An
Assessment of The Lion King by
Z Factor
In
the year 1994, The Lion King was released and families all
around the globe got to watch and enjoy the iconic classic. Yet, as
people re-watch this Disney masterpiece, questions may arise. What
makes The Lion King the great movie that it is, why do people
love it so much, or does it all rely on nostalgia? The Lion King
truly is an iconic, classic, Disney masterpiece for a reason, which is
why it is so beloved.
There
are several factors which play into what makes this film so great,
same for all movies. Some things are uncontrollable or less
predictable, such as an audience's reactions and the proper timing.
Audiences are an unpredictable factor. Sometimes critics will love a
movie an audience hates, or hate a movie an audience loves, or a
movie will gain a following after years from its release. The Lion
King was a great success with audiences and critics since its
release. The movie had four Oscar nominations; it took home two, one
for Original Score and another for Original Song.
The
Lion King is incredibly unique when standing side by side with
the other movies which came from Disney during that period, known as
The Disney Renaissance. Disney's style was a return to form in a new
way, with classic animation as well as technological advances. During
the late eighties to nineties, (The Disney Renaissance) Disney
released The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast
(1991), and Aladdin, (1992); and The Lion King came
in 1994, followed by Pocahontas (1995), Hunchback of Notre
Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and
Tarzan (1999.) Before The Lion King, Disney was still
doing cartoon animated adaptations of fairy-tales, which is what made
The Lion King actually a risky move, being a story completely
about animals in Africa.
Though
a movie's success is not easily anticipated, there are several
components which aid the ability to convey a story clearly and
expertly to viewers. The ways in which The Lion King excel in
these areas are part of what makes it so great, not to mention the
significance it has made on culture. These factors are: story and
plot; characters and acting; structure and pacing; aesthetic and
cinematography; music and songs; and finally, the moral and theme. By
examining The Lion King critically through all these variables
which compose a movie, the conclusion is clear. The Lion King
is a Disney classic with a powerful theme which is articulated in a
beautifully animated film, amazing score, and connects with all ages;
all of which make it a timeless film.
By
examining the plot of The Lion King, it is not hard to extract
parallels from that and of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, in
which a Prince must take revenge on a wicked uncle for killing his
father. The stories of The Lion King and Hamlet,
however, are very different. The Lion King's story revolves
around its key theme, which is to follow in the “circle of life”
by growing up, taking responsibility and becoming King. In Hamlet,
this is not the case, but a person growing towards insanity. Though
the plot of The Lion King is a bit formulaic and not “new
under the sun,” the story is powerful and moving.
The Lion King has very good pacing, not feeling too long or
too short in its run-time of eighty-eight minutes. Its opening act
sets up the world while also introducing the main characters: Simba, Mufasa, and Scar. About thirty minutes into the film, Mufasa
is killed off! (Spoiler Alert.) Before this moment, it was highly
unexpected for this to happen, and in a kid's film! This
immediately sets off the chain of events which lead Simba to living
in the jungle “hakuna matata” style. This is a good pause between
emotional events which bring the audience into the next one. Simba's
childhood friend Nala finds him and tells him he must defeat Scar.
Though Nala is one of the influences for Simba to return, it is
because of another great side character, Rafiki, that he finally
returns home and sees what Scar has done. The final act of the film
is climactic, gripping, and emotionally staking as Simba fights Scar,
who murdered his father. Simba defeats Scar and regains his throne on
Pride Rock, leaving viewers with great satisfaction. Neither the
beginning, middle or end feel too dragged out or long, but are in
harmony with each other, moving along to the next point in the
story's structure. Because this is so well done, the audience is
always engaged throughout the film.
Another
reason why the audience would be engaged is because of the beloved
characters and their respective actors' performances. No one else in
the world could play Mufasa than the legendary James Earl Jones,
voice of Darth Vader himself! Though Mufasa's voice is recognizable,
it is also very endearing and warm but also powerful and commanding,
just like a good father would sound like, which adds to the pain of
his death and our joy when he reveals himself to Simba as a spirit.
The voice of Simba is the same actor of Ferris Bueller in Ferris
Bueller's Day Off, Matthew Broderick, yet the two characters are
so different that one would not even notice. The performance is
heart-felt and the sound of a young man (or rather, lion) becoming a
king, which would be an incredibly daunting task. Matthew Broderick's
performance doesn't call to mind images of Ferris Bueller, the
teenager goofing around Chicago in a red sports car; instead, he
brings real emotion to a cartoon lion that makes us sympathize and
root for him. Other great characters and performances are the duo of
Timon and Pumbaa, played by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella. One of the
most famous songs from The Lion King, which was nominated for
an academy award, was theirs, “Hakuna Matata.” Just as no one
could replace James Earl Jones as Mufasa, the same goes for Jeremy
Irons as Scar. His voice is chilling, creepy, and he's up to no good.
He did not entirely sing his villain song, “Be Prepared” but it
remains one of the best villain songs yet, absolutely terrifying even
for adults. A few other great side characters with their talented
voices are Zazu played by Rowan Atkinson, Rafiki by Robert Guillaume,
and the main hyena, Shenzi, by Whoopi Goldberg. On the whole, the
entire cast was amazing and added to the richness of The Lion
King.
As
the sounds of talented actors dialog go back and forth, there is a
feast for the eyes in The Lion King's aesthetic style and
cinematography. Though The Lion King is animated, there is
still a “camera” in the manner everything is being portrayed. The aesthetics of The Lion King are beautiful.
Watching the movie is like watching a story unfold through the art
and masterful creation which animators brought to life through color,
line, shape and form. Merely looking at frames from The Lion King
and comparing them to Disney animated films prior, you get a sense
for how different they are. It is similar to other Disney animated
movies, yet also uniquely different in how bright and African it
looks. The animators and filmmakers took a long trip to Africa and
studied the animals they would portray on screen. The animals look
realistic while also having humanity, designed with care, detail,
hard-work and animated expertly, making everything come to life. The
cinematography is epic, grand, sweeping across the plains and
directing attention to Simba, for he takes the spotlight. Even
when Scar is on screen, he's always sneaking around and getting out
of frame. The Lion King stands out visually unique than other
Disney films.
Throughout the film, audience's ears are delighted with the amazing score of the
film by Hans Zimmer and catchy music that people sing again and
again. All of The Lion King's songs are amazing and the lyrics
are not filler, unlike some musicals, but are a part of telling the
story. It's not like everything stops so the characters can sing a
few catchy lines. The music flows in the movie and people sing during
character building moments, which strengthen the movie and enhance
everything, as well as being incredibly well-written. The songs in
The Lion King are: “Circle of Life”, “I Just Can't Wait
to Be King”, “Be Prepared”, “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You
Feel the Love Tonight.” The last song in the film, “Can You Feel
the Love Tonight,” was composed by Elton John and lyrics by Tim
Rice, which won the academy award. Each of these songs serves an
important purpose to the movie, each focused on character and
story-building. Plus, the music is so well done, that people can't
stop singing them.
Lastly,
this movie is telling a story with a moral it's trying to convey, as
do all movies. The main theme of The Lion King is growing up.
This is seen through the transformation of spoiled brat Prince,
turned lazy teenager, into becoming a man (or fully grown lion) and
taking responsibility by becoming King. Growing up, becoming an adult
and taking responsibility is something everyone must face and can be
very difficult. The movie suggests that people must grow up because
it is the circle of life, the way of nature. It is a great
illustration for children to see people growing up and taking
responsibility, for too few adults remain in the spoiled-brat-stage
or lazy-teenager-stage. Children should be encouraged to strive for
becoming King of their own Pride Rock; this could be as simple as
earning their first job or doing chores around the house, like
cleaning their room. Yet, it is the part about the “circle of life”
which can become questionable.
The
Lion King is a great movie, but it is not by any means a perfect
movie. It was made by fallible humans who are all born sinful, and
was made in the Hollywood industry of Disney's studio. Of course they
were not going to portray nature and creation in a Biblical way!
However, the “circle of life” is a great way to introduce
children to the reality that people will disagree and present life in
different ways than what the Bible teaches. The Lion King has
a great moral theme of growing up, taking responsibility and becoming
a leader with the caveat of an aesthetic approach; thus, when seen
through a Biblical perspective, children can see they are called to
grow up, to become godly men and women in Christ and do His good
works.
Though
The Lion King is by no means a terrible or bad movie for this
reason, it is enough to lack it the honor of a full five stars review by
this criteria. That, and also “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” is
worthy of skipping, even if it won an Oscar. However, the movie is
beloved and an absolute classic not on childhood nostalgia alone, but
by its own merit. Unfortunately, Disney is trying to recreate the
magic with a remake, hitting theaters in the summer of 2019. Perhaps,
instead of trying to remake all the iconic classics, they should be
telling new stories, just like The Lion King did.
4.5/5
Stars by Z Factor
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