Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Geoff Carter: Ten years later, ‘Lion King’ has lost none of its quality

Geoff Carter is a Seattle based free-lance film critic and entertainment writer. Reach him at [email protected].

"It was supposed to be a movie no one cared about," says former Walt Disney Pictures executive Peter Schneider of one of the studio's animated films. Animators clamored to be taken off the picture and put on Disney's other "prestige" picture. And its own production designer gave the film an even chance of flopping upon release.

That film was "The Lion King," now available on DVD (Disney DVD, $29.99). And until this summer's Pixar release, "Finding Nemo," it was the most successful animated feature of all time, grossing some $312 million during its initial run. By comparison, "Pocahontas" -- the "prestige" film -- made half "Lion King's" box office and didn't receive the adulation "King" still enjoys.

And it's well deserved. Almost 10 years after "The Lion King" was released in theaters, the film still looks, sounds and plays better than most of Disney's recent output. Bringing up the end of a second golden age for Disney animation -- "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" preceded it -- "The Lion King" is the kind of go-for-broke epic that can only be made by filmmakers who aren't aware they're making a classic. They worked on intuition, and it paid off.

The story is familiar even to those who haven't seen the movie, owing to the film's loose basis in the Bard's "Hamlet." A young prince witnesses the death of his father, the king, and believing himself responsible goes into exile; meanwhile the king's brother, who deceived the prince, seizes the throne. Years later the young prince returns to his kingdom to confront his uncle (and his own guilt).

But: The story is played out by animals. And it takes place in Africa. The king, his son and the evil uncle are lions. The king's counsel is a baboon.

Normally, this kind of thing spells trouble, potty humor and silly songs -- and while those elements exist in "The Lion King," they slide easily into the story, because Disney's storytellers and artists ground the story firmly in nature. No only do the animals look like animals, but they are bound by their rules.

"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance," says King Mufasa, voiced by James Earl Jones. "As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures." Amazingly, he goes on to explain symbiosis to his son: "When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass."

Walt Disney would have been pleased by "The Lion King's" gentle education. But the DVD edition, while spectacular -- another reference-quality print from Disney -- misses out on a chance to slam the point home. While I enjoyed the DVD's documentary extras and director's commentary, there's very little said about the psychology of one of Disney's most composed and somber films.

Why not a commentary by Roger Ebert, who lauded the film's sensitivity in handling the death of a parent? Or more words from Leonard Maltin, who could at least begin to explain why the film was a success, given a chance to expound on the subject?

Granted, these academic exercises may not be what parents are hoping for in a Disney DVD, but kids grow up, and they want answers.

But these are minor quibbles, and every last one of them melts off the face of "The Lion King's" stellar, dialogue-free opening sequence. From the moment the sun literally rises on the picture and the animals trek to meet their new king, you know you're looking at some history. Sometimes it takes an underdog to shake the world.

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