06/12/06 The Lion King

The Lion King (1994), directed by Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff

watched w/ Shanna & Beth (partially); DVD (Shanna & Beth's copy) @ Shanna & Beth's house (Clayton, NC)

OK, so tonight was a bit of a sensory overload...seeing that I had a late evening meeting for work, and since I was bored at home by myself, I went over to some friends' house to catch the Stanley Cup Finals. It's a tough call when the hometown team is in a game so big, and your choices of movies to watch are limited by others' personal collections as well as time constraints. What all that means is that my only real choice of film this evening was "The Lion King." Once again, a modern-era Disney movie that I never caught, although I remember it playing while working at a movie theater in high school to no end. Maybe it was that over-saturation and monotony of working in theaters during big blockbuster summer family films (like I had to endure with "Toy Story" and "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie") that turned me off to actually witnessing the Disney magic firsthand. Alas, after a decade of time...the modern-day classic was due. I have to say, aside from trading occasionally stealthy glances at the hockey game score...it was a very enjoyable film. Bringing the animal kingdom to life with humanistic qualities (there's a word for that, and I can't remember it now) is done superbly here. It's the usual Disney formula, giving a vulnerable and tender tale of some young child/cub/pup/fawn/kitten/elephant/etc. who must go through a tremendous loss (way to scare the kiddies Disney!) in order to find redemption and strength as there own person/lion/dog/deer/cat/elephant/etc. Catch my drift? Anyway, here young cub Simba is tricked by his evil uncle Scar into thinking he lead to the death of his father Mufassa (King of all the animals), which banishes him and his guilt to exile from the land. During his absence, Scar reigns his dark terror on the once thriving land and invests his security forces in the lions' arch nemeses hyenas. Simba must wander & grow in a world without his own kind, but befriends Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat...both who will stick by his side through thick & thin. Once he reunites in a chance encounter with his childhood (excuse me, cubhood) love Nala...Simba realizes that he must return to his land and claim his rightful heir to the throne of the animal kingdom. Pretty grandiose in premise, but played beautifully well into the family-friendly fare of animation here. It's a great film, with catchy songs and funny anecdotes by the characters. Sit back & enjoy, no worries...hakuna matata you stoners.

4 out of 5 stars