The Lion King Movie Review

More than 15 years after its original theatrical release, The Lion King remains the best traditionally-animated film released by Disney. This is certainly no small feat, as the studio has cranked out such classics of the genre as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, and Cinderella over the years. But The Lion King manages to trump them all, with the film’s gorgeous animation style, stellar voice performances, and endlessly memorable musical numbers merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of its many pleasures.

As The Lion King opens, Mufasa (James Earl Jones), the ruler of the Pride Lands, is celebrating the birth of his first born son alongside his many subjects. Years later, Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is a scrappy young cub who is frustrated by his father’s overprotective nature – which provides his evil uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) with the opening that he’s been looking for. Scar, along with his sidekicks Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg), Banzai (Cheech Marin), and Ed (Jim Cummings), hatches a plan that ultimately leaves Mufasa dead and Simba running into the unknown – thus allowing Scar to assume the throne.

Years later, Simba (Matthew Broderick) and his two pals Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) have put their “Hakuna Matata” motto to work by spending their days hanging out and having fun. Everything changes following Simba’s chance encounter with an old friend (Moira Kelly’s Nala), as Mufasa’s son finally realizes that he needs to stop running from his responsibilities and challenge Scar for the throne.

The Lion King contains what remains one of the best voice casts in animation history. James Earl Jones’ appropriately commanding performance as Mufasa is an obvious highlight, while Simba has been brought to life with impressive verve and energy by both Taylor Thomas and Broderick. In terms of the film’s supporting cast, Moira Kelly (as Nala), Rowan Atkinson (as Zazu), and Robert Guillaume (as Rafiki) are all standouts – although it’s clear that the scene-stealers here are Lane and Sabella.

There’s little doubt, however, that The Lion King’s Most Valuable Player is Jeremy Irons, as the actor effortlessly transforms Scar into one of the most memorable villains in animation history.

The Lion King is as close to a flawless piece of work as the animation genre has ever gotten, which is why it’s a shame that Disney has chosen to sully its impact by needlessly converting it to 3-D. As anticipated, the extra dimension adds absolutely nothing to the experience and ultimately takes away from one’s overall enjoyment of the film. (This is why I’m awarding the movie an A- instead of an A+, actually.) It’s sad to think that a whole generation of viewers will be stuck experiencing this animated masterpiece in 3-D for the first time, as the film features a number of dimly-lit sequences that fare quite poorly as a result of the technology’s notoriously dark glasses.

It’s a testament to the timelessness of The Lion King that it remains completely entertaining and engrossing even with the added dimension. This is the type of movie that has something for everyone, with the emphasis on Mufasa and Simba’s relationship ensuring that The Lion King deserves a place alongside the best father/son movies in history.

Grade: A-

The Lion King was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff and is rated G.

Theatrical Release Date: September 16, 2011