Disney's The Lion King 1 1/2 a.k.a. The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata
The Lion King 1 1/2 is an interesting parallel to the original Disney's The Lion King; but rather than focusing on the life of a lion, specifically, like in the earlier two works, this film focuses on the meerkat/warthog team comprised of Timon and Pumba. This film depicts the lives of Timon and Pumba before and during the events of the original film, and explains how Timon and Pumba were, truly, there all along!
The Lion King 1 1/2 is an interesting parallel to the original Disney's The Lion King; but rather than focusing on the life of a lion, specifically, like in the earlier two works, this film focuses on the meerkat/warthog team comprised of Timon and Pumba. This film depicts the lives of Timon and Pumba before and during the events of the original film, and explains how Timon and Pumba were, truly, there all along!
POINT ONE:
There are a few parallels between Disney's The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Old Testament; the main evidence of this is that The Lion King 1 1/2 is a story within a story (the events before, after, and during the original), this doubling emulates a motif that occurs in the Old Testament. This motif is the art of doubling. When God has darkness he creates light, the moon and the sun, the land and the sea, male and female; and the opposition of good and evil is another addition to note. Point being, there is binary opposition throughout the entire Old Testament so it is interesting to see this doubling of the third film, in the trilogy, into the original. POINT TWO: Throughout the entire film Timon stresses over the destination at heart concerning, where he is destined to be and where his dream home truly lies. This idea of the necessity in finding his, and Pumba's, dream home is reflective of the Garden of Eden. Timon searches far and wide, but ultimately he has a vision of Eden in mind, and he can not shake it until he finally finds his paradise. Consider how Rafiki instructs Timon of the lessons of "Hakuna Matata," and Timon cannot for the life of him remember the name of the phrase. It is interesting to note that the phrase does not come back to him, until they have found there rightful paradise. It's as if to say 'all will come together and make sense' in Paradise (i.e. Eden); reminding the reader that one no longer has to worry when they are in the good grace's of God in Eden. |
POINT THREE:
Throughout the entire film Pumba expresses his feelings of feeling left out, he has never had a family or a home before meeting Timon; this is because anyone who nears Pumba is turned off by his rancid, dirty, warthog scent. This reminded me of the division of animals on Noah's Ark, how the animals are sorted as 'clean' or 'unclean.' Pumba's feelings of neglect and denial spawn from the ideas of being 'unclean;' both literally, because of his spastic colon, and metaphorically as suggested to animals on the Ark. POINT FOUR: Divine Intervention is a prominent occurrence throughout The Old Testament; God causes the flood to purge man for their sin, He instructs Noah to build an ark, he extends powers to Moses to save the Israelites from Exile - Point being, God has a tendency to intervene even after creation is complete, he still puts his two sense into how life should play out. Similarly, in al three movies, divine intervention occurs. Consider when Timon is calling out, to no one (so he thinks), in need of aid; when the student is ready the teacher appears, and Rafiki appears (by divine intervention) and teaches Timon of "Hakuna Matata." Or, moreover, consider how Timon and Pumba can be seen as a figures of divine intervention, themselves; Simba has been exiled into the wilderness and his father has been murdered. Then Timon and Pumba appear, as if by divine intervention, and are here to help Simba while parenting him through 'cub-hood.' |