of song) 

• Ok, maybe I understand a little bit why Simba is hesitant to trust Kovu (excluding all reasons that he was chosen by Scar to defeat Simba). Kovu is the typical “bad boy” that all fathers worry about their daughters dating.
• Awww so cute. Way to go Simba on deciding to give Kovu a chance.
• Ugh seriously Zira, you had to go and ruin that awesome bonding scene with your creepy laugh and plots
• Getting very bad flash backs to the valley in the first movie.
• Oh Nuka, poor, poor Nuka. All you wanted was recognition and attention but you ultimately died trying to achieve them.You can’t help but laugh at the scene where Pumbaa and Timon are carrying Simba back and Timon is just carrying his tail, seeming like its actually helping.

• Oh wow, the parallels are endless with this movie. When Zira said, “You killed your own BROTHER!”  to Kovu, did it remind you of something Scar said to Simba? Maybe something like, “You killed your own FATHER!”?
• I’m getting chills, this song is so good!!! “Deception, disgrace, evil as plain as the scar on his face.”
• Ugh this breaks my heart. Poor thing, he didn’t mean for the ambush.
• Ohhh snap, she really just said that. “You will never be Mufasa.”
• That’s right Kiara, go get your man!
• They are the ideal Romeo and Juliet

• Oh snap, did Kovu just make a sex joke? “Let’s get out of here. We will run away together, and start a pride all our own.”
• Oh, how I love Timon and Pumba. They never fail to make me die laughing! 
• Here’s a video highlighting how comical Timon and Pumbaa are in battle: 

• Yet again, Disney uses the sidekicks to stand up to the villain, proving my point that sidekicks are just as important as any other character.