I always loved down under more =x
I always loved down under more =x
Most people do.
They obviously took notes on my excellent procrastination during my top 100 games thread.
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
Kefka's coming, look intimidating!
Have a nice day!!
9.
The Lion King (1994)
Matt ranked it at 10. Shauna ranked it at 15.
OVERALL SCORE: 12.5
Matt: A joint number 9 with the rescuers, The Lion King is the first one on this list to make my personal top 10. The Lion King is a special movie to me as it is the very first movie I recall seeing at the cinema at the age of 4. This was my first Disney Movie. The Lion King is pretty much the whole package. Slap bang in the middle of Renaissance Disney they knew what they were doing to make a good movie.
I'll start with Music. Renaissance Disney was known for its musical score and by golly is this one good. “I Can't Wait to be King”, “Hakuna Matata”, “Can you Feel the Love Tonight”, “Be Prepared” my lord does this movie have amazing songs. They are all catchy in their own way and all tell their own story unlike more recent Disney Movies (I'm looking at you Chicken Little). Each song feels necessary and adds that extra level of depth to the story. Based on my top 10, this is the highest ranking “Musical” movie, meaning to me that this musical soundtrack is the pinnacle of Disney.
The Characters are next. Every character is unique and feels necessary to the story. Simba is a brilliant protagonist in that tries to run from his problems but he has the bravery to stand up to them (eventually). Scar is an amazing villain being equally slimy and intimidating, as well as having Disney's best villain Song. Timon and Pumba although designed for comic relief actually have a role in the movie outside of a few laughs. Nala is the inspiration needed to having Simba return to Pride Rock. Mufasa as Simba's idol as well as his biggest regret. Zazu is the loveable Servant, Rafiki the Eccentric Sage, the Hyenas all play a necessary role in this movie and feel like the movie would be lessened without them.
Finally, the story. The story speaks to me unlike a lot of the other Renaissance Disney movies like The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid follows the same sort of story in that Ariel and Simba both want to run away. The difference is that Ariel is looking for something while Simba is looking to run away from everything. It's more empathetic than other stories. It's especially touching when Simba realises that he can't run from his problems anymore and it's a good moral to be teaching. Running can only get you so far. Sooner or later you need to face your problems. Also, Regicide? What a hell of a story to tell to the kids.
The Lion King is just an all-round outstanding movie.
Shauna: This movie is not high up enough on the list, right guys? Down with us!
I think The Lion King is a wonderful piece of film. It is definitely heralded as one of the Disney greats for a reason. This wasn’t one of the movies I had when I was younger, but I was exposed to it enough growing up – a lot of my cousins watched and rewatched this movie, which I was pretty okay with. Also, it had a frickin’ kick ass video game to go along with it! Again, not something I owned, but I played it at Electronics Boutique and PC World when we’d go there for… reasons. But yes, because of my limited exposure to this one growing up, I don’t have a lot to say in my old lady reminiscing portion of the review.
What can I say about The Lion King that hasn’t already been said a million times over? It is a brilliant piece of cinema, and it deserves every praise given to it. I can think of little this movie does wrong. Except rip off some old movie literally nobody cares about and take the plot straight from some ancient play. How unoriginal.
When I think of The Lion King, my mind definitely goes straight to the soundtrack. Which is filled to the brim with ridiculously catchy tunes. Be Prepared is a delightfully chilling villain song, one of the best in my opinion; and the Circle of Life? These days it makes me tear up something chronic, and I am not sure why. Other than the sheer beauty and majesty of the song, of course. But a solid soundtrack is nothing without a stellar cast to back it up. Lucky, I think The Lion King nailed it in that respect too.
I have always had a soft spot for Zazu – don’t know whether that’s just Rowan Atkinson, or whether I just have a thing for stick-in-the-muds. Who knows? Timon and Pumba were alright with me too. A lot of films have the annoying comic relief sidekicks who do nothing except do and say stupid things, but The Lion King balanced it nicely so that they were more than just forgettable caricatures and had a decent impact on the story. And the villain? Scar has the perfect balance of menacing and vague campiness that makes him a great villain, and you can’t go wrong with some Jeremy Irons, that is for certain.
It is a beautiful movie too, visually. It helps with all the emotional scenes to have some pretty backdrops. The emotional scenes can be pretty intense too. I’ve already mentioned how the opening scene gets me with all the music, but there are others! Simba (somehow) calling the rains back to Pride Rock, and taking his place as the king? Wonderful. Really, it is all the more beautiful to watch brave and wise Mufasa fall. Who didn’t tear up when Simba was nuzzling in to Mufasa in the gorge asking him to wake up?
That was me. I didn’t. Whoops.
Oh Shauna you should see it live, I teared up watching them open with it on the West End... Just WOW. Indescribable!and the Circle of Life? These days it makes me tear up something chronic, and I am not sure why. Other than the sheer beauty and majesty of the song, of course.
Hakuna Matata always gets me verklempt.
"We are all part of the circle of life, except for hyenas, smurf those guys, they can drink from seperate watering hole and sit at the back of the savanna in the elephant grave yard"
Last edited by blackmage_nuke; 11-14-2014 at 09:25 AM.
Kefka's coming, look intimidating!
Have a nice day!!
sry i'm late to this party. I just wanna say this; If Fox & the Hound isn't on this list then you have no soul. Wall-e is a beautiful movie but idk if it cracks my top ten.
I love the rescuers, the first one most especially. I've lived in a few bad foster home's so I could really identify with penny. This song still makes me cry...
(SPOILER)no one ever rescued me
Also, i find Eva Gabor's(bianca) voice incredibly beautiful, she also voiced dutches on The Aristocats.
Last edited by Hannibal_Khan; 11-14-2014 at 02:05 PM.
Be Prepared is probably my favourite Disney song ever by a reasonable distance.
Bow before the mighty Javoo!
You may be disappointed with that Fox and the Hound thing, Hannibal...
Or you might not be! Who knows?!