The Lion King


4/4

Starring (voices): Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, Robert Guillaume

Rated G

Of all the classic Disney animation films, “The Lion King” is probably the most beloved.  From frame one, it’s not hard to see why.  Both visually arresting and thematically complex, “The Lion King” is a far cry from the lighthearted romps that Disney was known for.  Ironically, it was not “The Lion King” that became the first animated feature to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (it was “Beauty and the Beast”).  The fact that the Academy left “The Lion King” out of the top five for that year is both perplexing and shameful.  It’s not like the competition was stiff.

The film gets off to a fantastic start.  An unseen singer belts out a melody as the sun rises on the horizon.  The sequence that follows, which illustrates the animals of the African savannah travelling to Pride Rock to witness the presentation of their future king, is nothing short of astounding.  The scope is epic and the animation is peerless.  In my opinion, it is one of the best filmed sequences in motion picture history.

Of course, the film has to have a plot, and it would be nearly impossible to match the opening number.  Surprisingly though, it holds up quite well.  The African plains are ruled by Mufasa (Jones), a mighty lion.  Mufasa’s young son, the mischievous Simba (Thomas) is adept at causing trouble, which his uncle, a thin and deranged looking lion named Scar (Irons) takes notice of.  Scar was next in line for the throne, but after young Simba was born, he was bumped out of the way.  Insanely jealous, Scar plots his revenge.  But, no matter how far or fast we run, we cannot escape the past.

The characters are well-drawn and matched with appropriate, if eclectic, voice actors.  Former child star Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays Simba as a foolish and naiive young cub.  He longs to be brave, but lacks true understanding of what that means.  Matthew Broderick matches him, playing Simba as older but no wiser.  James Earl Jones makes for a fine king, his booming voice lending size and gravitas for a character who needs to radiate power and wisdom.  Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella provide some of the limited comic relief as a wisecracking meerkat and a warthog with a flatulence problem.  Rowan Atkinson gets in a few one liners as well, playing the king’s advisor.

Although not my favorite Disney villain (that would be “Aladdin’s” Jafar), Scar is by far the most dangerous.  In his words, he was given brains while the brawn went to his brother.  Scar is clever, using others’ weaknesses to his advantage.  Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as Scar, with his croaky but expressive voice lending intelligence and viciousness to the character (there is a sequence in his song, “Be Prepared,” that is oh so similar to one the Third Reich’s marches).  His sidekicks, the hyenas Banzai (Cheech Marin), Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg) and Ed (Jim Cummings) are mainly comic relief, but they are fearsome predators as well.

There are a number of truly dazzling sequences in the film, including the aforementioned opening number.  The song “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” is lively and colorful, and Disney animators are not beyond getting a little abstract to make it so.  The scene where Simba meets the oddball baboon Rafiki (Guillaume) is both mysterious and creepy.  Finally, there’s the infamous stampede, which is quite frightening as well.  These are just a few of the many pleasures that are included in the film’s 89 minutes.

Speaking of the running time, I was shocked when I found out that the film didn’t even make the standard hour-and-a-half running time.  The film feels much bigger and grander than your average kids’ movie.  If one could place “The Lion King” in a genre (which is kind of hard to do), it would have to be the “epic.”

One of the things that makes the film truly special is the close attention to animal movement and behavior.  During production, Disney animators studied the animals in order to give the characters more realism.  Although their movements may seem foreign, we understand exactly what they are doing.

While not necessarily a happy movie, “The Lion King” has the power to leave anyone speechless.

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