When the words "Lion King" come to mind, what is the first thing that pops in your head? The grand, ear-splitting African vocalist in the intro? That famous opening shot of the spectacular sunrise? Or is it "Hakuna Matata"? Whatever the reason your's may be, at least one of them is bound to come to mind when I consider the impact this movie left on me as a kid. Like Toy Story, I grew up on this movie -- and its sequels for that matter -- enjoying it time and again without ever realizing the factors that played into it being a great source of entertainment. And how does it look to me today? Well, a quick disclaimer: No nostalgia goggles were applied in the writing of this review.
Most of us that were born in the 90s no doubt grew up on the amount of great Disney movies released during that time. This era was known as the "Disney Renaissance" for the reason that Disney themselves saw a great revival in their animated feature's critical success after a few decades of somewhat unsuccessful flicks. Not wanting to throw in the towel despite lacking its best animators (among them the beloved Don Bluth), Disney reworked much of its animated department to forward a lot of projects that they had no idea would be so successful. After kicking off this era with memorable successes such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, Disney traversed into a territory they hadn't quite touched yet: a Shakespearean play. Specifically, they drew inspiration from the somewhat lesser known Hamlet and incorporated into a story set in the African Savannah with animals and all. In hindsight, the mere idea isn't that ridiculous and is among many reasons The Lion King is remembered in the hearts of many.
*SPOILERS BEWARE* (but it's an old movie that just about everyone knows, so who cares?)
By today's standards, the plot is rather basic, but, given that it's based on Shakespeare, this is very much expected. The film sees a young African lion prince named Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas young and Matthew Broderick as an adult) as he desires to become king of his pride just as soon as his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), passes on. This all changes when one day Mufasa's jealous younger brother, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), murders Mufasa and causes young Simba to flee from his home forever thereby allowing Scar the title he always wanted alongside a pack of comedic hyenas. During his runaway years, Simba encounters two wastrels named Timon and Pumbaa (voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella respectively) and grows up with them free of responsibilities. Having not realized the disaster occurring during his absence, Simba is eventually snapped out of it with visitations from his childhood friend, Nala (voiced by Niketa Calame young and Moira Kelly as an adult) and his shaman Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume). With that, he realizes he must confront his past and take his rightful place in the "Circle of Life".
Right off the bat, it is very easy to tell that the film is full of good, if not great voice talent. Matthew Broderick, while not the best of the bunch, was at least a decent pick for adult Simba, though I do think Simba's young voice did a better job overall. Jeremy Irons, meanwhile, does a masterful job at making Scar sound as menacing as he appears on screen. That said, if his scarred left eye doesn't strike at least some fear into children watching, his voice definitely will. On the other hand, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as Timon and Pumbaa, while not the most noteworthy of the ensemble, do bring their intended comedic vibe to their characters whom I most often associate their voices with. Ultimately, though, the real show stealer had to have been James Earl Jones's Mufasa; like with a lot of his characters, he brings a very fierce, commanding presence to his character that only a (lion) king would deserve -- interestingly enough he had even played a king prior to this movie with Madge Sinclair (voice of Sarabi in this movie) even. While not exactly the top selling point of this movie, I found the voice cast to at least be of note alongside its more major hookers.
It's no question that most everybody remembers The Lion King for its grand, breathtaking visuals and spectacular animation. Honestly, who in the world could forget the aforementioned shot of the opening sunrise as it glazes the landscape in a golden hue? On top of that, just about every locale is drawn richly and colorfully in a way that, despite being animated, whisks the viewer away into the huge environments of Africa. From the wide open plains surrounding Pride Rock, to the more confined, sinister Elephant Graveyard littered with bones, and even Timon and Pumbaa's paradise full of towering majestic trees and waterfalls, each and every environment is one that easily sticks in the viewer's head forever. In addition, the attention to detail in the character animations is most impressive for its time. It's clear that Disney did enough studying of African wildlife to make everyone move like actual animals and even had the right tools for the job to bring the more complex animations to life. Specifically, I am talking about the famous wildebeest herd sequence in which every single wildebeest was animated in CGI. And this was only full year before Toy Story came out in full CGI too!
Even back in the day, there's no doubt this film's soundtrack was all the Disney craze back before Frozen stepped in and took that spot for this generation. Aside from "Hakuna Matata" essentially being the "Let It Go" of the time in which this movie came out, it is clear that this film's many other musical numbers have left a significant impression on viewers such as myself to this day. Okay, maybe not necessarily the songs themselves are noteworthy so much as the visuals associated with them. That said, numbers like "Circle of Life", "Just Can't Wait to Be King", and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" definitely enhance the scenes they go with, but are still memorable as songs in their own right. If anything, what's gotten to me most about the films score is Scar's villain song "Be Prepared" -- one of the most intense and menacing villain numbers in all of Disney's history -- as well as Hans Zimmer's masterful orchestrations that enhance the grand, majestic overall tone of the film. To this day, I still get emotional over little pieces in certain scenes such as the wildebeest chase, Mufasa's spirit appearing in the sky to Simba, Simba and Scar's final confrontation, and the ending medley after the finale, which ultimately leads into a short reprisal of "Circle of Life". All these and more add to the story and presentation and still keep me coming back every time despite minor flaws.
Despite most aspects of this movie being considered masterful, it is not without minor flaws. Like Frozen (with which it incidentally shares some plot similarities) after it, the first act feels more well put together than later down the line. After Mufasa dies and Timon and Pumbaa enter to teach Simba their inadequate philosophy, the film greatly brightens up in a way that almost makes you forget the previous tragedy. Granted, it's not as jarring as the transition between the off-screen death of Bambi's mother and the happy spring montage in, well... Bambi, but still, I couldn't help noticing this in my recent viewing. Then again, this may have been a deliberate attempt on the creators' behalf to help the audience better connect with Simba's sudden change in attitude -- me and my positive outlook on things, huh? In addition, Timon and Pumbaa, the more I think about them, may not be the greatest Disney comic relief of all time, but they at least don't drag the film down in any way and get a few good laughs every now and then. Other minor characters such as Zazu (voiced by Rowan Atkinson) are sadly forgettable, but at least keep things fun enough to watch when they're around. And though my older adult self admits that this isn't quite the perfect Disney film, it is still up there on my list of favorite Disney movies and movies in general.
So there you have it; an honest adult's non-nostalgia goggled review of one of the most iconic Disney films in both the Disney Renaissance and of all time. It still holds up to this day in more ways than one and remains one of the most aesthetically significant films in recent history. Between its interesting choices of casting, the iconic imagery and animation, and memorable score (musical or not), despite minor, insignificant issues, The Lion King is, without a doubt, one of those movies you're bound to remember forever. Overall, I give the film a solid A and consider it a must see for anybody whether old or young and Disney fanatic or not.
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
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