Would you believe its dated!

Rating: 7/10 (12 October 2006)

The Lion King made a big splash when it was released in the mid-90's. I missed it then, but saw it recently because of my 3 yr old son. I've also seen other animated-family comedies like Shrek, Finding Nemo and Ice Age in recent weeks. Given the leaps in digital technology achieved in the past decade, The Lion King looks very dated. The animation and colors are not as realistic and vivid as 21st century Pixar-Disney offerings.
This is basically a child-friendly take on the Hamlet tale with Denmark replaced by the African jungle and people replaced by lions, and other animals, notably a parrot, hyenas etc. The Elton John soundtrack is still quite good, with The Morning Report and Hakuna Matata standing out. The dialogue is not nearly as witty as that of Ice Age or Nemo but still appealing for kids. We have James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons voices for two vital characters, and both have magnificent voices for animated movies. Irons even sings a song or two and has a pretty pleasant voice.