The Lion King - Classic Disney Movie Review

The release of The Lion King in theaters in 1994 raised the bar for the traditional animation film genre. Widely regarded as one of the greatest animated classics of all time, The Lion King also won acclaim for its well paced storyline, legendary characters, and comprised one of Disney's best musical scores.

One of The Lion King's greatest strengths is its appeal to both children and adult audiences. The story is typically darker than previous Disney films, revolving around the difficult choice Simba must make to balance his desire to live a life of freedom or to face his personal demons and live up to his responsibility as the true King of the Pride Lands.

The inspirational message of The Lion King is loud and clear every time you watch it, even several years later after you first watched it as a child. No old-time classic list is complete without this movie.

The Lion King - The Classic Movie of This Generation

Would it be bold to say this is Disney's best film ever? There are certainly a long line of classics to choose from. To be called a masterpiece, a film must heavily impact its generation of viewers - something it has done quite well. The Lion King belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance, a period of time mainly during the 1990s during which Disney reached levels of public and critical praise never attained before. Where does The Lion King stand as a classic, against other old-time favorites such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and other hits? It's all about the facts, figures, and world records.

The Lion King is the twenty-fourth highest grossing feature film of all time. To date, it is the highest grossing traditionally animated film in the world, and is credited for raising the standard for all animated movies after its release. The movie won two Academy Awards for its original music (such as "Circle o f Life," "Hakuna Matata," and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?") and it jump-started Elton John's musical career in the 90s. It grabbed the Golden Globe award for "Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" (it won both). The movie was even adapted into a Broadway stage musical in 1997, winning six Tony awards and consolidating its rank as a true Disney classic.

The Classical Origins of the Storyline

It would be useless to hide any spoilers of the storyline of The Lion King, since it has impacted pop culture tremendously in the last decade - such as making the phrase "Hakuna Matata" (means 'no worries') famous. It brought a wave of public interest to animal wildlife, propelled a series of nature-related animated films, and The Lion King series itself gave rise to two sequels; The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½.

The story is about the reign of the lion Mufasa over the Pride Lands. It is a world where the delicate balance of all nature depends on the circle of life, something Mufasa has sought to teach his son, Simba, the main protagonist and the future king. However, Scar, Simba's disgruntled uncle, has his own ambitions of being the supreme ruler to fulfill.

After murdering Mufasa during a breath-taking wildebeest stampede (one of Disney's most powerful scenes, deemed a classic) that he had set up, Scar makes Simba believe it was his fault for being the reason for the king's demise. Unwilling to bear the shame and having the pressure of being next in line for the throne on his shoulders, Simba runs far away to escape his responsibility (and to save his own life). His life takes a drastic turn after two memorable characters, Timon and Pumbaa, save his life and help raise him with a new perspective - Hakuna Matata. Meanwhile, Scar has corrupted the kingdom and allowed the hyenas (the lions' enemies) to roam free within their territory and hunt their food (now more scarce than ever). Does Simba have the strength to remember who he was, reclaim his rightful place as king, defeat his uncle Scar, and rescue his family from certain starvation?

It is a classic archetypal tale of the hero and his journey through the wasteland. The story of The Lion King takes root from certain elements of William Shakespeare's Hamlet and is also inspired by stories in the Bible based on Joseph and Moses.

Buy The Lion King on DVD

The Lion King can easily be purchased online from these sites.

The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition): Amazon.com - Click here to order this excellent film to add to your collection. Now there is never-before seen animation, remastered scenes, and much more. The opening musical scene and the wildebeest stampede scene are just a couple of times you want to crank up the surround sound for the ultimate experience down memory lane. Click here to see the differences between the original theatrical cut and this remastered version. The great thing is you get to have both editions.

Buy The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition) Collector's Gift Set here.

Buy The Lion King Platinum Edition (features an all new song) on Ebay; click here.

You can also purchase the DVD (in Spanish as well; both editions) here on Yahoo! Movies.

The Upcoming Blu-Ray Disc Release

Disney has not yet announced the official release date for the Blu-Ray version of The Lion King. Other classic Disney movies have been given dates for their re-releases here but The Lion King may not come out on Blu-Ray disc until 2011.