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Feature Films | | Home » » » » | | | | | | | Description: | | Not an ideal choice for younger kids, this hip and violent animated feature from Disney was nevertheless a huge smash in theaters and on video, and it continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed Broadway production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is sabotaged by a rivalrous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking, and the music is more palatable than in many Disney features. But be cautious: this is too intense for the Rugrat crowd. --Tom Keogh How good-looking is the DVD restoration of Disney's popular animated film? Take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This "special edition" also adds a 90-second song ("Morning Report") that originated in the lavish stage musical. To Disney's credit, the original theatrical version is also included, both restored and featuring two 5.1 soundtracks: Dolby Digital and a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, which does sound brighter. As with the Disney Platinum line, everything is thrown into the discs, except an outsider's voice (the rah-rahs of Disney grow tiresome at times). The excellent commentary from the directors and producer, originally on the laser disc, is hidden under the audio set-up menu. The second disc is organized by 20-minute-ish "journeys" tackling the elements of story, music, et cetera, including good background on the awkward Shakespearean origins at Disney where it was referred as "Bamlet." The most interesting journey follows the landmark stage production, and the kids should be transfixed by shots of the real African wildlife in the animal journey. Three deleted segments are real curios, including an opening lyric for "Hakuna Matata." Most set-top DVD games are usually pretty thin (DVD-ROM is where it's at), but the Safari game is an exception--the kids should love the roaring animals (in 5.1 Surround, no less). One serious demerit goes to the needless and complicated second navigation system that is listed by continent, but just shows the same features reordered. --Doug Thomas | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly | | Director:
| Roger Allers | | Format:
| Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, French | | Number of Discs:
| 2 | | Studio:
| Walt Disney Video | | Run Time:
| 90 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| October 07, 2003 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 456 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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 Defective DVD, does not play, Still waiting for response on replacement over 1 month later!Aug 27, 2008
I ordered this DVD for my sons birthday back in mid July. When it came it would not play in the DVD player. I emailed, the original response I got was to see if it played in the computer. I didn't purchase it to play on the computer, I purchased it for the DVD player. I was told I could ship it back for a refund. I asked about a shipping label and a replacement, and was told a replacement would be mailed to be by July 31st. Still no replacement! And when I email, I get no response. Very disappointed! My son is still waiting to see the Lion King for his birthday!
disappointed-n-upsetAug 24, 2008
When I purchased this dvd I paid for a NEW movie and was under the empression that was what I would be getting, Instead what I received was a burned copy that was not sealed, even the cover and book inside were copies, The movie wont play the dvd player has a message that the disk is dirty.My child was and still is upset due to the fact that the movie wont play. I'm very disappointed and upset that people can and do take advantage of people.
 Perfect filmAug 23, 2008
I love this film for the five main reasons. Reason 1: I like all the characters in this except Scar, the main baddie. He annoys me just slightly (although I like his voice). Reason 2: The scenery portrays a beautiful vision of Africa and it makes me feel like I'm really there. Reason 3: The plot is very beautiful and it has made me want to read "Hamlet" on which the plot was based! Reason 4: This film has beautiful songs! My favourite is "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" (written by Elton John) but I love all the others as well. Reason 5: I love the voices that were picked for all the characters. I especially like the sound of Jeremy Iron's (Scar), Rowan Atkinson's (Zazu), Nathan Lane's (Timon), Whoopi Goldberg's (Shenzi), James Earl Jones's (Mufasa) and Moira Kelly's (adult Nala) voices! Bouncy musical numbers from Elton John and Tim Rice,a nice, gentle,humored script by Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Roberts and directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff make this animated film more than a kid-friendly treatment of Hamlet. (If memory serves,I believe Mr.Minkoff went on to direct and/or produce the Broadway production as well) The musical numbers may be approaching saccharine sweet and the plot and characters may seem all too familiar now,but it's still quality entertainment,pure and simple. While the enjoyment or entertainment value of Disney animation may vary from person-to-person,it's tough to argue that in a five-year,four movie span(The Little Mermaid,Beauty and the Beast,Aladdin and this film)the strength and vitality of the storied Mouse franchise.
 EpicAug 20, 2008
The best Disney animated film ever...This film had it all, it was funny, emotional, had family drama, and above all, great animation and songs! My personal favorite character is Rafiki, the Baboon! I still cant forget the line he says to Simbe, "Past can hurt, but as I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it!" it is so true! i loved Zazu's weirdness, and shenzi's humor, above all, i loved Pumba's innocence and Timon's intelligence! In short, i found the film the best film ever... The voice cast is also great. Mathew did complete justice to Simba, and what can I say about Mufasa, He is the best King, and dad anyone can ever get! The movie is not meant for kids, its meant to teach every adult a lesson...to find our place in the great "Circle Of Life". Thank-You Disney For The Lion King.
Makes no senseAug 18, 2008
I ordered this movie on the 16th of July, and it has not been delivered. I tried to contact the seller, no response, now I have to wait for amazon.com to process my claim. Makes no sense at all.
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