Hey guys! Gerawallstar here and I am here to review the 32nd Disney animated film which is called the Lion King, which was released in 1994. This film was a phenomenon to Disney when it came out. It was critically acclaimed and a financial powerhouse making over $967 million worldwide. It was originally the highest grossing animated film of all time, the highest grossing 2D animated film ever, the highest grossing film of 1994, and more importantly it was Disney’s highest grossing film for nearly two decades until Frozen. In my opinion, I loved this movie. This is without a doubt, Disneys magnum opus.
Story:
The story is about a young lion named Simba who is chosen to be the next king of the pride lands. This story has got to be the most amazing told story in a disney film. Its simple but the way they tell it in this film is fantastic. There are a lot of memorable moments from the beginning scene when Simba was born to the iconic fight scene between Simba and Scar. The death scene of Scar is one of the saddest death scenes in not just disney but movie history too. The emotions coming from Simba pulls your heartstrings. It’s no wonder that everybody talks about this scene The message in the film of learning from your past is an inspiring message that not just kids but adults can learn from too. It’s a universal message that we can all learn from. The climax is brilliant and the ending is emotional. This story is uplifting and perfect. I give the story ten stars.
Animation:
One word to describe The animation is that it’s breathtaking. I loved the colors, and the outstanding visuals. I also loved how big and grand in general the movie is. For example: after the opening sequences Scars tries to take a mouse with its paw. Normally that doesnt sounds like a big deal but the way that the camera zooms in on that really makes his paw look huge. The visuals during the wildebeest scene is epic that they used CGI to animated the wildebeest, which makes it very unique for it’s time. Fun fact: it took the animators a year to animate just one scene with the wildebeest in CGI. Even the songs do a fantastic job showcasing intense visuals like in the villain song. The animation is supern. I’m giving the animation ten stars.
Characters:
These characters have got to be the most iconic Disney characters I have seen. Simba is a wonderful Disney character. I loved his voice acting, determination to be king, and the way he learns from his mistakes throughout the movie. Nala is a great character with her wonderful relationship with her and Simba, and in how she tries to convince Simba to go back to the pride rock. Mufassa is a wonderful father to simba. He has go to be the best animated dad character in Disney and animation. His death sequence is hard to watch. Zalu the bird is a funny comic relief. Rafiki is good as a wise monkey and mentor to Simba. Timon and Pumba are over the top comic relief characters done right. They both bring so much humour into the movie and they dont use them too much to slow down the film thank goodness. Scar is without a doubt the best Disney villain of all time. He is devious, manipulative and hes also very smart in how he tries to murder Simbas Father. A lot of people hated how he regresses into a conning villain to a whiny child throughout the movie but I dont mind that because with him becoming that as he becomes king in the middle half of the film, it shows how much of a cold b@$+@÷d he is. Kind of reminds me of the Sheriff from Robin Hood. These characters are perfect. I give the characters ten stars.
Songs:
The songs are unforgettable and upbeat thanks to the legendary Elton John. The Circle of Life was my favorite opening song as a kid and I still love it to this day. It gives me goosebumps. I just can’t wait to be king is a fun song. Gives it a Jackson 5 beat to it. Be prepared is a wonderful villian song. The dark and green colors, and the choir shows off how dark and scary Scar is. Hukuna Matata is another song that I loved as a child. It is so funny and catchy song. It will never I mean ever get stuck in your head. Can you feel the love tonight is a song that i normally would hate but i dont mind it here. Plus it is a good song that they put in there to showcase the relationship between Nala and Simba. The Morning Report is a song that I despised. It is so darn stupid! Thankfully it wasnt places in the movie. So that doesn’t affect my score. The songs are fantastic. Thank you Elton John. I give the songs ten stars.
Verdict:
The Lion King is a perfect disney movie with its fantastic story, powerful animation, outstanding characters and memorable songs. I am glad that out of all the Disney movies out there, this one became a phenomenon. It really deserves to be Disneys magnum opus. Which is why I’m giving this film ten stars out of ten.
10/10.
