The Lion King (1994)

Save for a pit stop into the European-esque setting of Beauty and the Beast, Disney continues its use of exotic locales for its animated films. Set in the wilderness of the African grasslands, The Lion King features a tonal shift back towards the dramatic while still maintaining much of the flash and sizzle that early entries to the Disney Renaissance brought to the table. The end result may not go down as smooth for some but this film is undeniable as a spectacle to behold.

A multitude of animals from the Pride Lands gathers to celebrate the birth of a new prince, a lion cub named Simba. The rambunctious cub is watched with glee by many but disdained by his uncle, Scar. The devious villain executes a plot that leaves Simba’s father dead while convincing the young prince that it is his fault. Simba avoids death at the hand of Scar’s minions but runs away in self-imposed exile, full of grief over his father’s death. As Simba grows up, he must confront his fears, question what he came to accept as the truth, and return to his homeland to face his uncle once more.

Disney really shoots for the stars here. The Lion King features some heavyweight dramatic elements, a top-notch crew handling the soundtrack, and some of the best animal animation since Bambi. It all pays off pretty well, but seeing it for the first time in many years leaves me thinking this film is just a wee bit overrated.

Much of the animation is glorious. The colors and textures weaved throughout the foreground and background environments expertly present the African plains. The filmmakers gave Disney’s crew of animators a tall task in creating animal characters that actually move like the real animals do. While I am sure that there are a handful of inaccuracies and inconsistencies here and there, the attention to detail is evident and maintained my suspension of disbelief.

As with other Disney movies of the era, the few instances of CGI-traditional animation fusion (including parts of the signature wildebeest stampede) just don’t do it for me. After mentioning this a few reviews in a row, I have to wonder if this comes from modern CGI animation spoiling us with its realism or if I would have actually noticed and complained about this hybrid style had I been an adult seeing it when it initially came out. Special effects never look as good at home as they do on a large theater screen. That is just a fact.

The music and songs of The Lion King are the stuff of legend. As with Aladdin, there are actually only five songs in the original version of the film (they added a new ditty to the special edition version that I watched but I’m able to look past it). Unlike its predecessor, four of the five songs are terrific and continue to be popular to this day. It’s hard to imagine anything less with such talent involved (Elton John- music, Tim Rice-lyrics, Hans Zimmer- conductor). Only Scar’s tune, “Be Prepared,” lacks staying power, but how many villain songs actually have much popularity with the kids anyway?

Believe it or not, I find the most fault with the characters and the story of this film. Once again, Disney’s dastardly villain is effeminate. Why does Scar, who looks and occasionally acts fierce, have to slink around like the female lions and utter whiny sarcasm with a British accent? Scar and Jafar seem cut from the same cloth- powerful villains watered down with what could be mistaken for stereotypical homosexual qualities and mannerisms. To top it off, his musical number is full of Nazi imagery (goose-stepping hyenas anyone?), which makes the characters as a whole feel somehow disjointed and confusing.

Speaking of the hyenas, I found them to be very creepy; I imagine many small children being terrified of them then and now. They aren’t the only supporting characters that get it wrong for me either. Timon and Pumba, joyfully raucous as they are, flood their scenes with non-contextual humor that doesn’t fit with either the African setting or the serious tone of the rest of the film. Had The Lion King gone for broke with the funny throughout (a la Aladdin), their antics wouldn’t have been as detrimental to my overall rating. When the rest of your film smacks heavily of Hamlet, it’s nice to have some comic relief. But these two go a little overboard at times, as if their existence is to entertain and engage those kids who might be bored with the rest of the film’s adult overtones.

There is a lot going on in this film, which sometimes can be disastrous. Fortunately for Disney and audiences alike, The Lion King walks its tightrope with deft precision. Several pitfalls and traps lie throughout its 88-minute runtime, but it never gets too carried away in its seriousness or its silliness. I can’t fault anyone for thinking this is one of Disney’s greatest films but I will certainly disagree with them. It functions well enough as an epic animated spectacle but, if you look closely, you can see where the gloss and glamour run a little thin.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5