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Technical Information
Studio: Buena
Vista Home Entertainment
Year of Theatrical Release: 1994
Disc Format: 2
single-sided, Dual Layer
Image Format: Anamorphic
Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Region
Encoding: 1
Sound
Format: Dolby
Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 (pro logic)
Running Time:
90 minutes
Director: Roger
Allers, Rob Minkoff
Stars: (Vocal)
Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly,
Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Disc
Supplements:
- 2 versions of the film: Original release and extended
version
- Deleted scenes
- New song: "The Morning Report"
- "Circle of Life" music video
- "Can You Feel The Love" music video
- "Experiential" features
- Timon and Pumbaa's virtual safari
- Timon's Grab-A-Grub game
- Lion King personality profile game
- Pumbaa's sound sensation
- The making of the Morning Report
- Story Journey
- Animal Journey
- Music Journey
- Film Journey
- Stage Journey
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During the 1970's and 80's, Disney seemed
more interested in pursuing live action films and as a result,
the animated films that the studio was most well-known for seemed
to fall on the back burner.
A resurgance of the Disney animated spectacle
came in 1989 with the release of The Little Mermaid. Then in
1991 and 1992, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin proved beyond
any doubt that Disney magic was back.
But nothing could have prepared the world
for the massive extravaganza of The Lion King in 1994. This
lion was the definitive king of the Disney jungle. Some have
called this one of the greatest films ever made. I don't know
that I'd go that far, but it certainly is a praise-worthy achievement
by Disney.
One of the admirable elements of Disney animated
features is that they aren't afraid to deal with serious themes.
The Lion King is no exception. Here is a story that deals with
deception and betrayal, murder and revenge, and sorrow and loss.
Most live action films can only dream of attaining the emotional
range that The Lion King offers.
The film begins with the birth of the lion
cub, Simba (voiced as a cub by Home Improvement's Jonathan Taylor
Thomas and as an adult by Matthew Broderick) and his presentation
to the animal kingdom. Simba is the heir to the throne, destined
to be king of all animals when his father, Mufasa (James Earl
Jones) retires.
But Mufasa's brother, Scar (Jeremy Irons),
has other plans. He wants the crown and concocts a plan to kill
both the king and young Simba. The plan is only partially successful,
leaving the cub still alive. Scar convinces Simba that it was
really his fault that his father died and urges him to run from
the kingdom and never return.
Lost and alone and conviced that he killed
his father, Simba wanders the jungle until he encounters TImon
and Pumbaa (Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella), a Meerkat and Warthog.
The three become fast friends and embark on a carefree life
in the jungle until years later, Simba's childhood friend Nala
(Moira Kelly) finds him and convinces him to come back to the
kingdom, which is now nearly a wasteland under Scar's rulership.
So now the question becomes whether or not
Simba has matured enough to stop running from his responsibilities
and challenge Scar for his rightful place as the Lion King.
The Lion King was an ambitious effort from
Disney. It is one of their few films that was not based on some
other source material and, though not graphic, is quite possible
the most violent of their animated films. There are certainly
scenes here that may intimidate the youngest of viewers, and
yet the film as a whole will be a thoroughly enriching experience
for them.
In short, The Lion King is destined to become
as classic an icon as Sleeping Beauty or Snow White.
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top |
Disney put a ton of work into remastering
and reprocessing this film for IMAX presentations. The giant IMAX
screens offer no room for blemishes or other imperfections, so the
film had to be perfect.
What we are getting on DVD is the
benefit of all that hard work. Quite simply, this disc is stunning.
I don't think there are enough adjectives
to describe just how wonderful the picture quality is here, so I'm
not even going to try. Suffice it to say that Disney has not only
hit a home run, but they've knocked it clean out of the park. How
they can ever top this, I don't know.
I noticed no digital compression
artifacts and edge enhancement, thankfully, seemed to be completely
absent.
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For an animated film, where everything
you hear had to be completely manufactured, this audio track puts
many "live" sound tracks to shame.
One of the interesting things that
Disney has done here is that they've included a special "home
theater" 5.1 mix. Unlike your plain-jane 5.1 sound tracks,
this track has been mixed to take full advantage of the home theater
experience, where the speakers are generally close and more intimate.
The result is a sonic assault that is as immersive as anything I've
ever heard. Our screening room's twin 15-inch subs threatened to
shake the house loose from the foundation, and yet through it all,
the sound was crystal clear and distortion free.
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Disney's Platinum Editions are
known for quality special features, and The Lion King release has
the type of special features that truly make the DVD a collectible.
If you love special features, you are not going to be disappointed
here.
In addition to the movies on disc
one, there are many great special features, divided into the areas
of Simba’s world.
In the Jungle section there is Timon’s
Grab-A-Grub game and Pumbaa’s Sound Sensations.
These games are most appropriate for little ones, provided you are
willing to hand over the remote. In the Grasslands section there
is The Making of “Morning Report”,
the extra song that was added to this release. Also found in the
Grasslands is the Lion King Personality Profile Game,
one of my favorite special features on this disc. After answering
a series of behavioral questions they tell you which Lion King character
you most resemble. In the Tree of Life section, there is the “Circle
of Life” music video performed by the Disney Channel
“Circle of Stars,” as well as a “Making
of the Circle of Life.” I can’t help but wonder
if this is just a way to get the most out of these kid’s contracts?
Also in the Tree of Life section is the Sing-Along Track
option, one you will wear out if your kids love to sing
along as much as mine do.
Disc two is dedicated entirely to
special features, and they certainly took that seriously. There
is an insert with the disc to guide you through these special features,
and if you don’t want to miss anything you’ll need to
use it. The best tool is the two-page chart in the back that lists
all the special features and where they are located.
The menus are in two groups, the
first one being regional (Africa, North America, etc.) and the second
based on subject. For the most part, everything in the regional
menus are included in the subject menus, except for North America.
There are some treasures hidden in the North America section, some
several levels down into the menus.
Don’t miss the Abandoned
Scene Warthog Rhapsody, and the Early Concepts
of Introducing Simba and Simba meeting Timon and
Pumbaa. They are virtually hidden under North America>Glendale>More.
Also on the second disc are the subject Journeys,
each covering an area of the production of the film, such as the
Story, the Music, the Film,
the Animals and my favorite, the Stage
show. There is also a fantastic special feature called Timon
& Pumbaa’s Virtual Safari, where you take a trip
just like a ride at Disneyland, except you get to control which
way to go. You can safari by Jeep or by boat, and they are both
pretty fun.
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The Lion King is the Disney movie where I made
my transition from watching Disney movies primarily for my own enjoyment
to watching them with my kids. This is the first Disney movie that
my oldest daughter saw and was really able to enjoy, so of course
it holds a special place for me. This movie is perfect for both
kids and adults, the animation is breathtaking and the songs are
fun and the story is uplifting. I highly recommend it.
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| Despite some intense moments,
this is the perfect family film. Not only will the kids love it, but
the adults will enjoy it as well. |
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| -- By Jennie Austin. Copyright
© 2003. |
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