The Lion King

Finding Nemo may be the new all-time highest grossing animated feature, but The Lion King remains among the crowning achievements from Walt's magical kingdom. Touted as the first Disney animated feature based on an original story, The Lion King incorporates a primal mix of Bambi's rite of passage into manhood, Hamlet's tragic tale of family treachery, and The Jungle Book's slacker jive, all set to an Oscar-winning musical score by Elton John and Tim Rice. You know the story: Simba (voiced as a cub by Jonathan Taylor Thomas and an adult by Matthew Broderick) just can't wait to be king. His treacherous uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) orchestrates the murder of his own brother, King Musafa (James Earl Jones at his regal best), and convinces the unwitting Simba that he was responsible. The exiled Simba adopts the no-worries, "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle of meerkat Timon (Nathan Lane) and warthog Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), until he is compelled to return home and fulfill his destiny. G-rating aside, this is potent stuff: the death of Bambi's mother was a romp in the meadow compared to the thundering wildebeest stampede that kills Musafa; and the climactic claw-to-claw between Scar and Simba makes for intense viewing as well. This two-disc set is fit for a king, with illuminating segments devoted to the artistic evolution of the film (the deleted scenes and abandoned concepts are particularly interesting) and the Tony Award-winning stage adaptation. The first disc offers viewers a choice between the original theatrical version and a "special edition" that features a new song from the stage production ("Morning Report"), animated and integrated into the movie. With its long-awaited release on DVD, The Lion King's circle of life is now complete. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—Oct. 11, 2011—Walt Disney, 88 min., G, $39.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1994's The Lion King boasts a reference-quality beautiful transfer and features a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, a retrospective featurette (38 min.), “The Lion King: A Memoir” featuring Hahn (20 min.), deleted scenes (15 min.), bloopers (4 min.), “The Morning Report” extended scene (3 min.), an interactive art gallery, a sing-along mode, the BD-Live function (which gives viewers access to hours of previously released extras from the DVD releases of the film), a bonus DVD copy of the film, and trailers. Bottom line: a Disney classic roars onto Blu-ray in glorious fashion.][Blu-ray Review—Sept. 5, 2017—Disney, 88 min., G, $39.99—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1994's The Lion King features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary (by co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, and producer Don Hahn), an “Inside the Story Room” segment (24 min.), a song selection feature (17 min.), deleted and alternate scenes (13 min.), “Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation” with costars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick (7 min.), “The Recording Sessions” on voice booth work (5 min.), bloopers and outtakes (4 min.), “The Morning Report” extended scene (3 min.), a “Visualizing a Villain” segment (3 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies (with classic bonus features) of the film. Bottom line: an excellent edition of this Disney classic, although not really necessary for those who already own the “Diamond Edition” release.]