The Lion King

Reviews from TMDB

• Manuel São Bento10 of 10

  If you enjoy reading my reviews, please follow my blog :) First of all, this is (obviously) a SPOILER review. I mean, who hasn’t seen this movie yet? If by some extraordinary circumstances you’re one of those unlucky souls, stop. Spend the next hour and a half watching this animated masterpiece and come back here. I will still avoid mentioning key details because I’m just used to it, and The Lion King has so many things to compliment that I don’t really need to get in-depth on spoilers. So, in case you haven’t notice it through my Twitter or occasional mentions in other reviews, The Lion King is one of my favorite films of all-time (animated or not)! I rewatched it for the 312358th time this last weekend, and I cried more than when I was just a child. That’s how much this movie means to me. The sense of nostalgia plus the overwhelming emotions throughout the runtime are tear-inducing aspects that I can’t simply avoid. I literally cried (waterfalls) in four (!) different scenes. The opening sequence (Circle of Life) filled my eyes with nostalgia’s tears. Mufasa’s tragic moment obviously wrecked me (one of the most emotionally powerful scenes in the history of cinema). Simba receiving the whole “remember who you are” speech from Mufasa in the clouds is incredibly inspirational and therefore worthy of some sobbing. Finally, one of the last scenes, Simba climbing his way to the top of Pride Rock with Hans Zimmer‘s score, leaving me absolutely destroyed. And I want to pick up on that last aspect: the score. It’s one of the most crucial technical features of a film, in my opinion. It can transform an “okay” scene into something magical or something pretty terrible, depending on what kind of score it is. Consequently, it can make a “good” movie turn into a “great” one. Hans Zimmer is one of my favorite composers ever. His soundtracks are always filled with such an epic vibe. Even if the film itself isn’t that good, his scores are still able to elevate it in some way. The Lion King is one of his most memorable scores due to how emotionally compelling it is, even in the subtlest moments. During the stampede sequence, the score doesn’t lend you time to breathe. Its high rhythm and continuously growing music keep any viewer at the edge of the seat, waiting for it to be over. Then, when Simba descends and approaches his dad, the score is so subtle. Completely opposite to the previous sumptuous and grand sound. It’s that nuance plus the impact of the scene itself that make me cry. In the last scene that I mentioned above, it’s solely the score that brings in the chill-inducing tears. If Simba climbed Pride Rock with no soundtrack, it would just be a good ending. However, from the exact moment that the score fades in, it instantly turns that sequence into an epic finale. The slow-motion walk to the top, the immersive score, Simba’s roar … Damn it, I’m crying again! The animation is some of Disney’s best. It’s not by chance that the Disney Renaissance Era (1989-1999), which was the return to form by Disney, has the best animation quality of its history, and a lot of the memorable movies that marked everyone’s childhood. Its expressiveness and ease to make animals emote elevates the story and its characters. There’s no need for any kind of dialogue when you can see how the characters are reacting and understand what they’re feeling. The wide shots are beautiful to look at and worthy of being anyone’s wallpaper even today. The songs are remarkable and they influenced an entire generation. Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Circle of Life, Be Prepared, Hakuna Matata, … Every single song is someone’s favorite. The voice work is perfect. James Earl Jones gives such an outstanding vocal performance that even when discussing his career’s biggest role, Darth Vader isn’t the obvious choice. Jeremy Irons and his raspy voice elevate Scar as the villainous character. If you close your eyes and only hear every character’s voice, without hav…

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• CinemaSerf7 of 10

  Certainly not one of Disney's better animations from a technical perspective - the artwork lacks the vibrancy and detail of many of their earlier stories; but the combined efforts of Sir Tim Rice, Elton John and Hans Zimmer make this an enjoyable fantasy adventure. It is told in two parts - the first sees a son "Simba" born to the king "Mufasa"; a curious little fella who, alongside his friend "Nala" is inquisitive and mischievous - a real pain in the neck to the king's major-domo "Zazu". One fan the new cub really doesn't have, however, is the king's rather unimpressed brother "Scar" who hatches a plan to depose his brother and take over the kingdom. He manages to achieve exactly this and to get the youngster to blame himself and head off, alone, into exile. The second part is much more fun; he falls in with a warthog and is soon eating colourful grubs and living a peaceful, jolly life far from home. That idyllic existence is not to last long, however - "Nala" discovers he is still alive and races to alert him of the disaster that has befallen the kingdom under the rule of his uncle and his trusty band of hyenas. The musical numbers help it build to a gripping denouement, with clever, quite witty dialogue from some good - though not great - voice talents from the likes of James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Whoopi Goldberg to keep the pot boiling. It is an enjoyable film to watch but I wasn't captivated by it.

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• Sharpdon573 of 10

  i just wish to inform before i start this review that i still respect anyone who likes this film. Now let's get to the point, which is this: I don't like the lion king. I'm sorry, but i don't. To me it's just a bad version of Hamlet, and considering it's my literal favourite play ever, i have a reason to dislike a kid's remake. An unjust one, perhaps, but it's MY opinion. 'S\*\*\*\*y hamlet' is my summary of this film. I have no other words.

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