LION KING, THE - DVD review

The Film According To John:
It's not my fault. I led a deprived adulthood. I did not see Disney's 1994 animated classic "The Lion King" when it played in theaters. I believe it's the only big-hit Disney cartoon feature I've ever missed, and I can't say why. Maybe I thought it would be too much like "Bambi," which made me cry when I was a child.

Fortunately, Disney's new two-disc Special Edition set made catching up welcome and easy. I loved the movie's look, its spectacle, and at least some of its music, as well as the last part of its story, although like "Bambi" the film may be a little too intense for youngest viewers. I'll give you a brief rundown on its plot and characters, some mostly positive criticism, and a look at the DVD's video, audio, and extras. Eddie will also comment on the film, plus tell you about its borrowings from other sources.

First a note: Disc one contains two versions of the movie, the original theatrical release and a new edition containing an added song, "Morning Report." The default is the new version, so check out the menu carefully if you don't want the new tune.

The story line of "The Lion King" is straight out of "Bambi," as I feared, with a smattering of legend and a dose of "Hamlet" thrown in. It's set on the African plain, where a new lion cub, Simba (Matthew Broderick), is presented to the animal world as the heir-apparent to the old lion king, his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones). The old king's rival is his brother, the grumpy, cowardly, conceited Scar (Jeremy Irons), who plots to overthrow his sibling. But he's got to get rid of the kid. First, he tries advising Simba and his friend Nala (Moira Kelly) to explore where they don't belong, beyond the boundaries of the pride lands in the territory of wild hyenas. But they're saved by Simba's father and Simba's advisor and right-hand bird, the parrot Zazu (Rowan Atkinson). When that scheme doesn't work, Scar concocts an even more devious plan that leaves the old king dead, Simba believing himself to be responsible, and Scar in command.

Simba flees to the outer lands, where he's befriended by a wart hog, Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) and a meerkat, Timon (Nathan Lane), and where he grows to adulthood. Now, it's "To be or not to be" time, as Simba must decide who he is and what he should do with his life. Thanks to a wise old baboon named Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) and some nudging from his old friend Nala, he does the right thing.

For me, the best part of the movie was its look. It's done in what appears to be traditional 2D, hand-drawn animation, but it's so good it will almost make you forget about newfangled 3D computer graphics. Of course, we know that most animation of any sort these days is done on a computer, including "The Lion King," but it's marvelous any way you look at it. The background paintings are as beautiful and detailed as anything the Disney studio has ever done, with plains and jungles and vistas that are breathtaking, so they alone may be worth the price of the set.

I also enjoyed a couple of the sweeter moments, like the father explaining to his son, Simba, that all things are connected in the great circle of life: the antelope eats the grass, the lion eats the antelope, and the lion dies and becomes a part of the grass.

Despite the Oscars they won, the music of Hans Zimmer and the songs of Tim Rice and Elton John are, as you might expect, a hit-and-miss affair and open to personal taste. I found most of the tunes rather mundane, but I'm a hard sell on modern pop music. "Circle of Life" is grand and imposing, probably the best piece in the picture. "Morning Report," the new addition, is jaunty and cute. "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" is lively, up-tempo, and optimistic. "Be Prepared" is grave and foreboding in the form of a big production number. "Hakuma Matata," meaning "no worries," is uplifting if saccharine. And the Award-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is sappy and romantic. As musicals go, I found "The Lion King" only so-so.

The voice characterizations are mostly appealing, especially Rowan Atkinson's saucy parrot, although there isn't nearly as much of him as I'd liked to have seen. James Earl Jones's voice still reminds me too much of his infamous Darth Vader, but what are you going to do? He and the rest of the cast are appropriate and colorful, all in their own ways.

"The Lion King" was a hit at the box office, and it should be a hit all over again on DVD. There are surely no drawbacks to the set that I can see, providing you like the movie to begin with. Basically, this new DVD special edition is a triumph of engineering all the way around.

The Film According To Eddie:
I like "The Lion King" quite a bit. It's beautifully animated. It features a powerful, Oscar-winning music score by Hans Zimmer. I'm not a big fan of Elton John, but his songs for the movie are pretty fun. I also enjoyed the soft adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" ("Hamlet" being one of my two favorite Shakespeare plays). I'd give it an "8" on DVD Town's "10"-point scale.

However, I can't ignore Disney's continued refusal to acknowledge the fact that much of "The Lion King" was directly adapted/re-made from something called "Jangaru Taitei"--a.k.a. "Kimba the White Lion". In fact, when "The Lion King" was released in 1994, Disney kept on trumpeting the idea that the movie was the Mouse House's first animated feature that didn't have a preexisting source. The "Hamlet" angle is enough to make that claim a lie, but the "Kimba" slight is very discomforting (all the more so if you think about how Disney's animators speak of worshipping the Japanese Hayao Miyazaki).

"Kimba" was an animated TV series that was made in Japan with the cooperation of NBC of America. The show even played on American television during the late-1960s/early-1970s. In all likelihood, the people who made "The Lion King" probably saw some of "Kimba" back in the day. You can buy "Kimba" on DVD now, and you can see for yourself where Disney made exact copies of the "Kimba" narrative.

An IMDB (www.imdb.com) user posted the following comments for "Jangaru Taitei":

"Significantly, some characters, general themes, and specific scenes were heavily 'borrowed' by Disney for 'The Lion King'. This is discussed in [a] DVD interview with Fred Ladd, the NBC executive responsible for bringing Kimba to the US. The wise old baboon advisor, the enemy adult lion with the scar across one eye, the comic relief hyena henchmen, and the excitable avian companion are all present. Individual scenes include Kimba looking at his reflection in a pool and wondering how he compares to his father, visions of Kimba's parents in the clouds and stars, and a difficult trek across a desert. The moment [during] Mufasa's death scene where Simba comforts himself by snuggling next to the body is an echo of Kimba's habit of curling up upon his father's pelt (recovered from the hunter who shot him) for comfort in moments of distress or self-doubt. 'Simba', the Swahili word for lion, was a name considered for Kimba but rejected during the series's development. The theme of the exiled lion cub returning to regain the kingship from a vicious usurper was no doubt also inspired by 'Kimba'...the source of many of the ideas for 'The Lion King' ought to be of interest to anyone who enjoyed that movie."

I don't mind adaptations, especially if they're done well. However, I DO mind when a company pretends to play dumb. The situation concerning the origins of "The Lion King" in "Kimba the White Lion" is one of the reasons why I like to call Disney's parent company Mala Vista.

And now we return you to John and our regular programing.

Video:
You wouldn't think a film made as recently as 1994 would need the full restoration bestowed upon "The Lion King," but I suppose film stock can accumulate dust and deteriorate even sitting undisturbed in an airtight vault. In any case, the film was restored frame by frame to its original luster and clarity and then remastered to THX standards. The results are outstanding, the image quality nothing short of perfection. Colors are bright, contrasts are deep, tints are vibrant, and shadings are subtle. Interestingly, Disney claims in the booklet insert that the screen size measures a 1.66:1 anamorphic ratio, but by my measurements it appears to be closer to a wider 1.74:1. Whatever, the image we get is purity itself.

Audio:
Take your pick of audio reproduction: Regular Dolby Digital 5.1 or a new Disney "Enhanced Home Theater Mix." I chose to listen mainly to the new mix, finding it a bit overboard but immense fun. Disney engineers throw a lot more information into the rear speakers in the enhanced version, and they increase the output to all the channels. The sonics are slightly hard in the musical numbers, but the sound stage is all-enveloping, there is a tremendous dynamic range and impact, and bass is exceptionally robust. Yes, too much of a good thing, perhaps, and not entirely realistic, but as I say, fun.

Extras:
As a cynical adult (it's not my fault, again; occupational hazard), I can't help thinking that studios like Disney conspire to get kids to come back to their discs as often and as unnecessarily as possible. Just as Disney discs always start up automatically with previews of other Disney attractions, a function that many youngsters might not think to bypass, so do they contain a multitude of brief extras to keep young fingers busy with the remote. The menus on these special editions are, I'm sure, purposely designed to be interactive hide-and-seek games, requiring the user to return many times to find everything available. I find them a damn nuisance (it took a good minute and a half or more to finally play the movie), but there's no denying that a wealth of information can be had if one doesn't mind digging deeply enough for it and picking it out in tiny bits and pieces.

OK, here's a quick rundown of what's available if you look hard enough. If you can't find what you want, there's a road map in the keep case to help you out. Disc one contains the two versions of the film, the special edition (featuring the new song "Morning Report") and the original theatrical release, both digitally restored and remastered. Next, there's an audio commentary with producer Don Hahn and directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers on the theatrical release only. Then, there are three deleted or abandoned scenes, including "Bug Football." Several music videos follow, the making of the new song, "Morning Report"; an all-new "Circle of Life," also with a making-of video; a sing-along track; a "Lion King Personality Profile" game; a "Timon's Grab-a-Grub" game; and a "Pumbaa's Sound Sensations" game. Finally, there are Sneak Peeks at other Disney titles, a THX set of audiovisual tests, and twenty-four scene selections. English and French are the spoken-language options, with English captions for the hearing impaired.

Disc two is where you'll really get lost. It's divided into five major categories, with a slew of sub-categories, or check out the same material under the subheadings of six continents. Whew! Let me just do the major stuff: In "Animals Journey" we learn how real animals inspired the animated "Lion King" characters. Then, in "Story Journey" we learn about some of the origins and influences behind "The Lion King." Interestingly, the filmmakers tell us the saga had its beginnings in ancient mythology, Joseph Campbell, Shakespeare, and the rest, going all the way back to Moses, the Bible, and before; but there's nary a mention of Eddie's concern above, which does seem more than a bit unsporting of them. Following that is "Stage Journey" where we go behind the scenes of the musical stage version of "The Lion King." Next is "Film Journey," where we follow the filmmakers on the road to making the film. And finally, we have "Music Journey," where we explore the music of "The Lion King" with Elton John, lyricist Tim Rice, composer Hans Zimmer, and others.

Parting Thoughts:
"The Lion King" was clearly intended for younger audiences, this is Disney after all, and with its plethora of cute animals it surely hits the mark. But older audiences can appreciate the splendid art work, a select few of the songs, and the powerful last third of the plot. Perhaps because I did not respond as enthusiastically to the predictability of the story line as most people did, I would not have rated it quite as high as Eddie did (a "7" seemed fitting); but I will on this occasion defer to Eddie's better judgment and suggest the movie deserves an 8/10 rating at the very least for the sheer scope of its appearance and accomplishment. It is quite dazzling to the eye.