Perhaps The First Movie I Ever Laid Eyes on

Rating: 10/10 (1 March 2013)

Growing up in the mid 90s, my mind is pretty vague when it comes to the first movie I ever saw. I could say The Wizard of Oz or The Nightmare Before Christmas, but then I remember The Lion King, a movie I saw when I was very, very, very young and I immediately consider it the first film I ever laid eyes on, although I'm still uncertain whether that's the case. I will say that The Lion King was my first venture into the world Walt Disney started and still to this day, almost 19 years after the film's release, it's still as mesmerizing now as it was then. It's my favorite Disney film (although Mary Poppins comes pretty darn close), and as I watched it throughout the years, I was not only astonished by the film's unforgettable plot and characters, but by it's morals, outlooks and philosophical meanings. There's more to The Lion King then I originally thought, and as I grew older, I came to realize what the film was really about.
The first thing I must point out is that this is one of the defining movies of my childhood. I had all the Lion King figurines as a toddler and even put my hands on a Super Nintendo controller while The Lion King video game was in the system. But that's not the main reason why I love this film to pieces. The animation in this flick is some of Disney's finest and really demonstrates the capabilities of the CAPS (Computer Animation Production System). The film also demonstrates techniques that are almost as old as Disney films themselves. While making the film, the Disney animators observed real African wildlife, much like how Disney and his crew observed real deer and woodland creatures while making Bambi in the 1940s. And you can really see this in the creatures in The Lion King, for they have such a lifelike quality and display realistic movements. It's almost like you are watching real life animals rather than animated ones. It's really something spectacular. Another thing I love about this film is the surroundings. All the African scenery and environments are beautiful to observe and witness and they really fit the tone of their respective scenes. For example, the elephant graveyard really fits the scene involving Scar and the hyenas. The canyon with the stampede really fits the scene where Mufasa meets his doom and Simba runs away. The jungle with all it's waterfalls and slimy critters really fit the scenes with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa. It all ties together nicely and really makes the film feel more wholesome. It's as beautiful as a newly painted landscape.
The voice acting in the film is some of Disney's best and some of the veterans from this film would go onto voice characters in other Disney films. James Earl Jones is triumphant as the voice of Mufasa and is his best voice work in my opinion (next to Darth Vader of course). I just love the might he brings to Mufasa, making him into the most dignified and most serious character out of the entire film. Jeremy Irons is also magnificent as the voice of the villainous Scar, really making the character into a sadistic, slimy, yet satisfying adversary who really turns the hyenas into dim witted stormtroopers. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are the perfect pair when it comes to voicing the film's main comic relief, Timon and Pumbaa and come off as clumsy, yet potent creatures who just want to make their way into the world and eventually, they do when they help Simba and his crew take out the hyenas. But my all time favorite voice acting in this film comes from David Guillaume, who voices the wise, yet rambunctious Rafiki, a feisty baboon/mandrill hybrid. I just love how Guillaume plays Rafiki as a prominent mentor to Simba, prominent, yet still playful and exotic. One minute he can be bouncing off the trees, the next minute he can be meditating. He's like a cross between Yoda and Tim Curry's It. I just love how Guillaume portrays Rafiki as a down to Earth, yet off the wall teacher and not just another clichéd "no nonsense" mentor.
The music in this film is in my eyes, the best Disney music ever. Now everyone has their favorites and really, it's all a matter of opinion, but if I was to be asked what Disney movie has the best music, I would come right out and say The Lion King. I must admit though, I'm not the biggest fan of Elton John, but the music he wrote for this film along with Tim Rice really fits the overall tone for a film about a lion on the verge of becoming a powerful king of all lions. You got the opening theme which sets the mood (Circle of Life), the song about the main character's point of view (I Just Can't Wait To Be King), the over the top villain song (Be Prepared), the comic relief's number about not giving a hoot (Hakuna Matata), and the inspirational love song (Can You Feel The Love Tonight). It all falls into place nicely, and with Han Zimmer's excellent score echoing along with the songs, you can't go wrong. It's something he would pull off again when doing the score for a certain trilogy of films about a guy who dresses up as a bat.
The Lion King is an all around perfect film and the film which spawned my everlasting love for anything with Walt Disney's name attached to it. It's a film which digs into the heart and soul and we can relate to it's creatures, even if we are human and they are obviously not. It's a film for everybody, helping them to realize that they too have their place in the Circle of Life.