Review of The Lion King (1994) by Jacob M — 02 Dec 2013

Everyone has their views on what their favorite Disney Animation film is. For me, it would be The Lion King, as with so many others on this site. Released during the high peak of Disney's Second Golden Age, The Lion King perfects the Disney formula; phenomenal animation, a great story, great songs, and a ton of heart.

Loosely inspired by Shakespeare's widely popular (and extremely overrated) play Hamlet, The Lion King is about the lion cub Simba, son of the lion king Mufasa who's excited to take his place in the circle of life as the future ruler of the African Pride Lands. But there is one problem; his uncle (and Mufasa's brother) Scar, jealous of Simba gaining the throne, kills off Mufasa and makes it to where Simba is responsible for this tragedy. Banishing Simba, Scar takes over the throne with his hungry hyenas, causing the land to heavily dry up. Simba on the other hand begins to enjoy no worries in the jungles with the comical duo Timon and Pumbaa, but with the help of lioness Nala and wise baboon Rafiki, Simba has to overcome his troubled past to defeat Scar and reclaim the throne that is rightfully his.

Why is The Lion King such a great Disney film? Well, the animation is Disney animation at it's greatest. If you want to know why I prefer traditional hand-drawn animation over CGI, this, along with Fantasia, is truly the reason. Seriously, the rich backgrounds of the African pride lands are jaw-dropping, the designs of the animals are excellent, and the overall result is incredible. While the story got it's inspiration from the most overrated play ever written (sorry, Shakespeare is not my thing), Disney managed to retell the story in a way that even the Hamlet haters, including myself, will be wowed at. And that's why for the most part in their lengthy history, Disney is the best in the animation business.

Disney also did a great job, like most of their releases in The Second Golden Age, at creating some of their greatest characters ever. Simba, even when voiced by the bland and goofy Mathew Broderick when the character grows older, manages to still be a compelling character (definitely Broderick's best role ever). Mufasa, voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones, is awesome in his small role as the king who gets brutally murdered by Scar, voiced also brilliantly by Jeremy Irons, and is definitely the greatest Disney villain ever, with the most sinister villain plot in a Disney film (killing off Mufasa). I also loved the supporting characters, created for comic relief in a mostly dark and epic story, such as the royal bird advisor Zazu, voiced hilariously by "Mr. Bean" Rowan Atkinson, the dynamic comical duo of meerkat Timon, voiced by Nathan Lane, and warthog Pumbaa, voiced by Ernie Sabella, and the wise but funny baboon Rafiki, voiced by Robert Guillaume. And the hyenas... while they're creepy, when voiced by those of Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin, they are also pretty entertaining and sometimes funny (if the cactus butt scene doesn't make you laugh, then I don't want to hear about it).

Like many of Disney's best films, it's the music that makes Disney's films worthwhile, besides the animation, and the music here definitely does not disappoint. Hans Zimmer's score is extremely emotional, intense, and powerful, featuring a delightfully awesome African choir. The songs, on the other hand, were written by pop legend Elton John and Tim Rice. I'm not a huge Elton John fan, but I will definitely admit without a doubt that the five songs that he and Tim Rice wrote for this incredible film are phenomenal. "Circle of Life" is the perfect way to open up a Disney film, "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" features some catchy and awesome lyrics, "Be Prepared" is a stellar villain song, "Hakuna Matata" is a great guilty pleasure, and the Oscar-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is inspiring and awesome. Man I love these songs, especially "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata".

The Lion King was released during a period where Disney was bringing their game back. Along with greats such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King is the Disney movie of all Disney movies, and is their best ever, featuring Disney animation at its strongest, strong characters, great Elton John/Tim Rice songs, plus a stellar emotional score from Hans Zimmer, and a strong epic storyline that puts Hamlet to shame. You'll laugh, you might cry, depending on who you are, and you'll definitely have a great time with this flawless Disney classic.