The Lion King 1½ facts for kids

The Lion King 1½ is a fun animated movie from 2004. It is also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata in some places. This film is a prequel to the famous The Lion King movie. It tells the story of how the funny characters Timon and Pumbaa met. It also shows what they were doing before they met Simba. The movie was first released on DVD and video on February 10, 2004.

The Story of Timon and Pumbaa

This movie starts with Timon and Pumbaa watching the original The Lion King film. Timon wants to fast-forward to the parts where they appear. Pumbaa then suggests they tell their own story to the audience.

Their adventure begins before Simba's journey. You will meet Timon's mother and his Uncle Max. You will also find out why Timon left his meerkat group. The movie shows where he learned the famous phrase "Hakuna Matata." It also explains how he met his best friend, Pumbaa. They face many challenges while looking for their perfect home.

Who Are the Voices?

Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in this movie. Here are some of them:

• Nathan Lane as Timon
• Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa
• Matthew Broderick as Simba (when he is older)
• Matt Weinberg as Simba (when he is young)
• Cheech Marin as Banzai
• Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi
• Jim Cummings as Ed
• Robert Guillaume as Rafiki
• Moira Kelly as Nala
• Edward Hibbert as Zazu
• Julie Kavner as Ma (Timon's mom)
• Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max

Movie Music and Songs

The soundtrack for The Lion King 1½ was released on CD. It came out on February 10, 2004. The album is called The Lion King 1½: Songs From Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious Adventure.

It has two songs from the first Lion King movie. These are "That's All I Need" and "Hakuna Matata." Nathan Lane, who voices Timon, sings these new versions. The soundtrack also includes other songs. These are mostly R&B songs. There is a new version of "Jungle Boogie" by French. It was originally by Kool & The Gang. Don Harper, the film's composer, also added two instrumental pieces.

Here is a list of the songs:

• "Grazing In The Grass" (Raven)
• "Digga Tunnah Dance" (Lebo M and Vinx)
• "That's All I Need" (Nathan Lane)
• "Hakuna Matata" (Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Joseph Williams)
• "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Lebo M)
• "Jungle Boogie" (French)
• "Timon's Traveling Theme"
• "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly"

Awards and Recognition

The Lion King 1½ won and was nominated for several awards.

• In 2005, it won an Annie Award for "Best Home Entertainment Production." It was also nominated for "Music in an Animated Feature Production."
• It won several DVD Exclusive Awards in 2005:
  • Best Animated Character Performance for Nathan Lane as Timon.
  • Best Animated DVD Premiere Movie.
  • Best Director for Bradley Raymond.
  • Best Editing for Joyce Arrastia.
  • Best Screenplay for Tom Rogers.
• It was nominated for a Saturn Award in 2005 for "Best DVD Release."

Video Game Fun

A video game based on the movie was released in 2003. It was made for the Game Boy Advance. In the game, you could play as Timon and Pumbaa.

More Information

See also

In Spanish: El rey león 3: Hakuna Matata para niños