The melter of a stony heart

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2000)

It was not until watching this film that I grew a soft spot for Disney movies. The typical combination of music, comedy, drama and romance is perfect? Hang on... Did I just say drama? Yes, The Lion King has moments of pure drama unrivalled by many feature films, let alone Disney films. WARNING!SPOILER!.......... When Mufasa dies, and you see Simba's tears, the mournful music...IT'S TOO MUCH! ;( I also love this film for it's use of top British talent, ie
Rowan Atkinson as Zazu and Jeremy Irons as Scar (Is there anybody who can do better bumpkins and villains?) Indeed, there is a fine ensemble cast, and Matthew Broderick has never been better (with the exception of his turn in The Cable Guy.) People here have mentioned the comparison to Shakespeare, particuarly to Hamlet. But Robert Guillaume's turn as Rafiki bears more relation to King Lear's Fool. Indeed, through manipulating Shakespeare and using an original story, Disney found the ability to reach it's pinnacle. Oh, yeah, and Timon and Pumbaa made my laugh my ass off (The word "Mook" is now part of my vocabulary.) Brilliant 10/10