The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Hewing to the exotic epic look of the original blockbuster, the new direct-to-video sequel "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" is enchanting small-screen entertainment that feels big.

It's disappointing that this girls-are-strong theme doesn't play out as smartly as it should, but that's the one weakness in this sleek, joyful, entertaining film.

Not unlike its predecessor, "Lion King II" has enough across-the-board appeal to entertain viewers of all ages.

While it could never match up to the powerful original, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride is a surprisingly good direct-to-video sequel.

LION KING II is good by Disney sequel standards and unique in that the story actually follows directly from the first movie.

Lots of grub jokes, catchy musical interludes and a satisfying villainess with the voice of Suzanne Pleshette.

It's a fun story that actually gives something more to the characters than most sequels do, from the animated Disney line or not.

A retread of "The Fox and the Hound"...

An ineffective sequel in the two ways that are most important: it does not live up to the original's visual legacy, and it does not expand the characters or setting in a meaningful or consistent way.

Simply put, we've seen it all before.