DAC 32: The Lion King

The Lion King - 9.1/10

In many ways, this is the most mature of Disney's films. The themes and characters are relatively sophisticated, there's a lot of symbolism that kids probably won't get, and oh yeah, two onscreen murders. They even talk about murdering when usually that sort of thing is just kind of glossed over. It is perhaps due to all of this that the wacky antics of Timon and Puumba (particularly during the climax) feel out of place. Clearly they're there for the kids, as I remember loving them when I first saw this film when I was young. I also remember crying when Mufasa died and seeing the film frequently enough to be able to recite the entire thing line for line, songs included, from start to finish. But enough about that.

This film also plays host to the most impressive opening sequence I can ever recall seeing in an animated film. Right from the start you know you're in for something epic, and for the most part the movie maintains that feeling throughout, though there are a few moments where they seem to be pandering to younger audiences. The musical score is incredibly beautiful, and while none of the characters' songs really stand out (okay, Be Prepared was pretty cool), the ambiance provided by the score is so amazing that I just spent about thirty seconds trying to come up with something to say after "so amazing that" and came up short. It's just that great.

One element of this film that I just kind of went with as a kid but notice much more now as an adult is the symbolism. They may as well have called this movie "The Lion Fisher King" or some variant thereof. So many things happen that make no sense beyond their symbolic nature: a drought comes while Scar is king and everything turns dusty and grey, with bones everywhere (even though there is no food). When Simba is being taunted by Scar and looks like he may falter, lightning strikes and starts a fire. When Simba defeats Scar, rains come, simultaneously putting out the fire and ending the drought. We are then shown that after a time with Simba as king, the plant and animal life have returned, and also all those bones are gone. Amazing!

Scar is a truly great villain, both in his ambitions and his methods. He kills his own brother in cold blood (while taunting him about it), manipulates the feelings of a child who trusts him to further his goals, and then, coldly as possible, orders his henchmen, "Kill him." The fact that he was voice by Jeromy Irons doesn't hurt, either. The hyenas were also pretty cool, and a much better comic relief than Timon and Puumba. Also, though Cheech Marin voiced one of them, he didn't bother me at all like he did in Oliver and Company.

There's a reason everyone knows about this movie, and why it became a big Broadway show, yadda yadda yadda. If you haven't ever seen it, what the hell have you been doing?