LogFAQs > #983440459

The Lion King
Originally released June 24, 1994

I have a memory attached to this movie that has nothing to do with the movie itself. When I was a kid and this movie was in theaters, I went to go see Star Trek Generations with my uncle. After that movie finished, he successfully snuck us in to see The Lion King, but me being a 7-year-old nerd I insisted that we left since we didn't pay to see it. I really robbed myself of a great childhood moment there.

The movie starts with every animal in the Pride Lands gathering to watch Rafiki the Magical Mandrill hold up the newborn lion Simba, who will one day rule over all of them and eat most of them. After the ceremony, his father and current king Mufasa confronts his withered brother Scar, who skipped it out of jealousy since he just lost his place in line for the throne. Scar outright warns Mufasa that he's going to kill him, but Mufasa brushes it off.

The next... day? Week? Month? Simba wakes Mufasa up to give him a tour of the Pride Lands. During this tour Mufasa is called away by his assistant Zazu who tells him hyenas were spotted in their borders, and Simba returns to Pride Rock where Scar taunts him into visiting the Elephant Graveyard. Simba recruits his best friend / arranged bride Nala and they're off. After ditching Zazu, they make it to the graveyard and are immediately nearly eaten by three hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. These hyenas get the shit kicked out of them by Mufasa, who sternly yet lightly scolds Simba afterward.

Unwilling to give up, Scar visits the hyenas and holds a Trump rally, gathering an army of Proud Boys. Shortly after he brings Simba to the bottom of a canyon and tells him to wait there for a surprise. The hyenas start a wildebeest stampede, and Scar runs off to get Mufasa. Mufasa gets Simba to safety, but is killed when Scar throws him back into the stampede. Simba finds his body afterward and Scar then convinces him that he's responsible and to run away. Scar's king now.

Dying of dehydration in the desert, Simba is saved by Timon and Pumbaa, two CERTIFIED GOOD GUYS (Pumbaa a bit more than Timon). They teach him the Bear Necessities -- sorry, wrong movie, they teach him Hakuna Matata -- and make him into a bug-eating NEET. He grows into an adult lion and rescues Pumbaa from being eaten by Nala, who tells him he needs to go kick Scar's ass because the Pride Lands are dying under his rule. Simba refuses, but Rafiki and Mufasa's Giant Ghost convince him to return. Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa follow.

Back at Pride Rock, Simba confronts Scar, who gaslights him into taking the blame for Mufasa's death again. Simba quickly gets him to confess and the Lioness v. Hyena war is on, and easily won by the lionesses. Simba easily overpowers Scar and gives him a chance to run away, but Scar attacks instead and ends up thrown off a cliff. He's then eaten by the hyenas, who are pissed off about Scar trying to put all the blame on them about five minutes earlier.

With Simba ruling over things, the Pride Lands return to normal. Animals come back, grass grows again, the sun shines, and he makes a direct-to-video sequel with Nala. The End.

We all know this movie's getting a 10, right? This is one of the best movies Disney's ever made, regardless of whether or not it's actually a ripoff of Kimba. This movie became a cultural touchstone filled with amazing animation, hit song after hit song, wonderful characters, and an engaging, perfectly-paced plot. It's (I think) the longest movie yet in this marathon at 88 minutes, but it feels less than that because of how quickly everything keeps moving without feeling rushed. I can't think of any way Disney could have done better with this movie.

Final Score: 10/10