1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Lion King

#903- The Lion King (1994)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons
Directed by: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff


Plot Summary: In the African Pride Lands, King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi celebrate the birth of their lion cub, and future king, Simba. Mufasa's brother Scar is jealous over Simba, as he has replaced him as heir to the throne. Scar devises a plan to dispose of Mufasa and Simba so he can take over the kingdom. His plans don't go as planned, as Simba is able to escape from the Pride Lands and runs to the desert, where Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog, take Simba under their guidance. When a piece of Simba's past finds him, he must remember who he is and return home to confront his uncle and take his place as the true lion king.


With the start of a new year, I decided to start it off with something BIG. There were numerous ideas to choose from, but I thought the best one to start with was looking at some of the greatest Disney films of all time. The Lion King is that one Disney movie that summarizes my childhood the most. It was one of the films I watched most as a kid and it was the most successful film during the Disney Renaissance (the era where films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin were released). After sitting down and watching it once again, this time without the nostalgia goggles, is it still THAT good, or are there some aspects of it that I think are a tad overrated?

The Lion King follows the tale of Simba as a young lion cub, voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and when he is a full-grown lion, voiced by Matthew Broderick. How Simba is portrayed as a character is my biggest gripe about the film. The younger version of Simba comes off as this spoiled, bratty little twerp, and the older version is a passive and unappealing wimp. When your main character is built up as the future king of the jungle, the audience should have expectations of what type of character he should be, and Simba does not fit those expectations at all. Even more baffling is towards the end of the film when they throw in a forced romance with his childhood friend Nala, voiced by Moira Kelly. It's a really rushed subplot that is poorly developed and not at all believable, even by Disney's standards.

With so many problems towards Simba, does The Lion King offer good any good lion characters? The answer is yes through Simba's father Mufasa, voiced by James Earl Jones, and Simba's uncle Scar, voiced by Jeremy Irons. Jones brings a big, powerful voice to the film, giving Mufasa a commanding presence that is befitting a noble and courageous king. Irons portrays Scar in the opposite way, with a cowardly demeanor and conniving intentions. Since childhood, Scar has always been my favorite character in the film because it seems like Irons is having the most fun in bringing the character to life. Even though we can't see him on-screen, Irons is STILL able to chew the scenery through his over-the-top, but lovable (or at least love to hate) portrayal of Scar.

Timon and Pumbaa, voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella respectively, are generally the fan favorite characters of the film. Through their iconic "Hakuna Matata" scene, they are able to capture the attention and hearts of the audience, as we see a pair of worry-free pals. Their dynamic is also what makes them work as a team, with Timon being the witty brains of the operation and Pumbaa being his kind, but dim companion. Zazu, voiced by Rowan Atkinson, is a conservative hornbill that tries to serve as the conscience for Simba when he is a child. He doesn't add a whole lot to the film, but is still an enjoyable character and offers many quirky lines (his conversations with Scar are some of my personal favorite scenes). One of my favorite side characters is Rafiki, voiced by Robert Guillaume, a baboon who serves as a shaman to the Pride Lands, and Simba's mentor towards the end of the film. Rafiki's appeal is that he is silly and eccentric, and some scenes can seem absolutely out of his mind, but by the end of the scene, Simba, and the audience understand what Rafiki meant, making him more wise than crazy.

While there are only five songs in the film (I know, feels like more doesn't it?), each is memorable enough for me to have different thoughts about all of them, good and bad. "Circle of Life" is the song that perfectly complements the film's epic opening sequence, as well as serving as a lyrical representation of themes that are developed throughout the film. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is young Simba's big number and might seem fun and lighthearted, but is actually a song I can't stand, mainly because it encompasses all my previous complaints about young Simba in one song. As a fan of a great villain, and in turn a great song for the villain, "Be Prepared" was the most enjoyable song in the movie for me, accentuated with a dark and fiery scenery of reds, greens, smoke, and Third Reich hyenas (I'm not even kidding). Then there's the ever popular "Hakuna Matata," which is a fun and harmless song for Timon and Pumbaa to introduce the idea of "no worries" to Simba. The final song, and my least favorite, to talk about is "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," which just like "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," represents one of the elements of the films I dislike most, here it is Simba and Nala's rushed romance.

Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin are two Disney films from the same era that I'm VERY disappointed are not recognized as films to "watch before you die," because I found them more engaging and enjoyable than The Lion King. Still, the film is the highest grossing hand-drawn animated film of all time, and that statistic alone SHOULD solidify the film's spot in history as an all-time great, right? The Lion King does have a lot of things in its favor that make it a good film, but I feel like it also has enough things holding it back to where I could dare to call it overrated. While the film excels in the animation, the songs, and a number of side characters, it also suffers from having a rushed and jumbled plot, as well as a weak and boring main character, which makes the film lack the spark for me to consider it one of my all-time favorites in the animation genre.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

While The Lion King has a few flaws, it cannot be denied that the film left a HUGE impact on pop culture, making it one of the most important contributions in the history of film, animation, and, of course, Disney. It is certainly a film that I recommend everyone sees at least once, and consider owning it in your DVD collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

The Lion King and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures