Review #1,055: 'The Lion King' (1994)

Disney's The Lion King capped a highly lucrative 5 years for the House of Mouse, who were, before The Little Mermaid came along in 1989 and turned their fortunes around, in real danger. It seems ridiculous to think that the studio that now routinely make billions of dollars a year with their Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm output, as well as their recent fondness for re-imagining their so-called 'Disney Animated Classics' series in live-action, could have ever been in danger of actually going under. Yet Mermaid made the millions, Beauty and the Beast (1991) won critical adoration, and Aladdin (1992) charmed, and the rest is history.

I remember seeing The Lion King in cinemas back in 1994 with my mum, and not being particularly over-awed. I didn't shed a tear when Mufasa was betrayed, nor was I singing the songs to myself in the car ride home. However, it felt like I was the only one, as the film's popularity seemed to increase each year, with home release re-masters, soundtracks and a theatre production jamming every one of my senses, even now, 22 years later. It was because of this, and partially because I'm an old-school (1930's-60's) Disney loyalist, that I shunned The Lion King for all these years. After finally viewing it again, I wish I had a time machine to slap the 10 year old version of myself, as this is about as close to animated perfection as you can get.

For anyone who has somehow never seen the film, The Lion King tells the story of King Mufasa (James Earl Jones), a respected and formidable beast who rules over the Pride Lands of Africa. The arrival of his new son and heir, Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick), is cause for celebration across the plains, except, that is, for Mufasa's weak and envious brother Scar (Jeremy Irons) and his hyena friends (Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings). When Scar's plan to usurp Mustafa's throne ends in tragedy, Simba flees with guilt and shame, finding unlikely friends in the slow-witted warthog Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) and motor-mouthed meerkat Timon (Nathan Lane). As Scar's rule leaves Simba's former homeland a hyena-ridden wasteland, will the would-be king fulfil his destiny and take back his crown?

From the enchanting, wordless opening scene in which Simba is shown off to the crowd to the tune of Circle of Life, to the savage, expressionistic climax which sees hero and villain have their final showdown, I felt completely immersed in this world, regardless of the fact that I knew the story back to front. This is Disney at its most thoughtful, magical and hilarious. Perhaps taking a page from Studio Ghibli's environmentally-aware book, the film shows a real respect for the natural world despite anthropomophising its characters and dabbling in pseudo-mysticism. Lane and Sabella shine as Timon and Pumbaa, two of Disney's most beloved comedic side-kicks, who also get to belt out one of their most beloved tunes in Hakuna Matata. I'll most likely never be convinced that Disney will manage to recreate the beauty and warmth of the likes of Dumbo (1940) and Bambi (1942) during their Golden Age, but The Lion King is the closest it's ever come.


Directed by: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Voices: Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie