Disney’s The Lion King (1994) (Movie Review)

  This month, I’ve reviewed two of Disney’s animated jungle adventures, “Tarzan” and “The Jungle Book” ... so it only figures I close out the month with a review of Disney’s 1994 classic “The Lion King”. This was the studios 32^nd animated picture, and … really, this film needs no introduction. 

“The Lion King” is widely regarded as one of the greatest animated pictures ever made, it’s still the highest grossing traditionally animated movie at the box office, it had more home video sales than any other Disney property of its time, there’s still a huge amount of merchandising for it, a devoted fan base, a seemingly never ending franchise and its often regarded as one of the cinematic turning points of the 90’s. Now speaking personally, I grew up with this film at the Hight of its popularity, I’ve always liked it, I certainly have nostalgia for it … but in truth, I’ve always found this film a little “overpraised” for its own good. It’s definitely a great movie, deserving of its status as a classic, but it's never resonated with me as one of my absolute favorites either. Regardless, any reservations I have with “The Lion King” are nothing serious, as I still enjoy the movie overall, and there's more than enough to look back on and celebrate with this picture ... so, I'm going to do just that. 

 Set in the Jungles of Africa, “The Lion King” tells the tale of a young lion Prince named Simba, who’s destined to one-day rule over the Pride Lands. One tragic day, his father, King Mufasa is slain by Simba’s wicked uncle Scar, who is eager to take the throne for himself. Scar places the blame of the Kings death on the boy’s shoulders, and thus, he’s banished to the out-lands. After spending many years with two goofy pals named Timon and Pumbaa, the prince finally returns home to take his rightful place as king and dethrone his malevolent uncle. 

Unlike the majority of Disney’s animated works "The Lion King" wasn’t initially based on a direct source material, but it certainly took inspiration from other famous sources, namely epic tales in the vein of Mosses and Spartacus. However, one creative decision changed everything, and it all had to do with the villain Scar. Originally, he was just going to be a rouge lion, but the writers wisely decided to make him a member of Simba’s family. Once his character was changed into Simba’s uncle, it became very clear that the main source of inspiration for “The Lion King” would be William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, and it’s felt all throughout the movie. Simba getting a visit from the ghost of his dad, while unintentional at first, did still mere the sequence in Hamlet in which he too was visited by the apparition of his father ... although, Hamlets "ghost dad" had the decency to say - "Your Uncle killed me!" ... but that's just me nit-picking.  

 

 Of course I need to address that “The Lion King” has been criticized by some as a rip-off of the 1960’s Japanese Anime called “Kimba the White Lion”, as they both feature similar characters, follow identical events, and even share the same themes … the most notable being “The Circle of Life”. The Disney animators have addressed it as a coincidence ... which is huge ... but I'm content to leave it at that. On the 2004 DVD making of features of the “The Lion King”, it's revealed that the real inspiration behind the film was neither “Kimba” or “Hamlet”, but another Disney movie … a little classic that came out in 1942 called “Bambi”. The initial pitch was to take the blueprint of "Bambi", change the setting and animals, and update "Bambi's" grounded life-and-times approach to something more theatrical and epic in design. As such, both movies are completely different in tone and presentation, yet both films follow the exact same series of events, to the point where you could actually call “The Lion King” a spiritual remake of “Bambi”.

Both movies begin with a gathering of animals, who’ve all come to celebrate the birth of their figurative prince, the one being Prince Bambi of the forest, and the other being Prince Simba of the Pride Lands.    
  

We’re then introduced to both as children, who are both being led by a single parent on a tour of what will one-day be their kingdoms. Bambi is escorted by his mother, while Simba is escorted by his father, but the principle is the same. They’re both even warned of a dangerous area they’re not supposed to go to. 

The first half of both movie’s focuses on Bambi and Simba as kids, and showcase both the mischief and fun they go through, as well as an early friendship with a girl that will eventually become their love interest. Unfortunately, something happens in the middle that changes everything …

The transition from childhood to adult hood takes shape when both Bambi and Simba tragically loose a parent. Simba looses his father, while Bambi looses his mother, and both are regarded as two of the saddest moments in film history. Just as a side note, I always felt that Mufasa’s death scene was the more tragic of the two, as it actually showed Simba trying to “wake-up” his father, as opposed to disappearing off-screen.  

Both of these tragic events are followed up by an up-beat song number. For “Bambi” it was "Let's sing a gay little spring song", and for “The Lion King” is was “Hakuna Matata”.

As the second halves of both movies proceed, both Simba and Bambi have become young adults, and the tone of both films has noticeably matured … as if to say the time for fun and games is over.

The first major event in both their adult lives is reuniting with a woman they previously knew as kids. Bambi reunites with a grown-up Faline, while Simba reunites with a grown-up Nala.

Instantly upon reuniting with both girls, our two Prince’s fall in love, and both pairs prance off into the night, with a romantic song playing over the event. Bambi and Faline’s romantic evening is set to “I Bring You a Song”, while for Simba and Nala’s it's “Can you Feel the Love Tonight”.

Both Bambi and Simba also have their first triumph defeating an enemy in single combat. Bambi duels with Ronno, while Simba duels with Scar. Also, both villains are defeated the same way, as both Bambi and Simba hurdle their opponents over a cliff-side.

During the climax’s, both Bambi’s and Simba’s respected kingdoms are set on fire. Bambi’s forest is engulfed in flames, as is Pride Rock.

Yet, from the ashes, a new king emerges. Bambi’s father steps down from the hilltop, and the former Prince Bambi steps in, as all the animals look up on high at the new King of the forest. Simba likewise walks to the top of his late father’s ledge, where all the others look up to him as the new and rightful King.

At last, both movies conclude with an epilogue that parallel where each movie had begun, with a gathering of animals, the birth of new children who will becomes airs to the throne, and life has now come full circle. It's honestly really cool how both movies parallel each other yet stand apart as two different experiences. It goes to show that you can take inspiration from another body of work, without coming off like a rehash in the execution.   

  Also, just like how “Bambi” broke ground with the animation for its time ... “The Lion King” went the extra mile by presenting its animation on a broader, and more epic scope than any previous Disney film. While many early Disney movies of the 90’s had both scope and size, this truly was epic. It goes without saying that the animation in “The Lion King” is extraordinary, as it pre-dates the digital age of animation, and highlights what an artist can accomplish with hand-painted brush strokes. It also utilizes figurative camera techniques, like dolly shots, rack-focus, pan-around and others which had commonly only been utilized for live-action. For my liking, this film has some of the richest atmosphere of any Disney movie to date, as it captures the spirit of Africa, yet still feels magical like any fantasy setting. A lot of that is due in part to Hans Zimmer’s and Lebo M's extraordinary music score. The acoustics, the rhythm, the African chants, the energy … it’s simply one of my favorite instrumental music scores ever put to film and rightfully won the Academy Award for Best Original Music.   

 My favorite scene of the whole movie is the opening “Circle of Life” sequence, which to this day is one of my top 3 favorite opening sequences of any animated movie. Like, everything from the distant sounds of animal’s herd over a black backdrop, to that magnificent sunrise, to the sweeping shots of animals crossing the plains of the pride Lands, to baby Simba’s presentation … all leading to that awesome title card … it’s just an extraordinary sequence. The song was also the first of three in this film to be nominated at the Oscars for Best Original Song. My second favorite scene is the Wildebeest Stamped, which is easily my favorite action sequence from a Disney movie that’s not a part of a climax. I love the build-up, as nothing scares me more than seeing a danger from a distance, which then descends upon you before you know it. Something like Hercules battling the Hydra was cool, but this stamped was intense, it had me on the edge of my seat, and even as an adult, it still gets me riveted. I especially love all the details on display, like the dust getting kicked up by the stamped, which is gradually creating a thick dust cloud. Lastly, the blending of CGI with traditional animation has also held up very well. 

 Let's talk characters ... as this film is packed with them. My personal favorite character has always been Simba’s father Mufasa, who’s brought to life flawlessly by the great James Earl Jones. Not only does he give Mufasa a sense of leadership and dignity, but he even has a little mischievous side, which I like. When Zazu is giving his morning report, he doesn’t scold Simba for leaping around, or not paying attention, and instead plays along with his son … “let a pro show you how it’s done”. Just as a side note, I love the final conversation between Simba and Mufasa, as it starts off intense with the dad rightfully chewing out his son for his actions, yet the conversation gets more relaxed and eventually ends on a positive note. The tones in this conversation are reflected through the animation, as it starts with a harsh sunset, yet as the scene calms, the colors get more relaxed and cooler. It’s just beautiful film-making all around. 

 

 If there was any other character I loved as much as Mufasa … it would have to be Rafiki, who’s likewise voiced brilliantly by Robert Guillaume. Rafiki is like the Yoda of Disney characters, in which he’s the wise guru, with all the best morals, yet he’s also the funniest character, with all the snappy lines. Every time he’s on screen, there’s just this warm smile on my face, and … oh, I wish he had a bigger role in this film. Actually, “The Lion King” would have a secure spot as one of my favorite Disney movies if they just changed one detail in the story. Have Rafiki be the one who rescues Simba from the desert and takes him on as a sergeant son. That way we’d still have our comedic relief, but we’ll also have someone teaching Simba the values of life and even teach him how to be a proper ruler. On that note, the films actual comedic reliefs Timon and Pumba are fine ... but I never felt they warranted the amount of attention they got outside of this first film. Truthfully, I was fonder of Zazu as the levity in the film.  

 Of course, I have to mention the villain Scar ... who has his place among the A-List Disney rogue's. Jeremy Irons delivered a deliciously wicked performance and had that perfect rang between over-the-top theatrics, and a legit threatening presence. My favorite traits of Scar’s are his witty, dead-pan remarks ... MUFASA: “He is my son, and your future King” SCAR: “Oh, I Shall practice my curtsy”. 

More than anything, Scar accomplishes more than any other Disney villain and has the longest lasting victory over our heroes. However, while Scar shines as a Disney villain ... I don't seem him as much of a Shakespear villain. His counterpart Claudius from "Hamlet" (especially the 1996 film version), had nuance and felt human, even though he was the lethal antagonist. Scar on the other hand is evil with a capital E and doesn't display any sense of pathos in his actions. While Scar works in the film and has his merits ... he's simply no Claudius. Of course, his Hyenas make for memorable foes in their own right, and Scar also has one of the all-time greatest villain songs, which comes in the form of “Be Prepared”. It looks amazing, it sounds intense, and it’s still one of Disney’s absolute greatest villain moments. 

    

 On that note, the song selection is about as classic ... although, I personally prefer the songs from the first half of the film as opposed to the latter half. To be blunt, I’ve never been a fan of the Oscar nominated “Hakuna Matata”, as it always seemed at odds with the very moral of the story. 

Plus, it always seemed to steal the spotlight from my childhood favorite song, which was “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”. I replayed that song all the time as a kid, it was upbeat, colorful, had a unique design, and still holds up as a genuinely fun song to this day. One song I have to mention is “Lion Sleeps Tonight”, which was only briefly sung by Timon and Pumbaa, and the song itself originally came out back in 1961. Yet, a whole generation of people associate this song as originating from “The Lion King”, which is hilarious. In 2004, there was an extended cut of “The Lion King”, which inserted a deleted song called “The Morning Report”. It was a common trend during the decade for special additions of classic Disney movies to insert previously deleted songs into their DVD transfers. However, unlike the inclusions in “Beauty in the Beast” or “Pocahontas”, this song really added nothing to the experience. I suppose it gave the pouncing lesson scene … a little more bounce … but that’s it.

 Now, I should note that I was a child cradled by the music of Elton John, or perhaps I should say … my parents had his music playing throughout the house all the time when I was just a toddler, and thus, I’ve always had a nostalgic bond with his music. His Academy Award winning rendition of “Can you Feel the Love Tonight” has always stuck with me as his most timeless pop song of the 90’s. Yet, the song itself as presented in the movie did absolutely nothing for me. It was a boring sequence in the film, it’s still just as boring as an adult, and I don’t even think it sounds that good. Truthfully, I don’t think Simba and Nala are an interesting couple at all, so if I’m not engaged in the relation, why should I be interested in their romantic song number? I’ll admit that I liked Simba and Nala as cubs, as their childhood chemistry felt natural, but their adult romance just felt like obligation ... we need to see Simba with a newborn cub at the end, thus Simba needs a girlfriend.   

  At last, we come to my most mixed aspect of the whole film … and it’s Simba himself. Once again like Bambi, I find the child version of the character more memorable and fun to watch as opposed to their grown-up version. I wasn't even a fan of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, but his vocal performance gave the character a distinct and engaging personality, and it's always stuck with me as an iconic character portrayal in animation. 

Grown up Simba on the other hand has all the personality of a cucumber and is voiced by a one-note Matthew Broderick. To be blunt, whenever I watched this movie as a kid, I dreaded that iconic "log crossing" scene, because it meant that Simba wasn't going to be fun to watch anymore. Aside from sheer enjoyment, I also found Simba's childhood arc more interesting and relatable as he learns that being brave doesn’t mean he should seek out danger. It feels like a proper steppingstone for his character growth ... right down to that unforgettable image of him stepping in his father’s footprint. His arc as a grownup solely revolves around him discovering that he wasn’t responsible for his father’s death … which really doesn’t prove any of his worth as a king. More to the point, there’s a saying that "Crowns are inherited, but kingdoms are earned." … and while Simba certainly inherits his crown, I never felt he proved anything of himself to earn his Kingdome. He's simply the better choice over evil Uncle Scar, and I always felt something was missing there.    

 We do get a terrific speech from Rafiki on learning from the past, and it's certainly my big take away from the film. Still, when Simba goes back to face Scar, the only reason Simba won the day is because the villain wanted to boost his ego and reveal that he did away with Mufasa ... had it noy been for that, Simba would have lost. I just feel Simba didn't prove anything of himself on his own, and I just feel something of substance is missing. Thankfully, the final hero versus villain showdown is a visual and musical marvel to behold ... and the final shot of Simba taking his father's place on pride rock still feels like a triumphant moment ... although, I think the music has something to do with that.    

 In the end, I may have some reservations for “The Lion King”, and I think it's a pinch overpraised ... but regardless, it’s still a great movie, and I can understand why it’s maintained its general appeal after all these years. It’s a movie that’s grand and epic in design, yet simplistic and can easily entertain a wide variety of different viewers. The characters are memorable, the songs are still timeless, and the instrumental music is still just as stunning as they get.

 

I feel the most important thing to take from “The Lion King” is its story behind the scenes. At the time, Walt Disney Animated Studios were putting all their chips on “Pocahontas” as their big magnum opus and assigned the A-Team to work on that project, while the B-Team was sent to work on “The Lion King”. Yet, it was with the simple ambition to make a genuinely good movie, that this small, but dedicated team of writers, and animators created a modern-day classic, with a legacy that’s expanded through all forms of media. That is such an important story, and lesson for our current film industry, as so many studios are eager to resurrect popular titles for a quick buck. I may not worship “The Lion King” as one of the greatest films ever made, but it is an important example of how originality, mixed with inspiration from other classic sources, can forge something timeless, and has resonated with viewers for years to come.  

Thanks for reading my review of Disney’s 1994 classic “The Lion King” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!