The Most Wonderful Story Ever

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 1999)

My feelings for The Lion King are like the feelings one would have for the book of their religion -- my main source of knowledge and my hope and my confidence comes from the characters and music of this work of art. I would be a much unhappier person if this story --which in my opinion is the greatest ever sent straight from whatever higher power there is to the minds of the writers-- had not been made. From it I have learned how to be happy with myself, how to have hope even during the worst times of my life, and it has lead me to a best friend and a loving girlfriend.
No matter what your past life experience, if you watch this movie with an open mind, you can find yourself in one of the characters. Surely all of us can find ourselves in Simba at least. A young, naive cub who, due to events beyond his control or knowledge, is forced away from his beloved home of happiness and far away, to a place where he forgets his problems and himself -- for a time. Then it is realized that you must remember who you are, and learn from your past instead of running from it. So then a return to the kingdom is made, where you are happy once again -- because, if you always remember who you are, that sadness, that evil, can never keep you away from your happiness. You fight for it until it is yours again. That is a very simple summary of Simba's lesson. Looking at different parts of his life, interaction with other characters, and other characters themselves, countless more lessons can be learned, depending on what you have and what you are going through in your life. But whatever that happens to be, there are things in this movie that can help you.
I haven't even spoken of the animation or music yet.
The animation is perfect -- there's been no over-use of computers--, and everything --from the whiskers on Simba's nose to the grasses swaying in the savanna-- is detailed perfectly. The instrumental music always brings out powerful emotions in me, and is at the top of my list along with 'Cinema Paradiso', 'Scarface(1983)', and 'La Vita E Bella (Life is Beautiful)'. The songs, when looked at with the way the story is going along with what you are learning, tell you much. For example, 'I Just Can't Wait to be King' reveals the ignorance of Simba to any of life's problems--he's completely innocent to such things, unsuspecting, unprepared, and so is caught off-guard by the life-altering events that take place soon afterwards.
This movie has changed my life. I hope that you too, watching it while keeping in mind what can be learned, find out more about yourself, and the answers to the questions you may be faced with during difficult points in your life.
"The past can hurt... But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it."