Day 32: The Lion King

The Lion King (1994)

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Joseph Williams, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jason Weaver, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Sally Dworsky, Niketa Calame, Laura Williams, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Madge Sinclair, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Zoe Leader

Songs: "Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait to be King," "Be Prepared," "Hakuna Matata," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"

SPOILER ALERT.  I know this movie is over twenty years old, but it's impossible to discuss it without giving out massive spoilers.  Even if, by some odd chance, you've never seen it you probably still know what happens, but in this case I just don't feel right posting without saying SPOILER ALERT.  

The Lion King is the thirty-second animated Disney film.  Inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, this movie tells the story of young Simba, a lion cub who is led to believe he is responsible for the death of his beloved father and runs away.  He returns fully grown to take his father's place as king and make things right.

The idea for the movie originated in 1988, and the film began production in 1991, at the same time as tomorrow's movie Pocahontas.  The Lion King was the underdog of the two films -- all the writers and animators at the studio wanted to work on Pocahontas because that looked like it would be the more successful film.  The original version of this story, which was constantly being rewritten -- even as the film was being animated -- was going to have Timon and Pumbaa be Simba's childhood friends and Scar's minions would be baboons.

This movie looks stunning, quite frankly.  The animation is so crisp and clean and beautiful.  The backgrounds are inviting and detailed and gorgeous.  The opening scene is one of the most elegant and moving things I've ever seen, both visually and musically.  The music in this movie is so different and wonderful.  Lyricist Tim Rice wanted to do something like Disney had done with The Jungle Book -- make a movie with fun, pop-like music that kids would like to sing along to and parents would still be able to enjoy.  Adding the songs to the Hans Zimmer score just makes this movie sound awesome.  The voice acting is incredible, and each role is perfectly cast.  Something I always comment on is the blending of CGI and traditionally animated elements, and in this movie, the blending is pretty much seamless.  Like I said about Aladdin, and probably most of the recent films, everything about this movie works big time.  It's a great movie.  I loved it as a kid, and it's still one of my favorites.

What I Liked: Pretty much everything.  But how could I not point out "Hakuna Matata" as pretty much the highlight of the whole 1990s?  And you know, this...

What I Disliked: I recognize that Mufasa's death is necessary for the progress of the story, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.  I did find it interesting that when Mufasa died, the music stopped.  It reminded me very much of the silence in Bambi, when his mother was shot.

Should You Watch This Movie: Honestly, yes.  Definitely.