The Lion King 3D: a reissue that feels like a new release

Rating: Null/10 (5 October 2011)

For Disney The Lion King really is the cat that got the cream. Since the original film opened 17 years ago the film has taken $4.6 billion worldwide and has spawned one of the most successful shows in Broadway history.
With such success one could be forgiven for thinking that the film's new release in 3D was just Disney finding a way of milking a successful franchise. Yet with The Lion King it doesn't feel this way.
The story deserves to be told again for a new audience. Those who grew up with this film will perhaps now have children of their own, or merely want to escape back to their childhood. Either way The Lion King has aged well, the story is as compelling, as emotional and as funny as ever.
This stems from its characters, the story's moral heart and the performances which bring it all to life. Watch any other Disney film and you will struggle to find a character as evil as Scar, nor a scene as moving as Simba's last with his father Mufasa. The cast including Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Broderick and Rowan Atkinson deliver each line with relish.
Yet at the risk of stating the obvious, it is Hans Zimmer's soundtrack and Elton John/Tim Rice's songs which really makes the film sing. People across the world may know the words to "Hakuna Matata", "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?", but what's forgotten is how important they are to the story and how well the whole film fits together with its musical moments.
However despite its status as a timeless classic 3D doesn't work particularly well with the 2D animations of old Disney films. For a start the characters still sing about a circle of life rather than a sphere. To be serious, if you watch this film expecting to have to cower to avoid a herd of wildebeest then you'll be disappointed.
But the 3D does have its own charms, different to other 3D films. There is theatricality about this version of The Lion King that allows you to take in the beauty of the African backdrop whilst still focussing on the story front of stage. It makes each scene's colours more vibrant, stopping a brilliant story beginning to look visually tired and old.
Despite the fact that The Lion King came out 17 years ago, watching this reissue feels like a new release. That is partly due to the facelift Disney has given it but really it is because it was such a good film in the first place. For that alone watching Simba's journey again is well worthwhile.
Verdict:  With a story this good Disney could do little wrong and they haven't.
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