- Total Gross: $783,841,776
- Distributor:Buena Vista
- Release Date: June 15, 1994
- Genre:Animation
- Running Time: 1 hrs. 29 min.
- MPAA Rating: G
- Production Budget: $45 million
Voice Cast:
Jonathan Taylor Thomas - Young Simba
Matthew Broderick - Adult Simba
James Earl Jones - King Mufasa
Jeremy Irons - Scar
Moira Kelly - Adult Nala (voice)
1995 Academy Awards® :: 2 Wins out of 4 Nominations
Nominated & Won: Best Music, Best Original Song ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight" )
Nominated: Best Original Song ("Circle of Life"), Best Original Song ("Hakuna Matata")
The Lion King Mufasa just had a baby cub named Simba. All of the animals come to the ceremony, except for Mufasa's brother Scar. Scar desperately wants to be King, but can't. As long as Mufasa and Simba are there. Soon Simba is able to walk and talk and is voiced by Jonathon Taylor Thomas. After hearing about an elephant graveyard from Scar, he and his friend Nala visit it. They meet three bumbling hyenas: Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed, but they manage to leave unhurt. Scar is upset that the hyenas didn't do the job, so he orders a stampede to wipe out both of them, but it only takes care of Mufasa. Scar convinces Simba that he killed Mufasa, not Scar. So Simba flees into exile.The Lion King really benefits from the larger screen. Its lavish landscapes will be able to capture you more, and you can really savor the animation. Disney didn't need any humans, so they could spend all of the time on a great story and lush landscapes. In fact, its camera movement was so majestic that you actually felt like you were part of the pride of lions. The music boomed and really created the atmosphere. Hans Zimmer's music really bowled me over and made my heart do calisthenics. Unlike such new Disney pics like Lilo and Stitch, the songs actually did some good. They took you out of a somewhat dreary mood and put a smile on your face and made your feet want to tap along. There were only a few, but they were very entertaining. The Lion King isn't really for youngsters. It had intense thematic elements that should have warranted a PG, instead of those that don't deserve it. The mood that the music and the script brought out could damper your day, so be warned.
