The Lion King (1994) Review

The Lion King

Release Date: 25th August 1994 – Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Walt Disney Feature Animation (Uncredited)

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 89 minutes


Budget: $45,000,000

Box Office Gross: $981,708,285 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A young lion named Simba is born into the Pride Lands and is next in line to succeed his father as king. But when his evil uncle Scar has other plans to assume the throne, he tricks his nephew into believing that he caused his father's death and takes over the kingdom from him.

Now fleeing from his homeland, Simba is saved from certain doom by a lovable meerkat and warthog duo named Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him to live their carefree lifestyle of "Hakuna Matata" and ignore his responsibilities. As Simba matures, much

to his surprise, his friend

Nala returns to convince

him that he must return

to the Pride Lands to

face Scar and take his

place in the "Circle of

Life."

Voice Cast

Jonathan Taylor Thomas – Young Simba
Jason Weaver – Young Simba (singing voice)

Matthew Broderick – Adult Simba
Joseph Williams – Adult Simba (singing voice)
Jeremy Irons – Scar
James Earl Jones – Mufasa
Moira Kelly – Adult Nala
Sally Dworsky – Adult Nala (singing voice)
Niketa Calame – Young Nala

Laura Williams – Young Nala (singing voice)

Nathan Lane – Timon
Ernie Sabella – Pumbaa
Robert Guillaume – Rafiki
Rowan Atkinson – Zazu
Whoopi Goldberg – Shenzi
Cheech Marin – Banzai
Jim Cummings – Ed/Gopher/

Scar (singing voice) (in

last part of Be Prepared)

(Uncredited)

Madge Sinclair – Sarabi

Zoe Leader – Sarafina

Crew

Directors – Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

Story – Burny Mattinson, Barry Johnson, Thom Enriquez, Gary Trousdale, Jim Capobianco, Kevin Harkey, Jorgen Klubien,

Tom Sito, Larry Leker,

Joe Ranft, Ed Gombert,

Francis Glebas and Mark Kausler

Story/Art Director – Andy Gaskill

Story/Production Designer – Chris Sanders
Story/Animator: Adult Simba – Lorna Cook

Additional Story Material – J.T. Allen,
George Scribner, Miguel Tejada-Flores,
Jenny Tripp, Bob Tzudiker, Christopher Vogler,

Kirk Wise and Noni White

Screenplay – Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts

and Linda Woolverton

Associate Producer – Alice Dewey Goldstone

Executive Producers – Thomas Schumacher

and Sarah McArthur

Producer – Don Hahn
Consultant: Wildlife – Jim Fowler

Live Lion and Animal Models – David J. McMillan

Live Lion and Animal Models: Cougar Hill

Ranch – Nicholas Toth

Artistic Coordinator – Randy Fullmer

Character Designers/Visual Development

Artists – Hans Bacher, Jean Gillmore,

Joe Grant, Mike Hodgson, Lisa Keene,

Sue C. Nichols, Mel Shaw, Bob Smith,

Bruce Zick and Vance Gerry (Uncredited)

Artistic Supervisor: Story – Brenda Chapman

Artistic Supervisor: Layout – Daniel St. Pierre
Artistic Supervisor: Layout, Florida – Robert Walker

Artistic Supervisor: Background – Doug Ball

Artistic Supervisor: Background, Florida –

Robert E. Stanton

Supervising Animator: "Young Simba" –

Mark Henn
Supervising Animator: "Adult Simba" –

Ruben A. Aquino
Supervising Animator: "Mufasa" – Tony Fucile
Supervising Animator: "Rafiki" – James Baxter
Supervising Animator: "Scar" – Andreas Deja
Supervising Animator: "Young Nala" –

Aaron Blaise
Supervising Animator: "Timon" – Michael Surrey
Supervising Animator: "Pumbaa" – Tony Bancroft
Supervising Animator: "Adult Nala" –

Anthony de Rosa
Supervising Animators: "Hyenas" – Dave Burgess

and Alex Kupershmidt
Supervising Animator: "Sarabi" – Russ Edmonds
Supervising Animator: "Zazu" – Ellen Woodbury

Additional Animators - Chris Bailey,

Ken Duncan, Raul Garcia and David Stephan

Artistic Supervisor: Clean-Up/Supervising

Character Lead: Additional: "Young Simba"/

Miscellaneous Characters – Vera Pacheco

Artistic Supervisor: Visual Effects/Effects

Animator – Dave Bossert

Artistic Supervisor: Visual Effects – Scott Santoro

Artistic Supervisor: Visual Effects, Florida –

Jeff Dutton

Artistic Supervisor: Computer Graphics Imagery –

Scott F. Johnson

Additional CGI Animation – Rob Bekuhrs,

Steve Goldberg and James Tooley

Supervising Editors – John Carnochan
and Tom Finan

Film Editor – Ivan Bilancio

Supervising Sound Editors – Richard L. Anderson

and Mark A. Mangini

Special Sound Effects – John Pospisil

Re-Recording Mixers – Terry Porter,

Mel Metcalfe and David J. Hudson

Foley Artists – John Roesch and

Hilda Hodges

Songs: Music/Performer: "Can You Feel the

Love Tonight" – Elton John

Songs: Lyrics – Tim Rice

Original Score Composer and Arranger/

Music Supervisor – Hans Zimmer

Additional Vocal Arranger/Composer: Additional

Music (Uncredited) – Mark Mancina

Choral Arranger/Conductor/Vocal Solos:

African Improvisations – Lebo M.

Choral Arranger/Conductor/Composer:
Additional Music (Uncredited) –

Nick Glennie-Smith

Awards

1995 Academy Awards
Best Original Score – Hans Zimmer (Won)
Best Original Song "Can You Feel the Love

Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice (Won)
----------------

Best Original Song "Circle of Life" – Elton John
and Tim Rice (Nominated)

Best Original Song "Hakuna Matata" – Elton John
and Tim Rice (Nominated)

Review

THE LION KING stands above the other Disney animated classics and is an epic, funny and majestic masterpiece unlike any other. It is also touching for anyone who watches this movie, particularly the sad scene where Mufasa dies. The movie's plot was loosely based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare, yet it also has similarities to Osamu Tezuka's anime series Kimba the White Lion. I have read an article saying that some people claimed the film was a ripoff of Tezuka's anime, but it is a mere coincidence. I loved everything in the movie, including my favourite moments like the famous "Circle of Life" opening and the wildebeest stampede.

The film is complemented by the brilliant voice acting of Jeremy Irons, who is deliciously sinister as Scar and Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are funny as Timon and Pumbaa. Other talented actors, such as Matthew Broderick, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones and others, also lend their impressive voice performances to the film. THE LION KING has a superb music score by Hans Zimmer and terrific songs by legendary pop musician Elton John, including the opening song, "Be Prepared", "Hakuna Matata", and my favourite, the Oscar-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".

THE LION KING was my favourite feature film by Disney and the best 2D animated blockbuster of all time. I recommend it to anyone, young and old. The film and the 3D version are available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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