Rating Scale:

12/10—a complete masterpiece; flawless and outstanding
11/10—Excellent, near-perfect film
10/10—the standard rating; awesome film with a couple of flaws
9/10—a wonderful film with several flaws
8/10–a great film with numerous flaws but not enough to ruin it
7/10—a fun and entertaining movie; not great but still enjoyable
6/10—a slightly above average film; it is something I might watch again
5/10—mediocre movie; not awful but not great either
4/10—a below average film; it could have been much better
3/10—a bad film; poorly written and poorly executed
2/10—a very bad movie; the few good things in the movie overshadowed by the bad things
1/10—a terrible movie; a total waste of time
0/10—a worthless piece of abomination; should have never been made

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NOTE: This review was written on November 25th, 2020

Hey, guys! It is finally time to start reviewing the classic Disney films beloved by many people! Just to give you all a little background, this film was the second Disney film I have ever watched when I was a kid; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was actually the first Disney movie and the first movie in general I’ve EVER watched when I was little. To be honest, this is my absolute favorite Disney film of all time! It has wonderful characters, an awesome villain, fantastic storyline inspired by Hamlet, and beautiful character development. Not to mention this has warranted actual emotional connection with our characters unlike that... certain remake had done. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get right into my review for The Lion King!

The story: First off, the intro of this movie is arguably the BEST MUSICAL INTRO ever!! Just listen to this:

The Circle of Life is literally playing in my head right now. It has a heavenly and majestic aurora that immediately captivates the viewer into the bliss of the introduction. Rafiki holding baby Simba in the air with the closing music in the background is the icing on the cake for me. The plot of course is very engaging, straightforward, and interesting to follow. We have Simba growing up as a young cub and learning from his father Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones) about how to respect the circle of life as the heir to the throne. However, his evil Uncle Scar and his hyena henchmen scheme together to take them out of the picture and seize the kingdom for themselves. After tragedy strikes, Simba flees to self-exile until he meets Timon and Pumbaa. This is where we have Hakuna Matata.

Years later, he realizes his own responsibility and the need to face his past after his encounter with Mufasa’s Spirit. Remembering who he truly is, he returns to the Pride Lands to confront Scar and save the kingdom from peril.

Simba here is well written as a character and fleshed out. He went through these phases of progression from being a bratty, self-entitled little kid to a mature, strong, and courageous grown lion. Matthew Broderick did a good job voicing him just as Jonathan Taylor Thomas did well in voicing young Simba. Timon and Pumbaa were great comedic and supporting characters as well. Seriously, they are a somewhat hilarious duo who do great things in their own unique way. Yes, I say “somewhat” because... they’re not that funny. I mean, they say good jokes here and there, but I don’t like how they—mostly Pumbaa—repeatedly make flatulence jokes. The most popular song of the whole film is filled with them! I used to find fart jokes funny when I was a kid, but while growing up, I soon found them cringeworthy and annoying. But that’s just me.

Nala and Simba having a romantic relationship, eh? But since there are only about 2-3 males in the pride and many females, don’t you think their relationship can be... incest? (Sigh) I’m gonna say this again now... SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!

Now, let’s talk about the BEST part of the whole movie: Scar!

Did I ever tell you guys he is my absolute favorite Disney villain of all time? His cunning, intelligence, charming personality, sassy attitude, fierce demeanor, and overall villainous characterization won me over. In fact, he is the very first villain in general who introduced me to what betrayal, deceit, and treachery really are. When I was a kid, I never heard of or understood those terms until I watched this film over and over. Scar actually made me quite intimidated in the inside especially when he killed Mufasa.

Long live the King...

One of my favorite lines of Scar even to this day. Oh, and his own villain song is amazing as well!

In my opinion, it’s my favorite song of the whole movie. He is one of those villains who almost won and got what he ultimately wanted. Thus, he is my favorite character in this film. Jeremy Irons NAILED him!! Of course, his horrific death scene is quite terrifying... when you consider how hyenas eat their prey in reality. It’s as equally as terrifying as his deleted original death scene. Speaking of hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed are my second favorite characters! I love their chemistry, their dynamic personalities, and overall funny banters and fights. The rest of the characters are good, well-voiced, and memorable. Great soundtrack, great editing, and amazing animation this film has.

But if there is one major nitpick I have with this film... it’s the conflicted moral. The moral “taking responsibility for your actions and facing your past” itself is a great message; it’s a better realistic moral than the “dreams do come true” or “happily ever after” messages. But when Simba confesses his apparent crime in killing his father, nobody comes to his defense especially during Scar’s lambasting. Fire is struck behind him, Scar and his hyenas corner him, and nobody—not even Nala—comes to his rescue. I guess the lionesses were in shock or something? But when Scar is exposed as the real killer of Mufasa, everyone immediately joins Simba without question and battle for their lives. What?

I mean, that says a lot about his reign as a cruel king, but the problem is that the movie is basically saying “Be responsible for your actions, but at the same time, be afraid that they’ll kill you for it. But there is a high chance you did nothing wrong!” So... Hakuna Matata then? Do you see what I’m saying here? It just cripples its own moral. I don’t know, maybe you guys can enlighten me through your perspective on the moral. I would appreciate it. But regardless of that nitpick, this movie is amazing as it is. It deserves a 10/10!

See ya!

7477535
Don't mind me; just gonna steal borrow that rating scale for my own use. :rainbow wild:

As far as the moral goes, I think my thing with it is that it just doesn't feel like it applies to the real situation of the movie. The moral is about not running from the past and learning from it...but it's all predicated on the idea that Simba inadvertently lead to Mufasa's death, which of course was actually caused by Scar.

7477535
I’m glad that you decided to share your reviews on here like I recommended earlier today. It’s mainly because I’m now not the only one sharing reviews of individual installments of the franchise in this group.

7477543
Interesting perspective. Also, feel free to use my rating scale.

7477602
Nice.

7477535
Its not called the greatest 2d animated film of all time for nothing!

7477535

Nala and Simba having a romantic relationship, eh? But since there are only about 2-3 males in the pride and many females, don’t you think their relationship can be... incest?

It was actually confirmed long ago that Nala’s father isn’t Mufasa or Scar. Rather, it was another male unrelated to the two.

7477535
I highly agree. But personally, I'm giving it a 9/10. Because I don't believe in a perfect movie.

7477535
In all honesty, your comment about the moral inspired me to one day make a post displaying what I believe the moral of the film is. “Confronting your past” certainly is one of them, but it’s not the only moral the film provided. I just have to take the time really recollect first.

7477740
Really? Well, I’m glad I inspired you in a way.

7477755
Thank you.

7477543
7477535
In retrospect, I think the real mistakes Simba made were running away instead of immediately going home and letting his fears control him. Those were the mistakes he particularly had to take responsibility for, and he did.

7477543
If you liked this review, you oughta check out TheClownPrinceofCrime’s review on the second film at some point. He actually shared it on this group just yesterday, and I think you’ll find it to be very interesting.