The Lion King Reviews

I dont really know how to explain how much I loved this film. Well, I can say that this film is such an inspiration to me and makes me feel really great. It is a film with a great big heart. It is a very heartbreaking film but it is such a beautiful story that can inspire people in quite a few different ways. It is the most emotional film of all the Disney Classics that there have been which is one of the main reasons why I have to say that this film is one of the best animated films out there. It is a pure adventure about courage, hope, betrayal, tragedy and most importantly self discovery. I would probably say that this is the only Disney Classic with the genre drama used in it because of what happens and everything. I think everything about it inspires me an hell of a lot. I feel that this is one of the particular four films that Walt Disney would have been proud of if he was still here. Others are The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin.


The voices were all fantastic in this film. I didnt really like Matthew Brodericks voice for Simba (adult) because he doesnt really make Simba a very heroic character because of his soft voice but Simba is still a heroic character though because he truly discovers about who he really is. I loved James Earl Jones voice as Mufasa because after doing the voice of legendary character Darth Vader, his voice was prefect for Mufasa. His voice is obviously extremely deep which is really rare for a man to have a voice that deep. It is perfect for Mufasa because Mufasa is a big heroic lion and looks a lot bigger compared to other animals within the kingdom. His voice was a bizarre one really for Mufasa because not only is Mufasa a hero and Darth Vader is a villain but because Mufasa is a completely different character compared to Darth Vader. I loved Jeremy Irons voice as Scar in this one because his voice is a real sinister and scheming voice which is just like Scars character. I think that Scar isnt just the coldest Disney villain but I also think that he is one of the greatest film villains of all time because he killed his own brother and then blamed his nephew for it. I really liked the voices of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Niketa Calame, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, Madge Sinclair, Robert Guillaume, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings as the voices of the rest of the cast within this animated classic.


The direction from Rob Minkoff was awesome which makes The Lion King was like an epic animated film which is probably the first of all animated films that have been made. The script was outstanding too with a lot of quotes with big meanings and with a big heart as I have said. There are a lot of scenes within this film that are taken almost to complete perfection.


The Lion King has its rightful place on my all time favourite animated films list. It is on my favourite films list to. There's no question about that. It is one of the best animated musicals of all time. It is one of the best films of 1994. 1994 was an outstanding year for films as it brought out some of the greatest films of all time including The Lion King, Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Léon: The Professional and many more. I always have and certainly always will adore the Disney Classics but The Lion King is my fifth favourite Disney Classic after Pinocchio, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin and Lady And The Tramp. The Lion King is the third highest grossing film of all time (both worldwide and domestically) behind Shrek 2 and Finding Nemo. It truly is a family phenomenon that I can guarentee that everybody loves to bits and will remain in your heart for the rest of your life.

"What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?"

I still remember when I was a tender age of 3 and first saw The Lion King on the big screen. When it was released on VHS it became a film I watched almost everyday. I would not be alone in saying that this film was an essential part of my early childhood. Because I had watched this film so much I have basically committed every scene to memory.

It had been about 5-10 years since I last watched this brilliant Disney movie. Needless to say, a re-screening was highly necessary because of how powerful this film was on my childhood years. The Lion King was first released in 1994. Now the film is regarded as a classic. Currently as a teenager I can say that this film still has the same impact and power despite what age range you have reached. As a child you appreciate the slapstick humour on screen. When characters do amusing antics the kids will have a good laugh. Of course they don't know what is going on most of the time. In later years the magic is still present. You can devour the film for its plot and clever script. You can analyse how innovative the animation is. And yet, you can still laugh at the mannerisms of the animals.

The Lion King is the story of a young lion cub named Simba (voiced by both Thomas and Broderick) who is heir to the throne of Pride Rock now run by his father Mufasa (Jones). But Simba is forced into exile when he is at the receiving end of a treacherous, deceptive plot courtesy of his jealous uncle Scar (Irons). After the death of Mufasa the kingdom is now ruled by Scar who will essentially spell doom for Pride Rock. While Simba lives another life he becomes the unlikely friends of a meerkat named Timon (Lane) and a warthog named Pumbaa (Sabella). But as Simba's rightful kingdom is crumbling due to its poor leadership, his past returns and leads him to his rightful destiny of becoming king.

The Lion King has a fairly straight-forward plot that will work on the surface for the kids. As you grow older you look past its pretty pictures and see something a lot deeper than you would have originally remembered. In a nutshell, the film is loosely a Shakespearean drama rich in themes of jealousy, deception, betrayal, murder and redemption. In essence this formula we have seen countless times before. It's just not as noticeable because of its pretty new packaging for the clichés to breed inside. Of course this is a children's film so these clichés and formulaic plot points can be excused.

The Lion King is one of the cleverest Disney films in existence. Its appeal stretches to each and every age range. The film has its adorable moments, hilarious moments and of course the intense or tragic moments. This is not your average Disney movie at all!

The most memorable image for me was the introduction of the renowned Timon and Pumbaa. These two were a particular favourite of mine when I was a youngster. Nathan Lane is a piece of perfect casting. His excellent lines of dialogue had me in stitches. The rest of the voice cast are outstanding. Jeremy Irons is another stand-out as the sadistic, evil Scar. Many of his lines are memorable because of how brilliantly he delivers them.

The animation is indeed incredible even after all these years. The film is breathtaking in its amazing images shown using simple animation techniques. Naturally, the cherry on top is the music. Elton John contributed to the music here. In addition to Elton we also have Tim Rice and Hans Zimmer collaborating to produce the music, songs and score. Do you expect this to go wrong?

The Lion King is a treasure chest rich in nostalgic memories from my childhood. It has been so many years but this film is still one of my favourites. The Lion King is the fundamental embodiment of a children's animation film. Laughs, clever characters, witty dialogue and great animation. If you haven't seen this for several years I suggest another screening is required. You will become addicted once again.