THE LION KING (1994)
When someone says ‘Circle of Life”, chances are one thing comes to mind and it is not the human life cycle. Instead it will most likely prompt memories of lions singing about becoming king or the opening number that could be regarded as one of the greatest pieces of animated cinema.
Upon the latest viewing, it was difficult not to quote every line and sing every song, because having seen the film an embarrassing amount of times, it is full of so much nostalgia. Putting that aside, the goal this time around was to focus on elements that may be overlooked by the average viewer.
There is no better place to start than the animation. Being released almost 30 years ago, the art of animation has certainly evolved but that doesn’t matter because it still looks as breathtaking as it did in 1994. Through digital restoration, Disney has made it look as fresh and stunning as if the film was released yesterday which will hopefully be good news for parents who are hoping to show their kids an “old classic” but are worried their children will refuse out of fear of it looking old.
Another element that may be overlooked by viewers is the voice acting cast. The reason that this version is so beloved is due to the sensational cast of actors who lend their voice to these characters. Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, the unbelievable Jeremy Irons, and the immortal James Earl Jones, give career high performances and there is not a misstep in ear shot.
With these elements The Lion King would be good but the strongest element is and will always be the music. Elton John and Tim Rice crafted a series of songs that live in infamy. From the transcendent “Circle of Life” to the romanic “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and finally to the family favorite “Hakuna Matata”, there is not a boring song. Not to mention, there may not be a villain song, in the Disney catalogue, that is better than “Be Prepared”. Jermey Irons gives Scar so much personality in just that song, that it stands above any other villain anthem.
Next time you view the film, try to focus on each of these three elements and hopefully you will have just as much of a heightened experience.
