The Lion King 1½
The film is told through the perspective of Timon and Pumbaa through the literary device known as a frame story. The two are shown in silhouette form watching the original film. Timon interrupts the film to fast-forward to his scenes, but Pumbaa's protest prompts Timon to share his backstory.
Timon is a social outcast in his meerkat colony on the outskirts of the pridelands. While unconditionally supported by his mother, Ma, Timon dreams for more in life than his colony's bleak existence hiding from predators. Uncle Max is nearly eaten by hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed due to Timon's day dreaming. This becomes the last straw for the colony, prompting Timon to leave to find a better life. He meets the mandrill, Rafiki, who advises him to find his place in the world via "Hakuna Matata" and to "look beyond what you see". Timon takes this saying literally and observes Pride Rock in the distance. Believing Pride Rock to be his paradise home, Timon ventures to the rock and encounters Pumbaa the Warthog on his way. The two quickly form a bond and Pumbaa accompanies Timon.
The pair arrive at Pride Rock during the presentation of the new prince to the Pridelands' animals (to Timon's annoyance, believing the crowd to be a long line to claim Pride Rock as real estate). Timon then "looks beyond" pride rock to find a small cove near a pond. To Pumbaa's reluctance, the pair cut through the crowd, but Pumbaa nervously claims he doesn't "do so well in crowds". Pumbaa explosively passes gas, causing nearby animals to faint but prompting animals further away to bow to Simba. The pair make a home at the cove near the pond, but are awakened one morning to the sounds of Simba singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King." The pair leave due to the "noisy neighbors", and find a new home at the Elephant Graveyard. They are scared away from there after witnessing Mufasa fight the Hyenas, and Timon decides to make a home in a glowing green cave. Scar's rendition of "Be Prepared" scares the pair off again, and Timon then chooses to find a home in a hot gorge. The pair are then chased by the Wildebeest Stampede (that results in Mufasa's death in the original film), but miraculously survive albeit being thrown off a waterfall.
Exhausted from their adventure, Timon decides to give up, until Pumbaa (who had been talking about a magical place that raised skepticism from Timon) turns Timon's head to a luxurious green jungle. The pair finally settle there with the philosophy of "Hakuna Matata". During their time there, they encounter a homeless lion cub named Simba in a nearby desert, nearly dead. The pair rescue young Simba and decide to raise him under their philosophy. Scenes are shown of Simba's chaotic upbringing from a hyperactive and affectionate young cub, to an ambitious and egotistical adolescent, to a laid-back and content young adult.
Years later, Nala appears after chasing Pumbaa and reunites with Simba. Believing "Hakuna Matata" to be in jeopardy, Timon and Pumbaa attempt to sabotage their dates, but fail. After witnessing Simba and Nala's off-screen argument, Simba disappears, to Timon's horror. Nala and Rafiki explain that he had run off to challenge Scar, and need their help. After Nala leaves to follow Simba, Timon, who is hurt that Simba had left them, unsuccessfully tries to persuade Pumbaa to stay, believing he has everything he wants in the jungle. Pumbaa leaves to follow Simba, and loneliness starts to overcome Timon. Rafiki appears again and helps Timon realize that his true Hakuna Matata is with the ones he loves, prompting Timon to take off after Simba, Nala, and Pumbaa.
Timon catches up and reconciles with Pumbaa, before then journeying on to Pride Rock. After helping Simba and Nala with a distraction (the "luau" dance), Timon and Pumbaa evade the hyenas and run into Ma and Uncle Max who came looking for Timon (after Ma met Rafiki earlier in the film). Timon proposes that they help Simba by getting rid of the hyenas. Whilst Simba battles Scar, Ma and Uncle Max are directed to construct a series of tunnels beneath them, and Timon and Pumbaa use various tactics to distract the hyenas while the tunnel is being made. When the tunnels are finished, Max quickly knocks down the sticks, breaking the ground under the hyenas. However, the last few get stuck and the plan fails. Cornered once again by the hyenas, Timon bravely dives underground and breaks the remaining sticks, completing the cave in, and causing the hyenas to be ejected through the tunnels. Immediately afterwards, Scar is thrown off the top of Pride Rock by Simba.
Simba accepts his place as king of the Pride Lands, thanking Timon and Pumbaa for helping him. Timon takes Ma, Uncle Max and the meerkat colony to live in the predator-free jungle to complete his "Hakuna Matata." Pumbaa and Simba celebrate with the meerkats, who praise Timon as their hero. In the final scene of the film, Ma, Uncle Max, Simba, Rafiki and many other silhouetted Disney character cameos join Timon and Pumbaa to re-watch the film in the cinema. As the film fades to black, Pumbaa reminds Timon that he still doesn't do well in crowds.
psychedelic, entertaining