Another of the Disney greats

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2008)

I've just watched this with the original voices, for the first time. Why is that, you ask, when there has been a purchased VHS copy of the film in my possession since around the time it was first released? The simple fact is that here in Denmark, we dub... anything that's made for children, or is considered "family entertainment"(which is really just a word used to mask that something is made for kids, enough so that the teenagers and possibly some of the adults won't make a run for it the moment the suggestion of viewing it is said out loud before the family members). I'm not really in favor of it, I prefer the originals(sub, don't dub... the voice is one of the tools that an actor has, the sound a major part of a film, and through that, the director's work, and the actors and crew, for that matter), but hey, at least we're not France or Germany(good luck watching *anything* on German television that isn't in German, regardless of whether they made it or not). For that reason, the voices were some of what I noticed the most, along with the original dialog and lyrics to songs. Jonathan Taylor Thomas isn't bad at all. Broderick does good, though were it not for the animated form of his character, I'm not sure he would come across as strong as he does when he needs to... seriously, who could ever be scared of him? Of course, it could be the roles he seems to play often. Marin, Goldberg and Cummings make good hyenas. Irons is great. Guillaume(try spelling *that* three times fast) is marvelous. I didn't personally care much for Atkinson, but hey, I've always preferred his Blackadder(in particular after the first season/show) to his Mr. Bean(a character I don't find funny), and this is clearly done after the latter, not the former. Fans of Bean may very well enjoy the character(much like how Robin Williams fans might enjoy at least his part in Aladdin), and he's not the only one(not only for this Disney film, either) who bears strong similarities to their character, to the point where in many cases, it would seem(and sometimes they even say so) that the animators and such based the look and mannerisms on the actual actor/performer. I saved what may very well be the best for last... James Earl Jones. What can I say? The man almost invariably(in anything he appears in) has an undeniably commanding presence, and that is arguably mainly due to his voice, so casting him was a smart choice, and it pays off. The plot is well-written. The animation is quite good, with a bright, varied, colorful palette, and lively movements both in the camera and in the players. I didn't find this as energetic or funny as Aladdin, but it was still enjoyable. The music is magnificent, Can You Feel The Love Tonight is a fantastic song, and it's not the only one in the feature(to which that adverb can be applied). The DVD has some marvelous material, including music videos, a few deleted bits, some games(one of which isn't half bad), a Virtual Safari and featurettes regarding... just about everything you could imagine, regarding the film, including the stage production based off it, the music in it, even the animals. I recommend this, and its DVD release, to fans of the Disney animated musicals, and/or of any or more of the actors. 8/10