I liked this movie...for the first minute

Rating: Null/10 (3 September 2003)

The Lion King starts with the best work by Disney. Not since Bambi have I seen an attention to detail in the lifelike attitude of nature. Hans Zimmer's music in the opening is very traditional and lends a strong edge, until the English lyrics for "Circle of Life" kick in and I grabbed my ears in disgust. From then on, it's all downhill. What starts as a beautiful documentary winds up another typical Disney movie in the fashion of The Little Mermaid. O, how I miss the inventive days of Dragonslayer.
If the "music video" aspects of this (made, no doubt, to suit the tykes brought in by their weekend parents) had been chopped, as had most of the cornball dialog, this would have been a very powerful version of Hamlet. Instead we get a load of Disney cartoon colors splashed about like a Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse short and some really terrible songs. The artistry level of the opening only returns once more during the stampede, but even then it is ruined by the mood.
Notice the subtext of female subordination that Disney includes here. This is certainly not in the same league as Ridley Scott or James Cameron, but is shocking enough since this isn't quite the same as Aladdin. I should add that this has to be the best animated Disney feature since The Rescuers Down Under, not like that means anything.
Overall, I was disappointed by this rendition. Ever since this movie, Disney has turned to Pixar for the animating skill. Thankfully, that means no more godawful songs we the audience have to sit through. 2.5 out of 5 stars.