The Lion King (A Walt Disney Masterpiece) Reviews

• Wonderful world of ads

  
  By A29QA79VLQGHY6 on 2003-10-19
  Sure, the king of beasts knows every inch of the Serengeti, but let's see that sucker try to navigate this DVD. For the long-awaited DVD debut of "The Lion King," Disney has created one of the format's most byzantine navigation schemes to date. Seven-year-olds might sense some sort of internal logic here, but most parents will be stumped and peeved. Breathe, close your eyes and try very hard not to throw the remote control.

  It doesn't help that the feature-film disc opens with eight "sneak previews" and a live-action commercial for Disney World. What should be an event experience is cheapened before it begins: "The Lion King" -- a crown jewel of modern Disney animation -- unspools like any straight-to-video kiddie show.

  It's a shame, because otherwise, "The Lion King" gets the royal treatment. Restored and remastered, "The Lion King" looks and sounds spectacular. Colors can be wildly saturated without loss in definition -- as in baby Simba's Busby Berkeley-inspired "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" -- or subtle and true to life.

  The audio defaults to the theatrical surround mix, but anyone with decent gear should switch immediately to the so-called Enhanced Home Theatre Mix (both are Dolby Digital 5.1). "It will test your home system set-up," vows the proud rerecording engineer Terry Porter, who gets to explain his work in an unusual but quite welcome DVD extra. (It's on disc 2; dig deep to find it).

  Most viewers will first view the new version of the film, which has an added song, by Elton John and Tim Rice, that's explained in a making-of featurette. Rice describes the music-hall-like "Morning Report" as "a lot of bad animal puns." The song, sung by Zazu, runs less than 90 seconds and comes early in the film. It's fun, but you'll probably prefer the original pacing.

  Viewers not interested in chasing around the DVD set to get the lowdown on the film -- there's a swarm of quick-cut Disney docus -- will do just fine with the commentary by producer Don Hahn and directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. It's recycled from the laserdisc but not the least bit dated.

  One of the best extras has old footage of Elton John at the piano, tentatively unveiling "The Circle of Life" for the Disney team. Must to avoid: An unfortunate music video has the current stars of the Disney Channel romping through "Circle of Life."
  
  

• Absolutely Extrodinary

  
  By A2N8G08KDRNV1V on 2003-04-03
  Wow. I'm still getting over this wonderful and breathtaking journey that is the Lion King. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie's music, story, and spiffy characters. I recommened it to anyone who likes movies period. Charcaters such as Timon & Pumba bring in comedic relief, while more serious and awesome characters such as Mufasa help bring depth and feel to the story. I dont care if your 2, 16, 28, 50, or even 90 years of age, you'll simply fall in love with this movie. If you ask me what the best part of the entire movie was, i would have to say the blending of the music and picture that is presented in such a way that is captavating and breathtaking. Buy the soundtrack now....also try the Broadway soundtrack. This is Disney at it's finest. This is one of the greatest animated pictures of all time if not one of the greatest movies ever.
  
  

• Perfect in every sense of the word...but a useless 2nd disc.

  
  By A283NP8NG7X11F on 2005-05-26
  Let's get something straight right now. The Lion King is a perfect movie. Be it live action or animated, there are few others I can list that reach its level of quality. Seeing it in theaters back in the mid-90s was a great experience. Even if I wasn't old enough to understand some of the darker issues in it back then, I enjoyed the movie, like the millions of other kids. Now, at almost 20, watching the movie really gets to me. This is one of Disney's more grown up movies. I'm not saying that to make it sound like it's too violent or there's any hinting at mature themes, but all the talk about death in the beginning, about the Circle of Life, that's some pretty powerful stuff to be talking about in a family movie. With this re-release of the movie, hopefully more parents or future parents will keep it around and show their kids this piece of movie history.
  
  The movie opens up with possibly the most grand of Disney openings- a sunrise. An African song plays, and the animals look towards something that we can't see. Every type of animal in the area starts heading towards something. Birds, elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, you name it. Soon, we see a great rock formation- Pride Rock. A lion stands atop, overlooking everything in his kingdom. Then, a mandrill makes his way through the crowd of animals that waits. He hugs the lion, and makes his way to the lioness behind him. They've had a baby. The mandrill takes the cub, and holds him high up for all the animals to see. They cheer in unison- they have a new prince. Some opening eh? After this, we're introduced to another lion- Scar. He's the king's brother, and obviously jealous of the whole deal. He didn't even show up to the ceremony. Mufasa, the king, makes a note of this, telling Scar that he should've shown up for his own nephew's birth. Scar walks away, as it's no big deal to him. Time passes, and Simba grows up a little. He's still a cub, but capable of doing things on his own now. Mufasa tells him about the Circle of Life. How all living things are connected. Lions eat the antelope, but when they die, their bodies become the grass, upon which the antelope eat. Simba is also shown his kingdom, which is everything that the light touches. Unfortunately, the light doesn't touch one spot, which sparks his interest...of which Scar helps him get even more curious about. It turns out to be an elephant graveyard. Simba heads toward it with his friend, Nala, and they almost get killed by heyenas. Mufasa saves them, is disappointed that his son disobeyed, but understands. Scar, who's working with the heyenas, is also disappointed, and takes matters into his own hands- since they failed in killing Simba, he's going to kill Mufasa. In doing so (in a very tragic scene), Simba goes into exile, and Scar takes over. Simba finds two new friends in Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him to take life easy. But with time, the true king realizes who he is through his friends, and there will be justice.
  
  As you can see, this is a pretty big movie. It's not complicated by any means, but just the overall picture is a lot to take in. A dad telling his son about life and death, only to die in saving his son who hasn't reached adulthood yet, was always touching. The music playing during that scene adds even more dramatic touch to it. Scar, as I've mentioned, is an absolute treat. He's probably my favorite Disney villain, surpassing even Jafar and Gaston. Sure, some of his lines and movements make you question his orientation, but that doesn't matter. His voice, design and motives are too good. That's how it is with a lot of the other characters too. Disney did a great job with the designs. Zazu, a hornbill bird, is voiced by Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean fame. And you know what? Zazu looks freakin' identical to Rowan. I didn't notice it back then, but now, it's hilariously uncanny. Equally great is the soundtrack. When the movie came out, I had the soundtrack. About two years later, it was lost...but I can remember every single track perfectly. It leaves that much of an impact on you. How many animated movies can you say that about, and really mean every track- not just the songs?
  
  The picture and audio quality on this disc are flawless. There's no grain, fuzz, or anything to hinder the viewing experience. If you have a nice sound system, by all means- crank this baby up and prepare to be blown away.
  
  Now why does the rating for this movie that I keep stressing being perfect only come out at four stars? That's easy- the second disc is a joke. I'll get to that in a minute. The first disc includes a "never before heard song", like Disney keeps throwing in its Platinum Edition sets. Though "never before heard song" usually equals "direct to video animation quality and CG overkill" *cough Beauty & the Beast cough*, the song here is very short. It's Zazu giving his morning report to Mufasa during Simba's pouncing scene. While it's funnier to hear Zazu talk about the Pridelands gossip with more character, hearing it in song is still good. There are 3 deleted scenes under the "Elephant Graveyard" section of the first disc, thoug they're all in storyboard and animatic form. One's of Timon and Pumbaa singing Can You Feel The Love Tonight?, which was dropped because Elton John was horrified at how they sang it. It's understandable, but hearing them sing it is just hilarious. Another scene is of Timon's verse in Hakuna Matata. During the commentary, they say it didn't fit in that much, and Pumbaa's was funnier, and they're right. It's mostly about how he was lazy. As for that commentary track, it's with the directors and producer. They talk a lot, and point out some cool info aboud the production. Things like dialogue they wanted to add but didn't feel fit in, a slightly extended ending, and how huge some of the background paintings were. It's mostly geeky stuff, but I feel it's worth at least one listen. These guys had a lot of work to do. Most of the other features on the first disc are minor things, but still better than the second disc, which is aimed at 5 year olds. No joke- almost everything is about animals or what Africa's like. And all of these are in very short segments, usually 2-4 minutes. And, there's a lot of them. Why a "play all" feature wasn't included is beyond me. It made watching the features a chore, and felt rushed. There's also a virtual safari, which felt kinda creepy since it's at night, and a lot of animals attack Timon and Pumbaa's jeep. There are no real special features here: no documentary, no behind the scenes look, no glance at the voice actors during work (except like 4 seconds of Johnathan Taylor Thomas), just tons of the people that worked on the movie talking about going to Africa for inspiration. And that's all it is- talk. I was disappointed, and won't be watching the second disc again.
  
  Overall, The Lion King remains one of Disney's crown jewels. Sure, it may have had a lot of help from the other animated classic: Jungle Emperor Leo, but they really did improve it. It's just sad to know that after this, they didn't put in as much effort into their other animated features. Not to bash the likes of Hunchback or Mulan, but their animation style really changed after this, and it's a shame. As far as I can see, there's not going to be another Lion King from them. Lilo and Stitch came close (in sales and tone), but it's hard to dethrone something this classic.
  
  

• Is this some sort of joke???!!

  
  By on 2004-04-05
  OK...Disney could have done a lot better here. For one, the layout of the DVD is a total disgrace. I had to sit for hours trying to find the "real" version of the film (without that silly Morning Report song) and finally found it under "Languages". Of course, I should have looked there first. How silly of me.
  The animation has been completely changed - if you have the old VHS version you should compare them. The crocodiles with the birds in their mouths are completely different in I Just Cant Wait to be King, and the colors in the film have been changed to brighter, more bolder colors which make the scenery look totally unrealistic compared to the VHS. Seriously, is this some sort of joke? I grew up with this movie, and now that Im older I was excited to see it again after all those years, but I was just disappointed. I am hoping that disney are trying to trick us and will release something much better than this. This DVD was the biggest waste of money. EVER.
  
  

• Not just a Bambi ripoff

  
  By A1KAUV9QYLP52J on 2000-08-07
  Although it might be accused of plot similarities to "Bambi", The Lion King stands on it's own as the best animated film of Disney's silver age save for "Beauty and the Beast".

  It starts off with the greatest opening sequence in animation history, which already must rank within the top ten moments in all animation, period. Disney has since tried to match it in "Dinosaurs", but it remains unequalled. The inimitable "Circle of Life" has no rival except "When you wish upon a star" as Disney mood-setting music.

  The animals of the African plains pay homage to the new lion prince, Simba, at his birth. Already he has one strike against him in his father Mufasa's brother Scar, bitter because Simba is now the heir to the throne of the pridelands. While Simba and his friend Nala grow, Scar plots with hyena henchmen to dethrone Mufasa. Scar's moment comes in one devestating blow, managing to make the young cub stricken with guilt in the process.

  Simba runs off and is saved from death by exposure to the elements by Pumbaa, a kind warthog, and Timon, his meerkat best friend. As an adult, he has forgotten his legacy until a now-grown Nala and Rafiki, his father's baboon best friend, remind him. He goes to face the hour of reckoning with Scar, his friends by his side.

  The movie includes some of the best voicing work and dialogue in the Disney cannon, especially that of Scar - so evil as portrayed by Jeremy Irons that he actually drew a gasp from my jaded father - and Nathan Lane's Timon, who I feel will eventually take his place as Disney's greatest second banana (and no, I'm not forgeting the Seven Dwarves or Cinderella's mice). His now famous luau scene is Disney's supreme howler moment.
  
  

• Yes, buy it.
  By A2L4XGVPR42KHL on 2003-09-29
  Disney's The Lion King is finally available on DVD. Considered the cream of the crop of all the Disney animated features by many, it is definitely worth owning. I don't think I'll go into the story, which I'm sure most of you know. Chances are you've already seen the movie and are just waiting to own it on a piece of media that won't rot like your VHS tape that probably fell apart by now. Even if Disney released a sub par release of this movie, you'd buy it.
  Luckily, this is one of the best releases ever.

  Video and Audio is supreme in this release. Especially vibrant is the 5.1 sound. Of all the older Disney releases, this one benefits the most I think, with the powerful music and sound effects present in this release. Hearing James Earl Jones as Mufasa blaring in thunderous 5.1 sound is quite amazing. Likewise the excellent music, such as the opening Circle of Life. Present in this release is the original theatrical version as well as a version with new music/song. I actually didn't care for the new song, but some may. The extras are quite numerous, contained on a second DVD and are mentioned in Amazon's product details...I haven't had the time to go through them yet, so I cannot comment on the extras. I just watched the movie again. To be honest, the movie would be worth it as a single disc release so I'm happy as it is.

  Some interesting trivia for some of the people who are not aware of it is that The Lion King seemed to be heavily "influenced" by an old Japanese anime, Kimba The White Lion. Those wishing to see the "similarities" would do well to check out that series as it has also been released on DVD. Carbon copying aside, I do love the Lion King. It still manages to grab you whether you are 4 years old or 40. Two thumbs up!!
  
  

• The Best Disney Film Yet?
  By AY5AV7OG7UAJ7 on 2001-09-10
  The Lion King may be the very best Disney film ever! The creative team and energy that went into the making of this film is phenominal! Sending a whole team of animators to Africa to study the bugs, plants, sand, rocks, trees, and other animals and how they move to make sure that this movie was as realistic as they could make it. In Disney tradition having live animals on the set to draw. If you watch the way simba walks his movements are not cartoony but rather very real looking cat like movements.

  Not only the animation but the Music. Tim Rice and Elton John, all I can say is WOW! Talk about great songs from Circle of Life to Can you feel the love tonight, which made great additions to the other hits that Elton John has in his career. To the fun Can't Wait To Be King and who could forget Ernie Sabala and Nathan Lane in Hakuna Matata. And of course all of the backround music was superb!

  The All-Star cast of course helps quite a bit too. Jonathon Taylor Thomas (from my favorite TV show ABC/Touchstone/Buena Vista show Home Improvement) provides the voice for young Simba, James Earl Jones provides the voice for Mufasa and what a great job he did as he actually sounds like a lion when he talks. Nathan Lane as the smart talking meer cat Timon Ernie Sabala as Pumbaa who is a stinky warthog. Jeremy Irons provides the voice of scar who is the wicked uncle to Simba and Brother to Mufasa. And of course Cheech Marin and Whoopi Gholdberg provide the hillarious antics of the Hyenas! Together what a team!

  The story opens with the great song Circle Of Life as Mufasa and Sarabi have just given birth to Simba and the entire African Pridelands have come to witness the event. All of them except Scar of course, who was supposed to be next in line for the thrown but now Simba is prince and heir to the throne, thus jealousy lerks in Scars soul.

  Mufasa shows Simba the entire kingdom but orders him to never go the the shadowy place. However Simba being curious takes his friend Nala and they try to sneak down there and through the wonderful song of Can't wait to be king, they succeed in losing the Kings Domer Bird Zazu. They find themselves in a dark and scary place however Simba acts brave until the Hyenas come out and begin chase after the cubs and Zazu who has caught up to the young cubs.

  The following day Scar takes Simba down to the gorge and tells him that his father has a big surprise for him. But instead a stampede starts and Mufasa is forced to rush down to rescue Simba. In the process Mufasa is killed by the rushing stampede and falling off of a cliff. Scar makes Simba beleive it is his fault and to run away and never return. Simba does what he is told, and Scar tells the lions that Mufasa and Simba were killed.

  Simba finds himself alone in the desert where he runs into Timon and Pumbaa and learns that no matter what is in your past it doesn't matter to Hakuna Matata "No Worries" There he grows up and learns to live a different way than a prince. Until he runs into some old friends from the pridelands and realizes that he must go back and challenge scar for the throne.

  A beautifully and yet somewhat cheesy animated fight scene between Scar and Simba takes place and Simba takes his place in hte great and glorious kingdom as he gives a roar and the dark dingy Pride Rock that Scar had ruled over had now become a beautiful Pride Land again!

  Definatly a must see for not just kids or the young at heart, but anyone who has ever had something bad happen to them and wanted to give up, this movie will help you to move on and to look at the brighter side of things! So weather you are 1 or 101 you will love this great Disney Masterpiece! I guarantee it!
  
  

• The best Disney movie ever made!
  By AW98TAD35NE13 on 2002-12-22
  Whenever I am asked what a few of my favorite movies are, THE LION KING is always one of the first that come to my mind. I'm generally not a huge animated movie fan, but this movie is simply irrisistable! When I saw the opening scene in theaters I knew it would be a great movie- but it was fantastic, my words at the end were just ". . . WOW!" With it's breathtaking animation and intriguing story, this movie is appealing to all audiences. The realistic characters and jokes that will make even the adults laugh out loud add to the charm and beauty of this film. I've heard the opinion that this movie can be too intense for younger audiences, but I have to say that the children this is reffering to must be VERY young or VERY easily upset. I took my little sister and a buch of her friends to this movie (they were in the 4-6 age range) and not one of them were in the least bit tramautized- and couldn't find anything bad to say about it, for that matter. The sad sequences in this movie are very touching and depressing, but that's what makes this a good animated film. No magic spells or fairy dust, Mufasa is dead; welcome to the REAL world. The powerful sequence at the end when the spirit of Mufasa breifly visits Simba in a time of distress gives us all hope and show us that our loved ones will always be watching over us. This amazing video would be a great addition to any collection, but as the DVD is coming out soon, you may want to hold out and just go rent it! :-) (p.s. this is to be re-release in Christmas 2002 on IMAX theaters, so if you need some extra encouragement, go see it!)
  
  
• Royal DVD treatment!
  By A2O7XXGIOYVR8R on 2003-09-29
  A wondrous film.

  A top-notch DVD.

  Disney's new Special Edition of "the Lion King" is both.

  I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy, and can say that it's one of the best DVDs in my collection, right up there with "Sleeping Beauty" and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

  First off, my favorite part: they give you the choice of watching the movie with a new song, or (for the purists) the original theatrical version. I think that every special edition should offer that option!

  Both are presented in stunning, crystal-clear DVD quality--and the film itself has been cleaned up to make you feel like you're seeing "the Lion King" for the first time.

  The sound is incredible (especially if you have a decent audio setup), making you feel like you're right there on Pride Rock with Simba, Zazu and the rest. Elton John has never sounded better (unless you've actually been to one of his concerts), and it's thrilling to finally hear James Earl Jones on DVD as one of his most memorable characters.

  It's always tough to decide whether or not to replace a VHS copy with DVD, but "the Lion King" Special Edition makes the answer obvious.

  ("Yes.")

  - cousinpaco
  
  

• probably THE BEST ANIMATED FILM !
  By on 1999-10-20
  After the movie Little Mermaid came out, Disney would make 3 other animated masterpieces: Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, that would change the way we looked at animated films, somthing new, something wonderful.But of all these 4 great animated films, in my opinion The Lion King was the greatest. The music was just, beautiful, and Scar was probably the most EVIL Disney villain the was ever drawn on a piece of paper.You hated him, but you almost liked him, because he was so great. But probably the best part of the movie was Simba's pal's Pumbaa and Timon, the BEST Disney characters EVER!!! The scene where Timon was doing the hula, I thought I was going to die from laughing. Anybody from toddler to 10 year old to 60 year from boy to old woman to teenager and so forth will, without a doubt, LOVE this movie, everyone.
  
  
• What Happened to the Soundtrack?
  By A3NRBX38WUOLB7 on 2003-10-09
  The songs in the original movie were NOT included in the "Special Edition" making this a bland shadow of the original. Shame on you Disney!
  
  
• Earns its place among the old Disney classics
  By A1AISPOIIHTHXX on 2003-10-11
  Animation films are incredibly tricky. Adults(or just mainly uptight people view animated films as kids only. However kids see them as great pieces of film that they "get". For once, Disney gets it right. This was really a powerhouse film when it came out and held the record for the biggest animated film of all time(until recently when a so-so film about finding a fish called Nemo came out).

  Simba is a young lion in the Serengeti(they call it the Pride Lands though) who just can't wait to be king. However, he's a mischievous little cub who gets into trouble a bit easy. When a terrible tragedy strikes, Simba exiles himself where he meets a warthog and meerkat and develops a carefree lifestyle. Now an adult, he returns to the Pride Lands to reclaim the throne from his evil uncle, Scar.

  Sounds a bit like Hamlet huh? But you won't care. Many impossibly catchy songs, funny moments and jokes and words that even appeal to adults(do you really think a kid would understand "illustrating the differences in your royal mangerial approaches"? Exactly.)

  Voice acting is top notch, animation is absolutely gorgeous, and it's done by hand by the way, none of that Finding Nemo/Toy Story/A Bug's Life CGI stuff. There's a reason why this is considered the best Disney film but you owe it to yourself to find out why.
  
  

• got ripoff?
  By AH739D9EWXB7X on 2001-10-23
  ok,i had to give this two stars for one reason. sure it was a great film, but it was such a ripoff of Kimba, the white Lion. I am a huge anime fan, and when i saw this, me and my friend looked at eachother. had we seen this already? almost everything is identical. from the names simba and kimba to the faces of their father's in the clouds. everything is identical. disey should pay...
  
  
• Great movie & lots of extras you probably won't ever watch!
  By A2L8VMNMKSL1N0 on 2003-10-14
  I'm thrilled that one of the last Disney movies that I've really loved is finally out on DVD. I could say a zillion glowing things about this movie that you probably agree with or already know. I have to admit that I do, however, have a slight issue or two with this DVD release.

  I know this is going to sound ridiculously funny but there is, quite simply, way too much packed on to this release. "The Lion King" IS an important movie and in time will most certainly be a Disney Classic, if not just a "film classic", Disney or not. (I think a movie needs to have been around for at least 20 years or so before it can be called "a classic", and it's sort of annoying that Disney sticks that word on just about everything they release regardless of whether it's new or old.) There's just a lot on here that seems unnecessary.

  Let me start with the good stuff: the movie has never looked or sounded better. Great care has been taken to improve an already great film. Make sure you click on "Enhanced Home Theater Mix" to watch the movie if you have more than just a TV hooked up to your DVD player. It sounds a zillion times better than the Dolby 5.1 stereo mix. The commentary is the same as the one that appeared on the laserdisc release. It's a fun, concise talk that will pretty much supply anyone with what they need to know about "The Lion King." The behind-the-scenes extras with Elton John are also quite enjoyable and informative, as is the short piece about Julie Taymor, who did the Broadway musical.

  Okay, the not-so-great stuff: several documentaries that drone on and on about things most viewers, especially children, won't care about; a piece featuring footage of real lions eating their prey (that's something I really didn't want to see). The menu screens seem a little overwhelming to navigate. Some people might get frustrated, thinking "I don't care about the rest of the stuff, just let me see the movie!!" Like I said before, there's just way too much unnecessary stuff on here. The kiddie games that can be played with a remote control and some of the other stuff should have perhaps been released on a separate DVD (maybe as a freebie that you send in for with proof-of-purchase) for diehard fans, thus making this DVD easier to control. I'm sure there will be diehard fans out there that take offense to my statement saying that they didn't have any trouble navigating. Good for them, I'm happy. All I'm saying is that casual viewers that perhaps don't use their DVD players on a daily basis might get a bit confused.

  The absolute worst thing on here has to be the "Circle Of Life" music video, performed by the Disney Channel "Circle Of Stars." It's just rather, well... stupid. There seems to be a disturbing trend on Disney DVD's of including extremely tired new versions of songs, performed by marginally talented musical outfits. Disney needs to put the kibosh on this immediately! The videos are obviously aimed at children, but to think that kids would enjoy this is a rather insulting thought.

  The weird and quite unnecessary carboard sleeve is here, too (just like what was released with "Beauty And The Beast" and "Sleeping Beauty"). The gatefold sleeve opens to reveal just what is on the DVD, which I suppose is really nice to know, if you are standing in a store wondering, but c'mon! This is a Disney DVD and people are going to buy it regardless of whether they know exactly how full of extras it is. It just seems wasteful because the plastic snap case that slides out of the cardboard sleeve is a good enough cover on its own. I'm sure a lot of people just throw this cardboard sleeve away, even though you can tell it wasn't cheap to produce. Knock off the cardboard sleeve nonsense, and knock off a buck or two off the list price while you're at it Disney!

  Having said all of that, this really is a great DVD release- even with all of the superfluous extras that would take you days to watch.
  
  

• Disney at its best!
  By A14S64R6FIS21K on 2002-10-21
  The Lion King is still today the best Disney movie ever made. Although Disney has tried to have repeat success with Lilo and Stitch and Atlantis: The Lost Empire, none of them can compare to this remarkable movie! The film opens into the amazing musical sequence "The Circle of Life", when young Simba is born. Him and his best friend Nala escape off into the outlands where the Pride Lands' enemies, the hyenas, await them. As they make a daring escape, Simba's evil uncle, Scar, is making a plan to take over the kingdom. Simba winds up running away to escape his father's mysterious death, which he thinks is his fault. He runs away and meets a lovable meerkat, Timon, and a funny but stupid warthog, Pumbaa. As he grows up, he meets his old best friend, Nala. When Simba makes his way back home to the Pride Lands, he is challenged to a fight with his uncle Scar. The climax of the movie begins as Simba takes his place as the one true king. With 5 award winning songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice, and tons of funny and lovable characters, The Lion King is still today the most majestic and stunning movie that Disney fans have ever seen. As it prepares for its IMAX release and Platinum Edition DVD release, it also prepares for another generation to laugh, cry, and enjoy The Lion King.
  
  
• Hey, here's a morning report for you... that sequence SUCKED
  By on 2003-12-23
  I hate that stupid new song! Why would they even THINK of destroying the movie like that? The song is boring, the animation is average and doesn't match the old animation...

  Disney needs to get a clue.
  
  

• Best Disney Movie!
  By on 2002-01-07
  The Lion King is a great movie, much better that #2! In Lion King, Simba is destined to be the new king. His father Mufasa teaches him about the circle of life and all. But Simba's uncle Scar wants to be king. He tells Simba about an elephant graveyard where the hyenas live. Simba brings his friend Nala with him and tells his mom Sarabi he's going to the waterhole. Sarabi tells the bird, Zazu, to watch them. Simba and Nala do a song and get Zazu stuck under a hippo. They find the graveyard, but Mufasa has to save them from hyenas and they get busted. Mufasa tells Simba all about the kings guarding him from the stars. In the rest of the movie, Mufasa dies and Simba runs away thinking it's his fault. He finds Timon and Pumbaa and grows up. Then he meets Nala again and they go save the Pride Lands. This movie is VERY well-done and funny, especially Timon's dance. CHECK OUT THIS MOVIE!!!!
  
  
• Who is singing?
  By A2A7JWE39W4SRU on 2003-10-11
  Disney's Lion King was a great film before it came to DVD, especially with songs by Elton John. Now, for some reason, Elton John is not singing in this DVD release of the movie, it is some woman. I did not pay for this DVD to hear some woman sing. She ruined the movie for me. It's bad, trust me.
  
  
• Shameful! No pride in these pridelands!
  By AWOZ0CZODX9PQ on 2003-11-02
  While this is one of my favourite Disney movies, I have just purchased the DVD after YEARS of waiting and will be returning it promptly -- until the day Disney decides to use some of their money to put out *quality* products. Let's face it... the Disney company must have enough money to rule the world by now. They own several resorts, a cruise line, a town called Celebration, an island in the Bahamas... so that begs the question... why are their special effects so cheap and how could they do such a terrible job transferring this movie to DVD? Did we rush this DVD out just to make more cash without putting in an effort? I dunno... the other special features seem pretty good. But you don't have to be a technical wizard of any kind to notice the spot (during both the special edition AND theatrical versions) where the layers switch and Mufasa's voice is actually blacked out during his sentence. His lips move... but nothing comes out. The scene occurs approx 11 minutes into the movie, where Zazu delivers the morning report. Whether you're watching the spoken or sung version, right after the "pounce", a freeze-frame that switches DVD layers causes the background laughter, sound effects and Mufasa to be muted, taking it from "That was very good!" to a disappointing "...ry good". Even the children made sour faces and asked: "What was that?" Instead of explaining the challenges of the DVD-making process, I think I'll just wait until Disney learns how to cut movie properly. These switches are usually done between scenes or at a pause in the scene where viewers don't notice. But then THIS coming from a studio that claimed it was an original story when anyone familiar with Shakespeare will tell you it's Hamlet... much as Lion King II was Romeo and Juliet. As always, the movie itself gets ten stars, but the DVD gets ZERO as far as I'm concerned.
  
  
• Not for young children. Promos mask its real darkness.
  By A32DINRKXCLZYT on 2003-11-20
  The advertisements for this film that you see on other DVDs and videos are purposely and horribly misleading. You buy this video expecting a joyous musical romp with animals of the Serengeti for your children. Plain and simple this is a movie of death. The lead character dies a horrible death and there are fights to the death. This is not a children's movie. See the first "Editors" comments. Compared to NEMO, artistically the animation is simply not that great. The background scenes are repetitious. Disk 2 is basically an advertisement for the musical. My youngsters never get tired the the original Disney Jungle Book. We've seen it hundreds of times. We viewed this movie once and that was enough.
  
  
• Literally an Insult to Animation.
  By A312PJYZAT564V on 2003-12-16
  4 words. KIMBA THE WHITE LION. You figure it out.
  
  
• Maybe the best child's film ever created!
  By on 2001-03-06
  This could be the best kid's film ever made! With its unique cast creating everlasting characters, this film is too good to be called Disney! Looking back, it is a masterpiece for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare like I do. In short, it's Hamlet for kids (if you don't want to hear the story, stop reading now!).

  Set in the African savannah, The Lion King is about a lion cub who will be king after his father dies. However, he has a cynical, sarcastic, and revengeful uncle named Scar who is dying to be king.

  Scar befriends three comical hyenas who are just in it for the food! He hatches a villainous plan to kill the cub Simba's dad, his brother Mufasa. His obsession helps him push Mufasa off a cliff, letting the lion fall to his doom by being trampled by a herd of wilebeest!

  I cried when I realized Mufasa was dead. The conniving Scar convinces his nephew that HE killed his own father! The emotionally wounded Simba runs out of the grasslands, where he is reluctantly rescued by a wisecracking meerkat named Timon and a simple-thinking, diplomatic warthog named Pumbaa (adults will especially like this witty duo). Simba ends up growing up with their customs of life: no worries! Years later, the lazy Simba is paired up again with his cubhood friend Nala. Soon they fall in love, and Nala tries to convince an adult Simba to face his past and challenge his uncle, who has taken over the kingdom, lying to his fellow lions that Simba is dead.

  Nala's urging doesn't change Simba's couch potato attitude. But then, a Zen-like mystical mandrill named Rafiki from the kingdom shows Simba the soul of his father, and Simba is determined to go back home and confront his past! But home is no longer welcoming. Since Scar took over, the green has died, and everything is barren desert. When Simba confronts Scar, everyone is overjoyed that Simba is back. But alas, Scar finds a way to trick Simba into telling them that "I killed him." Nala and the rest of the kingdom are crushed. Scar flips Simba to the edge of a cliff, just as he did Mufasa. But Simba jumps on Scar after finding out that Scar himself actually did the murder. He tells the other lions, who are outraged. Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, and all the lions and lionesses attack the hyenas.

  So, in the climax, Simba confronts Scar. Scar is defensive, and says "The hyenas are the real enemy." The hyenas are taken aback! Their friend Scar has betrayed them! Simba fights with Scar, and ends up throwing his uncle down to the hard rock. The weak Scar sees the hyenas:

  Scar: Ah. My friends. Shenzi (a hyena): Friends? I thought he said we were the enemy! Banzai (another one): That's what I heard. Ed? Ed (the dumb one): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! (laughs evilly)

  The hyenas eat Scar up in a pack. Finally, it is time. Simba walks up to the throne (Pride Rock) and roars majestically. He marries Nala, and they have a daughter. The Circle of Life has been completed! THE END The Lion King (1994)
  
  

• dont mess with classics
  By A1ABZCH17I87I on 2006-07-26
  I give the original 5 stars, but why is disney taking all its classics and adding new songs to it? i was so dissapointed when i rented this and there were new scenes in it. i dont want "new and improved" i want the original, the one i watched when i was younger.
  
  
• Good but Unoriginal
  By A3DZQ0ECE3OAFB on 2000-03-22
  A good movie, but unfortunatly a lot was ripped off of Kimba, The White Lion. Coming out in the 60's, this series had an evil uncle with an injured eye and hyena followers, a bird and baboon that were similar to The Lion King's characters, girlfriend of Kimba, similar plots and and even the rock that appears at the beginning of The Lion King. To see the original series by Tezuki that The Lion King was based on (even if Disney won't admit it) check it out starting with the first volume "Kimba the White Lion - The King is Dead, All Hail the King"
  
  
• Outstanding and Powerful! Now where's the DVD????
  By on 2001-07-05
  The Lion King, to me is one of the greatest films I have seen. Usually when you think of of a disney movie, you would think it is directed towards younger kids, but the Lion King would be absolutely enjoyable for all ages. It is one of the more instense Disney films I have seen. From the fantastic opening music, and then to the powerful climatic scene, it kept me entertained all night long when I first saw it. The music is spectuacular! It's hard to pick out a favorite song. The cast for the voices are the best I've seen. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. I am 16 now and I still love the movie. I just have one question. When will The Lion King be released on DVD????? The Little Mermaid was made around then and it is released. I don't know about Beauty and the Beast, but ALADDIN and THE LION KING are STILL not released!!!! Two of the most popular Disney movies of all time! DVD is the best way to watch it and I would certainly like watching the greatest animated movie of all time (in my opinion) on the best possible format (dvd). I only hope they are perfecting it for the DVD version, or are working on it, because I would certainly hate waiting 1 or 2 more years for it to come out.
  
  
• Finally...
  By A2HP9COIPKXQ1I on 2003-01-26
  My girlfriend just got "101 Dalmations 2: Patch's London Adventure on DVD and on it there is a preview for the first ever DVD release of the Lion King. Lion King: Special Edition DVD is set for release in October 2003! There is going to be new footage and a new song added. Finally, the long awaited classic comes to digital...what took so long?
  
  
• Contemporary Classic
  By A2AOZQ3WTNVVOK on 2003-10-06
  I first saw this movie in the theater, where the film benefited well from the wide screen and huge sound of a larger theater. Naturally I had to have the movie when it came out on video; my children would never have forgiven me otherwise. The question was whether we should also get the DVD. Well, we now have the DVD and the answer in retrospect seems to be obvious: ABSOLUTELY!

  Our version of the VHS tape included an Elton John video as an extra, which was nice, but the extras in the DVD version are excellent and far more numerous. As Disney has re-released "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Sleeping Beauty," and now "The Lion King," they seem to be getting better and better at value-added extras; more on the extras later. The principal value is in the movie itself, of course, which benefits from a phenomenal cleanup in both the video and the audio. As you compare the condition of the film in some of the extra features with the digital version you can readily see the improvement in video quality. The DVD sound benefits from the greater quantity of information available on the DVD versus tape, and the elimination of hiss and pop is noticeable. Movies such as these are the main reason that everyone should have a DVD player.

  The movie itself likely skirts the borderline of its G rating. There are several very intense and scary scenes, some involving blood. The murder of Simba's father is particularly intense, and may be frightening to very young members of the audience. However, I believe that with appropriate parental guidance the movie can be an excellent teaching tool as well as good entertainment.

  The story broke new ground for Disney, which has typically relied on western European and North American mythology and legend for the majority of their full-length animated features. This movie incorporates a central theme embodied by the Elton John and Tim Rice song "The Circle of Life," which has significant ecological meaning as well as explaining death. A scary thought for the very young, but the movie introduces the concept that those who have lived before live on, and as long as you remember them, they can never truly be gone, a beautiful and wonderful thought, and but a fraction of the wonderful philosophy lived by the animals in the movie.

  The story itself is a story of maturing and realizing responsibilities, and telling the truth. Simba is the future king of the pride, and it will be his responsibility to lead the pride and to guard the pride lands, keeping the balance of all things. Simba's father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is the wise king trying to teach Simba to always do the right thing. Mufasa's brother Scar (Jeremy Irons) has always felt that he should be king, and uses Simba to put Mufasa in a position to be killed. Mufasa then tells Simba that it's all his fault. Simba runs away in guilt and shame.

  The next portion of the story shows Simba as he meets new friends and grows up, but has yet to take responsibility for anything. A female cub Simba knew before he ran away, Nala (Moira Kelly), comes seeking help for the pride, as the pride lands have become desolate. She finds Simba (as an adult voiced by Matthew Broderick). At first she is unable to convince Simba that he needs to do anything, but after talking to his father (an excellent scene), Simba realizes that it is his responsibility as Mufasa's son to help the pride.

  The next portion of the movie involves the confrontation between Scar, his henchmen, the hyenas, and the lionesses and Simba. The ending has another somewhat frightening moment for the younger members of the audience, but of course we know what the outcome must be.

  The extras deserve description, because several are among the best I've yet seen on a Disney DVD. Both Elton John's videos are included for "The Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." Elton's performance in both videos is nothing less than phenomenal. There is one place in the extras where Elton is shown with a full-grown lion. That image alone was worth viewing the voluminous extras. There is another section on the African influence to the movie, particularly the contribution of Lebo M.

  Another section of the extras talk about the animals themselves, and their actual behavior versus their behavior in the movie. We also see scenes of actual animals to compare to the animated animals.

  There are a couple of video games, one of which was interesting; the other would perhaps appeal to children. One was a personality test, to see which of the characters you are most like; enjoyable. The other was to match sounds with the animal that made them; fair.

  Another excellent extra was Timon and Pumbaa's virtual safari. There are two different safaris you can take; one in a jeep, the other in a boat. Both were funny and good. In conjunction with the safaris is a trailer for an upcoming Lion King movie called "The Lion King 1 1/2."

  "The Lion King" movie is filled with so much for a family: the role and importance of a father; doing right; taking responsibility; considering the effect one's actions has on other living things; and so many other things that I am unable to list them all. The story is well told and animated, and the score is magic. There are so many reasons to show this movie to the whole family. In addition is a collection of some of the best extras ever on a Disney DVD. One of the few movies where I'd like to give the DVD six stars. A movie that should be in every family collection and for anyone who considers themselves an expert on animated movies.
  
  

• Racist Propaganda
  By on 2003-10-09
  Note the accents of the different animal races.
  Note the accents of the hyenas. (what ethnic groups do they represent?)
  What happens when the races are mixed? (devastation to the land)
  What happens when the races are again segregated? (happiness)

  The rabbit hole goes much deeper, this is just a small taste of the hidden messages in the film.
  
  

• Shameless Rip-Off
  By A3BIE8RXAG9GT3 on 2006-07-24
  Shameless rip-off of "Jungle Taitei" ("Kimba the White Lion") by Tezuka. Any anime lover can tell. (Similarities in characters, scenes, and story lines are unbelievable.) Disney's response? "Never heard of Kimba." Oh, purleese. I'm kicking myself for paying Disney for this piece of swindle.
  
  
• Really great
  By A1X79SIR7XB9JE on 2000-02-10
  I never thought that a simple Disney movie could make me cry, but actually, this one did. Don't ask me how, but it really happened, and the worst part is it happened again, and again and again.

  This movie is probably better than all the other Disney movies. It is wonderfully drawn, better then any Disney animation. I never liked the fairy-tale Disneys, but this one... There are no words for its absolute great class...
  
  

• Beauty and the Beast
• The Lion King 2 - Simba's Pride (2-Disc Special Edition)
• Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Special Platinum Edition)
• The Lion King 1 1/2