Review - The Lion King

The Lion King is a film from Walt Disney Pictures, set in Africa, focusing on a pride of lions who rule over this land peacefully and fairly. Currently, it is Mufasa who leads the lions, although as the film begins, his son Simba has been born and he has a long way to go before he's ready to take over the kingdom. The film progresses through young Simba's life and eventually (and this doesn't really feel like a spoiler) becomes a riff on Hamlet, of all things. Simba is cast out from Pride Rock but with the help of a meerkat and warthog (who seem like the chillest gay roommates to have ever existed), he finds himself, perhaps even growing into the leader of the pride that he's meant to be. No one watches a Disney film for the plot so perhaps it's a waste of time even mentioning it but it takes a fairly generic plot structure and moulds it into the perfect form for a children's film, fitting in constant action and emotion in the space of 88 minutes. It's epic yet intimate, a cliched phrase that just describes the whole film better than any nuance can.

When it comes to casting, there are a fair few actors in The Lion King who are clearly here because they're big names but whether they are or not, everyone fits their role to a tee. As Mufasa, there is the mighty James Earl Jones, best known for his voice work as Darth Vader. Before, his voice was used for villainy but here, he plays the opposite perfectly, being the warm fatherly figure we all want. Due to Simba's changing age through the film, he is played by two different actors throughout, Johnathan Taylor Thomas as a young cub and Matthew Broderick as an adult. Both suit the role well, although honestly, I'm much more partial to Thomas' work, as he somehow delivers a more nuanced emotional range through his performance. There are plenty more people in the cast also worth talking about but I want to finish this bit by talking about Jeremy Irons as Scar, the villain of the film and frankly there isn't a much better way to describe his work than Shakespearean. It isn't overtly evil to the point of it being downbeat but it is theatrical in the best sense, creating (dare I say it) one of the greatest villains Disney has ever put on screen.

With The Lion King though, one of the things that most people will remember and love it for is the songs and man oh man are they a delight. The score is handled by Hans Zimmer and the original songs are done by Tim Rice and Elton John, the three of them creating a soundscape to remember. I defy anyone not to get goosebumps at The Circle of Life, sing along to I Just Can't Wait to be King or grin like a mad thing during Hakuna Matata. Whether the voices of the actors, the score or the original songs, everything you hear is a treat for the ears. The Lion King isn't just a sonic treat though, it is also a visual one, with animation that is truly to die for. The amount of character that the animators have been able to inject all the lions with is astonishing, making them almost more real than real. It's why 2D animation is so good, you couldn't capture this much character if you were going for photo-realism, I was also glad for it at points because with certain scenes (one in particular that I'm sure everyone is thinking of), having that emotional distance of animation allows people not to be too traumatised, while still allowing for maximum emotional devastation. I simply can't imagine this film working in any other medium.

The Lion King really is one of the best animations ever. The story takes unoriginal material to new levels, the performances bring life to the characters, both of which are elevated by sublime music and animation. It's an utter gem that should really never be touched for fear of tarnishing it's legacy. God help any company that decides to do a soulless remake for no reason other than further box office dominance. Fortunately, all that aside, I have no problem giving this film a