Very good, But not Disney's best like everyone claims

Rating: 7/10 (10 February 2014)

The Lion King is viewed by most as the peak in Disney's renaissance period and remains, to this date, the highest grossing 2D animated film of all time. With Disney on such a high expectations were, while this was increased by the superb vocal talent and wonderful animation, and for many those expectations were met. Though a lot are going to disagree with me, I have to come out and say that I think the film is kind of overrated. That doesn't mean I dislike it as a matter of fact I agree that it does have fantastic elements, but for the heaps of praise it gets I'm not sure if it holds up well enough.
The story is effectively a toned down Hamlet. A lion prince named Simba is born, meaning that his cruel uncle Scar is now second in line to the throne. Scar plots to kill both King Mufasa and Simba, succeeding in killing Mufasa and making Simba believe he was at fault. Simba flees the kingdom and remains in exile for a number of years, until figures of the past challenge him and he must return home to take his rightful place as king. The story is a very interesting one, it is a much more mature than you would expect from Disney and I really enjoy it for that reason. Everything that happens seems to happen for a reason and there isn't any filler as far as the plot goes. After all this is a very big story and telling it in a cohesive mature manner works very well.
The other impressive feature is the animation. It's clear that the animators put a lot of work in to create such a visually pleasing place for this to all happen in. The colours used give the place such a bright beautiful look and it is actually quite authentic looking too. Scenes of bird flying over the vivid landscape or of the sun shining over the land are so beautiful to look at. The character designs were also very good, like the contrast between the powerful Mufasa and the slimy Scar. The sheer scope of things is another wonderful aspect, such as when Scar's paw first comes down or the later Wildebeest stampede. Even things like the backgrounds look massive which gives an extra size to this world.
The characters are rather hit and miss. Simba is a bit of a bland lead, he is just a kid for most of it but he does come off as a bit too boring and even obnoxious at times. He doesn't get any better the older he gets and Matthew Broderick's voice only adds to the dullness. Mufasa is just a brilliant character. He is designed wonderfully, has some really interesting characteristics and James Earl Jones' booming voice is perfect for it. A lot of people rate Scar as a top villain yet for me he's just decent. He is enjoyably devious and Jeremy Irons clearly has fun with the role, but he does come off as not that smart and a bit snivelling in the end. Zazu is very funny with Rowan Atkinson delivering some good lines and Rafiki is also very likable for coming across as a good friend. I'm not a big fan of Timon and Pumbaa as they come off as a bit annoying and wink at the camera too much, though they do have some amusing scenes. The Hyenas were daft but entertaining, while I think Nala was underplayed too much.
I do have issues with the film. The message that it is trying to get across is an interesting one in how we must learn from the past to move forward. The problem is that when Simba confronts his past nobody believes him until Scar says what really happened. Looking at this you can't help but feel Simba would have been better off lying and that harms the whole point of the message. Also I think a lot of the comedic elements feel very misplaced. For a story as grand and serious as this I can't help but find that the comedy is too trivial at times which is distracting. As mentioned Timon and Pumbaa just feel a bit misplaced because they're jokes are slightly too silly. If done well, like with Zazu or the hyenas antics, then its nice relief but otherwise it doesn't work.
Also I really find that the songs are a mixed bag. 'I Just Can't Wait to be King' and 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' just come off as your typical pop songs and there isn't anything truly catchy or memorable about them. 'Hakuna Matata' is another one everyone loves, but for me it's just annoying. On the other hand however, 'Circle of Life' is a brilliantly grand number that opens the film perfectly and 'Be Prepared' is really catchy with some very enjoyable singing from Jeremy Irons.
Elsewhere there are some really memorable sequences here. The circle of life opening is something that everyone should remember, the wildebeest chase is visually stunning as well as pulse-pounding, Simba talking to Mufasa in the clouds is sadly beautiful and the final battle sequence does have some great images. Also I thought it was very brave decision to actually show the body of Mufasa after his death. In fact going on from that the movie does have a very strong emotional core running throughout that is very welcoming and smartly used.
On the whole I do think that The Lion King is a very accomplished piece from Disney, I just don't find it as engaging as most people do. This is a big story with a lot of big elements, I just find that whilst most of the work some of them aren't quite as successful. I do wish other Disney films were as acclaimed as The Lion King, but I still find an entertaining and well-made film.