Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #32: The Lion King (1994)

Last week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #31: Aladdin (1992)

After a string of big successes, beginning with The Little Mermaid in 1989, it seemed that Disney Animation could do no wrong and yet, The Lion King was once viewed as a B project to the 'more ambitious' Pocahontas, which was in production at the same time. Called King of the Jungle earlier on in production, nobody could foresee the impact and success that the film ultimately achieved in 1994. Jeffrey Katzenberg was more focused on Pocahontas and, on the whole, The Lion King seemed like a minor film, something that would be cute but not very memorable. As you likely already know, in the end, The Lion King not only was a resounding success on every front but it also became the peak of the Disney Renaissance, and one of Disney's most recognizable and lucrative films. The coming-of-age story of a lion cub who has to take his place in life and be part of the "Circle of Life" could be seen as nothing new or even original - similarities range from Bambi to Hamlet - and yet there is something very powerful about this film that sets it apart from the rest, making it an instant classic. Just take a look at the film's epic beginning, where just music and beautiful images take centre stage. No dialogue is needed and yet you know that you're in for something big. One of the many highlights of the film is the powerful score composed by Hans Zimmer; the music, built from African melodies, gives the film a sense of grandeur and amplifies the scope of the story. Characters are wonderfully constructed and every single one of them leaves an impression of you. Whether it's our hero Simba or the deliciously villainous Scar, every character is a perfect coupling of animation and voice acting that just makes the audience want to spend time with them. Like its predecessors, The Lion King also employs a Broadway-esque style and the songs composed by Elton John and Tim Rice are a rich amalgam of rhythms. From the earth shattering "Circle of Life" to the laid back "Hakuna Matata", each song contributes to the story and helps the plot advance with a nice, balanced flow. The animation again is top-notch with many memorable scenes from the epic prologue to the wildebeest stampede to Mufasa's appearance in the clouds to the big final battle, there are tons of scenes where you can see all the care and love that the crew put into the film. Moreover, the film's themes of death, responsibility and redemption - among others - makes this one of the most heartfelt, touching and profound motion pictures in the history of cinema. The Lion King repeated its predecessors' success in terms of accolades, and was a bombastic hit at the box office too, cementing its status as the peak of the Renaissance and of all the Disney canon. No single Disney feature before or after has repeated the success and relevancy of The Lion King; it's a testament to how good the picture is that still, all these years later, the film enchants new generations, while being fondly remembered by the older ones. Hakuna Matata indeed. Rating: 5/5.

Next Week - Animated Classic #33 Review: Pocahontas (1995)

The Corner - Week 6 - Heather Reviews The Lion King

I would like to begin by saying: anybody who has not seen The Lion King is deprived. Since a rather young age (we’re talking two or three years old), The Lion King has been my all-time, most-magnificent, favourite film. So, excuse me if this review is a little biased- although, in retrospect, all reviews are opinionated articles, are they not? I digress…

The story is set on the prosperous African land: Pride Rock. Enter a young lion cub, Simba, future king of Pride Rock and its surrounding lands, son to the revered current king, Mufasa. The story is essentially, a “coming-of-age adventure” (as says the blurb of the Diamond Edition box, which, for the record, sits proudly at the forefront of my DVD collection). An assortment of likeable friends, joviality and seriousness, and never-ending hilarity help Simba come to terms with his destiny, and, more importantly, himself.

I could waffle on about how amazing and encapsulating The Lion King is, and win a prize for it-or if there was no existing prize for waffling, I could invent one and win that. However, I doubt a siege of paragraphs hailing this movie would interest anybody except myself, and possibly my fellow A113-ers. Therefore, I am going to have to try and back-off and gain a moral high-ground. Says the person who was given a badge with a picture of Simba, and her own name on it, for Christmas. Nobody said reviewing was easy.

Character-wise, The Lion King thrives. There is, and of course there would be, a certain glee to be had from the friendship between a meerkat and a warthog. Timon (aforementioned meerkat), and Pumbaa (warthog) make quite a pair of comedians, who show themselves to be quite the help when Simba loses his way. Beneath all the jokes and witty comments, the two show what it is to be a friend: loyalty and the willingness to help each other. Soppy? No, they make all their help quite the opposite. Of course, as, in my opinion, there should be in every good film, there is a budding romance. From the start, the naiveté of a young king’s attitude to love is clear: what can be no more than a minute’s dialogue between Zazu (the king's right-hand hornbill-a bird. Yes, you would have thought he'd be eaten, yet apparently his annoying demeanour is a quality Mufasa admires) and Simba outlines how Simba is too young to even consider falling for his best friend, Nala. Cute.

The music, too, is something to behold. Written by the duo of Tim Rice and Elton John, the songs are catchy and quirky. Download them to your iPod or MP3 Player, for example, and you’ll have them on loop (yes, I am guilty of this). The score, likewise, is brilliant – written by acclaimed Hans Zimmer (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Inception, Gladiator). To pick out one particular instance: Timon and Pumbaa are being “live bait” at their future king’s insistence, and Timon performs a hula-dance. It’s rather hilarious, and one of the funniest bits of the film, in my opinion. However, I did show it to my younger sister the other night and I was almost lying on the floor laughing, yet she just stood there with one eyebrow raised… she just didn’t get it.

So: The Lion King. Now, to reign my enthusiasm in, and to sign off. The Lion King is a five-star film, for me. Full of music (so, if you don’t like music, perhaps not five-star, and more like three and a half- I really can’t go any lower), and jokes, and loveable characters, and a moral. Yes, a moral. It is impossible not to watch this film without cracking a smile, and once you have seen it a couple of times, it also becomes an obligation to sing along to the songs. Watching it more than once will not bore you, it will only become more enrapturing to you than the last time you watch it. I recommend it to all, with my highest endorsements.