A triumph.

Rating: 9/10 (20 April 2004)

A symphonic pairing of music and image, a wonderful musical, an endearing story, great fun characters, a stellar cast (best are Jeremy Lions as Scar, Nathan Lane as Timon, with cameos by Whoopi Golberg as a hyena and Rowan Atkinson as the bird) and marvellously directed. A superb film. One of Disney's best. The two best scenes are undoubtedly the herd of wilderbeast scene and Scar's incredible "Be Prepared" number, with operatic visuals punctuated with references to Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will.
Seeing this again for the first time in about ten years (i was then a child, am now 20), i'm struck by what a powerful exercise in filmmaking it is. So dramatic, so fun, such great songs, but above all, each moment magestically, perfectly directed.
If you only saw this when you were a kid, i recommend you reappreciate it with adult eyes.