One of my favorite movies of all time!

Rating: 10/10 (31 October 2003)

Seriously, I know that sounds stupid as this is an animated movie, but why can't we have a favorite movie that's animated? If you ask me this is Disney's best animated film of all time. Why do you ask? The animation is just beautiful, the story is powerful and moving, the characters are terrific, the villain is one of Disney's most monstrous and the songs are out of this world incredible! Not only is it my favorite animated movie, this is one of my favorite soundtracks, with the strong power of Elton John The Lion King is absolutely beautiful and a pleasure to watch still to this day. I have to say also that this story is just so beautiful, it's still one of the movies that will always bring a tear to my eye. When I was 17 years old, I begged my dad to take me to the re-release of The Lion King, him and I being the only adults besides the parents who took their children to see the movie, Simba's father dies and I started balling! My dad looks around and said "Krissy, stop it!" and I just said "But it's so saaaaad! Simba's daddy!", yes I'm a sap, I can't help it, this is a powerful movie.
In the Pride Lands, Rafiki, a wise old monkey, anoints Simba, the newborn cub of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, and presents him to a gathering of animals at Pride Rock. Taking advantage of the cub's naive nature, Simba's scheming uncle Scar, who is very angry because Simba's birth means that he's no longer next in line to the throne tells him about the elephant graveyard, a place where Mufasa has forbidden Simba to go. Simba asks his mother if he can go to the water-hole with his best friend, Nala, but they go to the graveyard instead. There, the cubs are met by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, 3 hyenas who try to kill them, but they are rescued by Mufasa. But Scar doesn't give up there, he lures Simba into a gorge for a "surprise from his father" while the hyenas create a wildebeest stampede. Alerted by Scar, Mufasa races to rescue Simba from the stampede. He saves his son but is left clinging to the edge of a steep cliff. Scar flings his brother into the stampede below. Simba sees his father fall and rushes down the cliff after him, only to find him dead. Scar convinces Simba that he was responsible for his father's death and recommends that he runs away from the Pride Lands to avoid punishment. In a distant desert, Simba is found unconscious by Timon and Pumbaa, a duo who adopt and raise the cub under their worry-free philosophy, Hakuna Matata. When Simba has grown into an adult he is discovered by Nala, who tells him that Scar, through his irresponsibility, has turned the Pride Lands into a barren wasteland. She asks Simba to return and take his place as king but Simba refuses, still believing he caused his father's death. Rafiki arrives and persuades Simba to return to the Pride Lands, and face Scar once and for all.
I know that still that Beauty and the Beast is the only animated film to get a best picture nomination, but I don't understand why The Lion King didn't get the same treatment. I adore this film with such a passion, I will always defend it to the high end. I still watch this movie, ever since it's theatrical release in 1994, I still sing, dance, and rehears the lines back and forth. How could you not at least with Hakuna Matata? Timon is my idol, he's so care free, funny, and awesome during his drag hula scene "Luau! If you're hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat, eat my buddy Pumbaa here, 'cause he's a tasty treat come on down and dine, on this tasty swine, all you gotta is get in line, are you achin',? For some bacon? He's a big pig. You can be a big pig, too. Oy! Ahhhh!", best scene ever in film history! OK, not in history, but one of my favorites, it always has me on the floor laughing till my stomach hurts. If you seriously haven't seen this movie, see it! Who said that animated movies can't be true art? The Lion King is a fantastic film and deserves all it's praise and more.
10/10