A jewel in Disney's crown

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 2003)

I have a friend, whose opinion I value, who reacted to my enjoyment of The Lion King by saying, "You mean the animated movie? I don't watch animated movies. I'm an adult."
I don't understand that idea. And the more I see The Lion King, the more I just feel like that friend is being left behind in the cold. King is a beautifully animated work of art, so much so that you could randomly freeze almost any second of the film and have a cell worthy of framing.
King also features some of Disney's best vocal performances. Not just one over-the-top Robin-Williams-esque showcase, but hilarious turns by Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin, a wicked performance from Jeremy Irons, a wise and understated performance by Robert Guillame. James Earl Jones' voice is spot-on perfection. Let's face it, how good must the OTHER performances be when the excellent Matthew Broderick goes practically unnoticed?
So the animation is a feast for the eyes, the performances are first rate... that leaves the story. Some simplify the plot by calling it "Hamlet," which is mostly accurate, but as with all great animated Disney films there is a theme to the movie which pervades its most powerful scenes and provides an added weight for the adult audience. It's not for me to say what the theme of King is, but it's there for the viewer to pick up. In my opinion to accomplish a mix of child-pleasing spectacle, clever humor, brisk pacing and a most grown-up thematic in 90 minutes is a far greater accomplishment than most films achieve. Most films don't achieve their stated goal, i.e., to be a thriller or a mystery, much less introduce deeper levels of storytelling.
Does being an adult mean we should pay to watch Adam Sandler mug his way through another brainless, sophomoric comedy? For my money The Lion King is ten times more adult, more sophisticated, more entertaining and more satisfying. When time allows The Lion King to be compared on its own merits and without the cultural trappings of feeling contemporary, I think it will be said to be a far greater accomplishment than most of the Disney films currently considered their best. We'll see.