Although it’s a cliché, there’s only one word I can use to
describe the Lion King: epic. First of all, the animation is of course spectacular.
The backgrounds are beautiful and although it’s unusual in animation, the use
of shots also adds to the grand scale of the whole thing. This is also helped
by the fact that the music is some of the best in any Disney animated film. I’m
not just talking about Elton John’s iconic songs, although they are of course brilliant
– but another unusual bonus is the score, which adds an extraordinary amount of
atmosphere.
Of course, all of this serves to make an already great story
even better. There is a sense of gravitas in the plot which is rather rare for
a Disney film, probably due to it’s Shakespearean influences, but they are also
able to balance this out pretty well with more light-hearted segments, such as
the songs Hakuna Matata and I Just Can’t Wait to Be King (Hunchback of Notre
Dame, take notes). It’s a little jarring moving from Mufasa’s death into Timon
and Pumbaa’s first entrance, but both segments are so well done that I can’t really
fault the movie as a whole for it.
The characters are all iconic and I also admire the fact
that the protagonist has to essentially learn to grow up and take responsibility,
as opposed to many of the main characters of previous Disney films, as it makes
for a more dynamic story overall. Scar is of course one of Disney’s best
villains and Jeremy Irons does a spectacular job, as his voice is perfectly
suited to the character. And I don’t normally point out the performances of
specific voice actors, so that’s very high praise. I also love the way that on
a thematic level Simba grows out of Scar’s childish worldview that a King can
just do whatever he wants with no consequences and no regard for nature, as it
sets up a very nice parallel between the hero and the villain.
The sense of sheer scale created by all these elements is
truly what makes the Lion King not only one of the greatest Disney films of all
time, but one of the greatest films ever made.
Ratings
Good guys: The iconic
main characters of this film get 9/10
Bad guys: Scar is
up there with the best Disney villains, so he gets 9/10
Animation: Some
of the best animation that Disney has ever done gets 10/10
Music: Some of
the most iconic songs in the canon get 10/10
Plot: The spectacular
story gets 10/10
Overall score: 48/50
Next review: Pocahontas
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