I grew up with The Lion King. It is undoubtedly the best Disney movie. It is almost flawless as a cartoon.

Well, as a musical, its songs and other soundtracks kept echoing in my brain. I particularly fancy "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", "Be Prepared" and the hyenas bits.

Its graphics and animations are wonderful. Animals are drawn beautifully and animated fluidly. Many scenes are colourful. The jungle scenes are great and the "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" also uses a variety of funky colours.

I love Scar's build, he is contructed for agility with lean body and large paws. He is more cunning than ferocious, at least he looks more of a sly one than a fierce one. He also has a few feminine gestures and moves. Simba is well-built, correctly muscled. He is designed to be fast and strong.

Its plot is great. You may think that it is predictable, but it is hard to find a movie that is not predictable anyway... I enjoy the idea of having Rafiki the mandrill as the shaman with martial arts skills and a staff. I don't care really much about Zazu, he may or may not be there. Timon and Pumbaa added comedy to this entire movie, which is splendid, especially the "Hula Song". I found it so amazing...

Its moral teachings are meaningful and educational, especially "The Circle of Life" philosophy.

Ah, The Lion King . . . considered a masterpiece in animation and a classic for Disney.

If you haven't seen this film before, you're really missing out on an enjoyable film about life, love, tragedy, and fate. Sure, it's mostly based on Shakespeare and an almost exact copy of a familiar (and successful) anime series, but it's a tale that will make you want to see it again and again.

The film begins with an African sunrise and a parade of animals approaching a large rock formation - Pride Rock. A new circle of life has begun, and the King of the Pridelands, Mufasa, proudly awaits the presentation of his newborn son, Simba, to the rest of the kingdom as their future King. However, Scar, Mufasa's brother, is outraged that now his only nephew is heir to the throne (especially when he was second-in-line prior to Simba's birth) and he knows that the only way to get what he wants is to get rid of them both. Simba grows into a playful and curious prince who enjoys being with his best friend (and betrothed mate), Nala, but when Scar tells Simba of a place where only the bravest lions go, like every immature child, the young cub is eager to go, despite the fact that his father told him never to go into the dark areas of the land. Thankfully he is rescued before becoming hyena chow, but this only leads to tragedy and heartache.

Sent off into the edge of the kingdom after a terrible accident that Scar blamed on him, Simba runs into the desert, only to be saved by a couple of misfits - a warthog named Pumbaa and a meerkat named Timon - that teach him about "Hakuna Matata" and putting the past behind. Seasons change and time goes by, allowing Simba to grow into a handsome, carefree lion. When his childhood friend Nala accidentally finds him in a jungle, she tells him of what has happened back at home, especially now that his uncle Scar has taken over the land. However, their reunion leads to love . . . yet Simba refuses to return home to take back the kingdom that rightfully belongs to him.

The writing for this film is great - there's an equal sense of drama, adventure, comedy, and even some musical hilarity in between when needed. The voice cast is excellent - most especially James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Jeremy Irons as Scar, and Nathan Lane as Timon. The rest of the cast really was diverse and believable to their appropriate parts, so it really worked with the straight lines, dramatic tones and comedic gags. The animation is fluidly wonderful, with the special effects mixing in well with the amazing backdrops. It was as if you weren't experiencing a film set in the African savanna - you were there, watching as events took place.

The songs are unforgettable and beautifully set the mood of each scene they are in: "The Circle of Life" starts the film, introducing the protaganist and the main theme of life's natural cycle - birth, childhood, maturity, and death; "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" is a young Simba's fun tune of how he'll be once he takes the throne, which mainly deals with ordering people around and torturing his baby-sitter, Zazu the hornbill; "Be Prepared" is Scar's mantra - his evil plan to overtake both his brother and nephew is revealed to his hyena minions and he promises to give them whatever they wish (which is mainly food); "Hakuna Matata" has perfect timing, not only because it seems to add some comedic fun after such a horrible tragedy in SImba's young life, but also as Timon and Pumbaa's high point while they show the lion cub the ropes of their jungle paradise and tell a bit about themselves. and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" is a soft, calming song between reunited friends as they slowly follow their instincts and fall deeply in love, long forgetting their disgust for the idea of them being betrothed.

Even the music fits the African tone of the film - powerful when it is needed, chantful when setting up an important scene, and filled with sorrow when death is present. It's much better than the background music in the two Lion King sequels that followed. The fusion of a powerful story with the African background, chants and musical style . . . it's just awesome.

Now, although I love this movie to bits, I can't seem to give it a perfect score. It's not because I feel there's something wrong with it, but I feel that it is quite a copy of "Kimba the White Lion", a popular anime series from Japan. The story is a bit similar (a male lion cub born to be King of the African animals after the sudden loss of his father), and some of the characters are very similar (one lion has a scar on its eye, just like Scar does; Kimba has a bird companion and a lioness friend that soon becomes his mate, just like Zazu and Nala; there's probably more distinct similarities, but I haven't watched much of the anime yet. I'd like to, though!), but the biggest thing is that the names sound so closely alike (Also Kimba's original name in Japanese is "Leo", which means "lion", just as Simba is Swahili for "lion"). But I think other reviewers have mentioned these things already.

Still, despite the possible plagarism and such, The Lion King is an amazing film to behold. Buy it, watch the sequels, and enjoy!

My Rating - 3.5 Stars

I really do not see what makes The Lion King such a masterpiece. Maybe I'm too cynical? Sure, it has beautiful animation and music, but for me that's it. The characters are memorable, but no more than any other Disney movie.
There are also a few things that bother me:

1. Disney 'borrowed' heavily from an old Japanese TV series called 'Kimba the White Lion.' Whilst the name (Simba means 'lion' in Swahili) I believe is a coincidence, there are so many examples that are not. You can find them here: http://www.kimbawlion.com/rant2.htm
Not mentioned is the fact that both the villains, Scar and Claw look inbelievably similar and have hyena sidekicks. Also, Kimba has a baboon/mandrill mentor, Dan'l, who is much like Rafiki. I admit actually haven't seen much of Kimba, but I've seen screenshots and so many poses and such are similar to the Disney film. Now that is sad.
I wouldn't say Disney ripped off the story, since both do have their numerous differences and their source of inspiration were one and the same - Bambi. But there are so many striking similarities that it's quite obvious that Disney took a lot of elements from Kimba. There's nothing wrong with that. But then Disney denies any knowledge of the old TV show. That, I feel is wrong for I think Disney should give credit when it is deserved. This has been brought up before, so I'll stop here.

2. I don't like Mufasa one bit. I know that he's supposed to be a wise and likable character but I'm with Scar here - I felt he was a real bully. I find myself feeling more sorry for the villains then I did for Mufasa. I know that there's nothing wrong with liking a villain but I find it concerning that I feel sorry for a cruel dictator.
Also, I think Disney went so OTT with 'I'm a big wise lion who is part of the stars' (another Kimba element). Puh-leeze!
And also, it seems that the lionesses can't fight Scar unless one male lion joins them.

3. What really makes my teeth grind, however, is the portrayal of hyenas. I know that one should not look into a Disney film for realism, but read this quote from the IUCN Hyaena Specialist Group website:
'According to University of California, Berkeley, biologist Stephen Glickman, when Disney animators went to his hyena research facility to make sketches for The Lion King, scientists there made a plea for showing the predators in a more positive light—but the trio of hyenas in the movie reinforce the common stereotype of hyaenas as cowardly, skulking low-lifes.'
The stereotype was bad enough already yet Disney made it worse. They made them stupid and are portrayed as vermin that kill for the fun of it. And how the heck could they 'destroy' the Pridelands. Hyenas naturally live on the savannah and yet they're treated like scum. Mufasa himself told Simba to 'respect all creatures,' but then we get news - "Hyenas! In the Pridelands!' Then Mufasa goes off to obviously bully them out of the Serengeti.
In actual fact, hyenas are intelligent and bold hunters which are a valuble part of the ecosystem. 80 of the time they kill their own prey. They eat the sick, old and weak animals so therefore they keep prey populations healthy. Hyenas are not the criminals that they're often seen as. Thanks to Disney's hideous stereotype, hyenas do not get much support as say, lions, wolves or polar bears.
I apologise to all those who were captivated by The Lion King, but I have to confess that it doesn't cut the mustard for me. Compared to CGI trash such as 'Barnyard,' Lion King is a masterpiece, but compared to what I think are true works of art, such as Bambi, The Secret of NIMH or Balto, than I'm afraid it falls flat on its face.
Lion King II however, is fantastic!

THIS is a masterpiece. If only Disney himself were alive to see this amazing film. Seriously, this is some great animation. Let's start with the songs.

Oh, the songs! Some of my favorite music ever. "Circle of Life", "Just Can't Wait To Be King", "Hakuna Matata" and "Be Prepared" are my favorites. They all have at least a touch of Africa in them. Very nicely blended with African culture. Fun lyrics, awesome tunes, and downright great music!

The voice acting was awesomely chosen. This is one of those movies that uses unexpected voices of people you never would have guessed - James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Rowan Atkinson, you name it. All of them perfect for their roles.

The story was amazingly coordinated. They did very well mixing in Timon and Pumbaa with the classic moral, "Remember who you are". With just the right amount of comedy, the story was wonderful.

Last but not least, the animation. WOW! That does not appear much about 2d animation for me. This was by far the best part of the movie. Disney had come so far with its 2d animation. It then ruined this 10 years later when it stopped making 2d films. The lighting and shading was great! The characters also had a veneer of African charm.

This is a great must-see for the whole family.

Enjoy!

A modern Disney classic ( by ' modern', I mean a film produced in the last ten years or so ). A great story ( more or less derived; I'm fairly well in on the whole Simba/Kimba conspiracy ), fantastic animation, and little CG work, or noticable CG work that is, characterize this film. Scar holds a place as one of Disney's best villains ( of course, he's voiced by Jeremy Irons, so no surprise there ). The voice casting and the animation are the film's strong points. The characters are quite memorable. The incorporation of songs into the movie was nearly flawless ( note: notice in the " Be Prepared" sequence where Scars hyenas are marching beneath him doing this big goose-step routine; looks like a Hitler cameo to me. Lol ).
Overall, quite an excellent movie, though I guess for me it hasn't held that special space in my heart ( reserved for Balto ;) ).

I thought some of the pictures were beautiful but there's nothing about the characters that make me care about them. The songs are creepy like they were made by a machine.

I don't want to ever see it again. The original was much better.

This movie is amazing. I'll say it slow. This. Movie. Is. Amazing. As you can see, I rated it yes, four stars. The animation is great, the songs are awesome. The story is so well planned out. Everything. I'm not surprised this once was the best Disney movie of all time. The relationship in particular the unusual relationships, add to the excitement (for example, Rafiki and Mufasa). Why though, did Mufasa and Sarabi have only one cub, and the same with Simba and Nala in Simba's Pride? That's one thing I will wonder. You can't stop yourself from gasping, when you see the scene of Simba's father dying for the first time. I like the scene when Mufasa's spirit comes to speak to Simba. I like the part when Pumbaa was charging at the hyenas, and it shows a 'warthog's-eye-view'. IMO, I like the slow motion fight, it adds to the effect.

You'll want to watch it over and over again. Those "Disney movies are the worst" people will love it. Cat haters will love it. It will make you a big fan of the now famous Serengeti where this wonderful legend takes place. There's so much to say about this movie. It has become a big success, but now after so many fame filled years people are starting to forget about it...however Lion King 1 1/2 has made things a bit better. Hopefully the Lion King will not be forgotten completely in ten years worth of time. In every move the lions make, Disney captures the king of the beast's majesty and pride. The wildebeest part is really good. The graphics are great! It will make just about anyone lean forward in anticipation. Timon and Pumbaa's intriguing personalities add a spark to this classic!

I gave this movie a fair rating because, though it is a great movie, almost none of it is original. This is, of course, the usual for Disney. However, usually im okay with it because theyre movies based on stories. However, this movie is basically a copy of Kimba The White Lion, which is an amazing anime. Sure, the graphics, story, and characters are all great, it cannot compare to the original show, Kimba The WHite Lion.

I saw this in theaters and instantly loved it. The Lion King has a great storyline, music, cast and animation. This is one the last top 10 greatest Disney films of all time.

The story was strongly influenced by the Shakespeare play ‘Hamlet’, Bambi, and even a couple Bible stories as the filmmakers have said. This is one of the very rare animated films that actually could make me tear up a bit.

The cast couldn’t have been chosen better. All the voices fit the characters perfectly. I especially liked James Earl Jones as Mufasa. The songs fit into the movie nicely, all were well thought out, and none are cheesy. The score is stunning, and one of my all time favorites from Hans Zimmer. The viewer can feel the emotion of the movie through the music.

As for characters, they were well developed, minus a few of the side characters, and none were overly obnoxious. The animation was some of the best seen up to that point. Very smooth, and the cgi fit in marvelously. It fit so well it was difficult to tell which was hand drawn and which was computer generated.

This is one of Disney’s greatest and if you haven’t seen it, which I doubt, buy it. You won’t be disapointed.

i love this film. It's definately one of my favourite. It's one of those you can watch over and over again without gettin bored of it. I love it.