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Not an ideal choice for younger kids, this hip and violent animated feature from Disney was nevertheless a huge smash in theaters and on video, and it continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed Broadway production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is sabotaged by a rivalrous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking, and the music is more palatable than in many Disney features. But be cautious: this is too intense for the Rugrat crowd. --Tom Keogh How good-looking is the DVD restoration of Disney's popular animated film? Take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This "special edition" also adds a 90-second song ("Morning Report") that originated in the lavish stage musical. To Disney's credit, the original theatrical version is also included, both restored and featuring two 5.1 soundtracks: Dolby Digital and a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, which does sound brighter. As with the Disney Platinum line, everything is thrown into the discs, except an outsider's voice (the rah-rahs of Disney grow tiresome at times). The excellent commentary from the directors and producer, originally on the laser disc, is hidden under the audio set-up menu. The second disc is organized by 20-minute-ish "journeys" tackling the elements of story, music, et cetera, including good background on the awkward Shakespearean origins at Disney where it was referred as "Bamlet." The most interesting journey follows the landmark stage production, and the kids should be transfixed by shots of the real African wildlife in the animal journey. Three deleted segments are real curios, including an opening lyric for "Hakuna Matata." Most set-top DVD games are usually pretty thin (DVD-ROM is where it's at), but the Safari game is an exception--the kids should love the roaring animals (in 5.1 Surround, no less). One serious demerit goes to the needless and complicated second navigation system that is listed by continent, but just shows the same features reordered. --Doug Thomas
 Customer Reviews 
Lion King
Rating: 4
I recently purchased this item from gassga568105 and not only did the product arrive promptly, but the quality of the movie was great. The Lion King is a Disney classic with memorable characters and art. I recommend this movie for anyone with children or adults interested in Disney cartoons.
Long Live the King...
Rating: 5
Disney animated movies have always been a mixture in terms of quality artwork and storytelling, but no matter what they've always managed to capture the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. In the early days, their animated features were rougher looking ("101 Dalmatians"), most likely because of being rushed to meet deadlines or what not, but no matter how rough the art looked the stories remained timeless to audiences. Jump forward in time to the 2000's and the current crop of Disney animated films tend to feature clunky feeling artwork ("Home on the Range") that doesn't have any of the beauty and grace of their previous, some would say higher quality efforts, and the stories, though still entertaining, have even lost some of the magic and wonder of their films from so many years ago. Rewind time just a little bit, back to the 1990's, and Disney's art seemed to have never been better and the stories they told seemed even more refined and classic than all the great ones that had come before. With critical and box office successes, such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" (both of which were great movies), Disney's creative teams seemed to be on top of their game; however, no one expected the sheer excellence that they achieved with their box office smash hit "The Lion King".
"The Lion King" is the story of Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) who is a young lion cub, and the son of the great leader Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), and destined to be the future king of Pride Rock. However, fate is not meant to be so kind to young Simba, as his jealous uncle Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons) schemes to eliminate both the king and his sole heir, therefore allowing him to obtain the throne. When Scar's plans don't go exactly as planned, Simba is forced to flee his home to wander the wilderness alone. Scared and desperate, all hope seemed lost for Simba, until an odd couple of sorts named Timon and Pumbaa find the young cub and raise him in the ways of 'Hakuna Matata', it means no worries (for those of you that haven't seen the film). Now, matured into an adult lion, Simba (now voiced by Matthew Broderick) is living a carefree life until his childhood friend Nala discovers him and begs him to return to Pride Rock and reclaim his birthright. At first Simba declines, but with a little persuasion, Simba returns for the final showdown with the uncle that destroyed his life so many years ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Lion King" as a child, and even now as an adult the movie still excites me from start to finish. What is so surprising about this movie is just how strong the story is, and for a kid's movie it is much more adult oriented than one might expect. The themes that are dealt with in "The Lion King" are still relatively new to animated features, with a focus on loss, the meaning of life, destiny, and betrayal, which are all very adult concepts, and sure they've been featured in animated films before, but not to this extent where each of those elements are the prominent aspects of the story. Kudos to the writers for dealing with each of those themes in such a way to not make light of them, but also to not bog the movie down to be so dramatically heavy that kids wouldn't enjoy it. Don't get me wrong; though the story does deal with some heavy topics and intense drama, it isn't short on humor either. The comedy in this movie is some of the best Disney has ever delivered, aimed at both children and adults this movie simply works on every level.
Another aspect to the storytelling, and is the part that surprised me the most, is just how much I enjoyed the songs of the film. Disney is famous for including songs in almost every one of their animated films, generally I like one or two, but the rest kind of bore me (though not enough to detract from the movie experience); however, in the case of "The Lion King" the songs are so well-written and catchy, and perfectly resonate each of the various tones and themes of the movie, that I can't help but enjoy all them. From the epic opening song "The Circle of Life" to the robust, fun-loving "Just Can't Wait to Be King" to the heartwarming "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", each and every song is memorable, and serves to elevate each of the scenes they correspond with, making them some of the most beloved scenes within the entire movie.
The vocal performances in the movie continue the tradition of excellence that Disney has always managed when it came to the voice actors. Each actor/actress that voiced one of the many heroes of the film, from James Earl Jones (Darth Vader in the 'Star Wars' films) to Jonathan Taylor Thomas (TV's "Home Improvement") to Nathan Lane ("The Producers"), and Matthew Broderick ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), all bring an individuality, heart, kindness, and strength to their roles. For those characters on the side of villainy, the talented cast members, led by Jeremy Irons ("Die Hard With a Vengeance") and Whoopi Goldberg ("Sister Act"), deliver each and every one of their lines with an obvious malice that makes their characters so deliciously evil, yet impossible to resist. Each of the cast members brings such depth to their roles making each character seem so rich and vivid in their portrayal, therefore providing us in the audience with some of the most memorable Disney characters of all time.
"The Lion King" is quite possibly my favorite Disney animated feature film. From the terrific story that is packed full of humor, drama, tragedy, and triumph, to the expertly crafted artwork that has never been better in any of Disney's previous movies, to the wonderful vocal talents. Everything about "The Lion King" screams excellence, and the box office returns, critical response, and audiences everywhere agreed that this film is indeed 'King' in every way.
"The Lion King" is rated G and contains violence.
Check Region with the seller! I got sent a Region 4
Rating: 3
Great movie etc
Given this movie is shipped by various other merchants, you may or may not get what you think you are getting - try to specify Region 1, or at least check before you open it so you can return it if it is wrong.
Consider yourself warned!
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