the lion king summary essay

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Animation — The Lion King: Symbolism and Themes in a Timeless Classic

The Lion King: Symbolism and Themes in a Timeless Classic

Categories: Animation

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Published: Mar 8, 2024

Words: 731 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

The circle of life, identity and self-discovery, family and community.

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The Lion King Introduction Introduction

Release Year: 1994

Genre: Adventure, Animation, Family

Director: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

Writer: Irene Mecchi, Joanathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton

Stars: Jonathan Taylor Thomas , James Earl Jones , Jeremy Irons

Life was different in 1994.

And we're not talking about incidentals like "there was no Internet" or "Brad Pitt was dating Gwyneth Paltrow." We're referring to the fact that the average Joe, circa 1994, would have had zero idea what "Hakuna Matata" meant, would maybe have felt kindly toward hyenas, and probably had very little idea about the social structure of lion prides.

But all of that changed with the release of The Lion King .

Part of the Second Disney Renaissance of the 1990s, The Lion King is an undisputed classic, a favorite of '90s kids (and their parents and children) everywhere. In addition to being set in Africa and gorgeously animated by a team of hyper-dedicated animators, The Lion King is a story of royal intrigue and power in the animal kingdom.

It's Hamlet with paws.

If you enjoy watching lions grapple with issues moral, political, and existential in nature (or just grapple with evil hyenas), then this is definitely the movie for you. This is also the movie for you if you like watching stupendously successful films: Simba & Co. nabbed a worldwide total of $987,483,777—and The Lion King remains the highest-grossing 2D animated feature in history.

Whether you love or loathe the Disney brand, there's no disputing that The Lion King 's influence is as big as Mufasa's kingdom; this movie is known pretty much anywhere the sun shines. The film won three Golden Globes (Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical; Best Original Score – Motion Picture; and Best Original Song – Motion Picture, for Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight") and two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song). It even went on to inspire one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway.

Yup, The Lion King has cultural-icon status. It is to the '90s what Star Wars was to the '80s and Mean Girls was to the 2000s: a movie that seeped into the collective consciousness.

In fact, we're still having nightmares set in elephant graveyards.

Why Should I Care?

For many of us, The Lion King isn't exactly the first title we think of when we think of "film studies." After all, what could all of those dusty VHSes in your basement possibly have to do with capital-S Serious stuff like academia and critical interpretation ?

The answer is: plenty. The Lion King is more than a cartoon for 6-year-old kids to watch while stuffing their faces with popcorn and Milk Duds—although it's totally that, too. The Lion King is a sophisticated moral fable about family, power, and redemption.

For one thing, this movie for kiddos is based on perhaps the most famous (and most studied) Shakespeare play out there: Hamlet .

Both the Bard's masterpiece and ol' Walt's '90s smash hit follow the same trajectory: young prince loves his daddy, his daddy is killed by his uncle, young prince gets revenge on his uncle. Except Hamlet is way more depressing—and doesn't have nearly the same number of Elton John love songs.

It's not every day that you come across a Disney cartoon that has thematic roots in a great work of English literature, but then, The Lion King isn't just any old Disney cartoon. It's one of the most famous, an indisputable jewel in the Disney crown.

But, fun musical numbers and similarities to Hamlet aside, The Lion King manages to pack an effective dramatic punch in its own right. As a story about the enduring power of love and loyalty to family, this movie restored audiences' faith in the values of the mid-1990s.

The Lion King was released in 1994, three years after the end of America's involvement in the Persian Gulf War . The United States was at the peak of its military and industrial might, the economy was booming, and a new generation of Millennials was being born. It was a time of comfort and security, and many were eager to see that reflected in their entertainment.

And The Lion King did just that. This movie is about a super-idyllic kingdom that goes through a period of woe (boo, Scar) and bounces right back—just compare the Pride Lands with the narrow-minded town in Beauty and the Beast. It's about the importance of family over pretty much everything else—compare Simba's character arc to Ariel's decision to leave home in The Little Mermaid. It's about the just nature of an established government—Mufasa is unlike, say, the bumbling Sultan in Aladdin.

With everything looking peaceful at home, more and more Americans were content with messages like these. In many ways, The Lion King was a product of its time—which means that studying The Lion King ain't just about studying a movie about a farting warthog and his lion cub buddy. It's about studying America during the 1990s.

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The Chronological Adventure of “The Lion King” Movies: a Complete Guide

This essay about “The Lion King” movies presents them in chronological order, exploring the evolution of the franchise from its inception in 1994 to the photorealistic remake in 2019. It highlights the original film’s introduction of Simba and the themes of responsibility and redemption that thread through the series. The sequel, “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride,” focuses on Simba’s daughter Kiara and her role in bridging the divide between rival factions. “The Lion King 1½” offers a humorous perspective through Timon and Pumbaa’s eyes, while the 2019 remake is lauded for its technical innovation. The essay underscores the series’ exploration of growth, courage, and the importance of family, positioning “The Lion King” as a significant cultural phenomenon that resonates across generations.

How it works

The Lion King saga, with its intricate narrative, vibrant animation, and poignant melodies, has enraptured audiences worldwide. This cherished franchise not only represents the pinnacle of animation prowess but also delves into profound themes such as duty, atonement, and the cycle of existence. This compendium guides you through the captivating realm of “The Lion King” films, presented in their chronological order, illuminating the tale of Simba and his progeny.

The odyssey commences in 1994 with the debut of “The Lion King,” a cinematic masterpiece that has since left an indelible mark on countless hearts.

This foundational installment introduces us to the resplendent vistas of the Pride Lands, where Simba, a youthful lion prince, comes into the world. As the narrative unfurls, Simba confronts the complexities of maturation and assumes his mantle as ruler following the tragic demise of his father, Mufasa, orchestrated by his jealous uncle Scar. Through its captivating storyline, breathtaking visuals, and unforgettable score, the film explores themes of obligation, the anguish of bereavement, and the pursuit of redemption.

In the wake of the original film’s success, “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride” (1998) picks up the narrative thread where its predecessor left off. This sequel introduces Kiara, the spirited daughter of Simba and Nala, who, akin to her father, harbors a fervent desire to venture beyond the confines of the Pride Lands. Her escapades lead her to Kovu, a cub from the Outlands nurtured by Scar’s followers to overthrow Simba. The movie navigates the intricate interplay of inheritance and affection as Kiara and Kovu endeavor to unite their disparate communities.

In 2004, the franchise expanded with “The Lion King 1½,” providing a fresh vantage point on the original film’s narrative through the lens of Timon and Pumbaa, Simba’s idiosyncratic companions. This installment furnishes a comedic backstory to the duo, filling in the lacunae of the initial storyline and recounting their encounters with Simba. It offers a whimsical interpretation of the events of “The Lion King,” celebrated for its wit and distinctive storytelling approach.

More recently, the franchise welcomed a new addition with the 2019 debut of “The Lion King,” a photorealistic computer-animated reinterpretation of the original 1994 film. Helmed by Jon Favreau, this rendition breathed life into the timeless characters and settings with awe-inspiring realism. While adhering to the same narrative arc as its animated precursor, this remake has garnered acclaim for its technical feats and has introduced the enduring tale of Simba to a contemporary audience.

Throughout its evolution, “The Lion King” series has not only demonstrated strides in animation technology but also matured in its narrative depth, providing deeper insights into its beloved characters. From the majestic expanses of the Pride Lands to the intricate familial dynamics of its royal lineage, each film contributes to a broader narrative that resonates with both young and old alike. The enduring allure of the series lies in its universal themes and the emotional complexity of its characters, rendering it a cultural phenomenon of significant import.

As we reflect on the “The Lion King” films chronologically, it becomes apparent that they transcend mere entertainment; they embody a voyage through the circle of existence, replete with lessons on growth, fortitude, and the sanctity of kinship. Whether revisiting these classics or encountering them anew, the saga of Simba and his descendants endures as an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us and the obligations we inherit.

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The Lion King: Movie Analysis Essay

In a society where major forms of entertainment are lodged in cinema and theater, it’s easy to come across a few films or movies that have very similar concepts to the point of practically being the same. When there are well over a thousand movies in just the United States alone, it’s easy to comprehend why originality may be a challenge. There are three movies in particular that hold true to this statement and they are Pocahontas, James Cameron’s Avatar, and The Lion King. These movies hold very similar ideologies in regards to nature and greed.

However, they tend to differ in their cinematographic approaches in revealing the underlying and, or, obvious, ideologies. To begin with, all three movies have a constantly repeating theme, and that theme is the respect for nature. In Avatar, there is a very intimate respect for Mother Nature on Pandora. The native people see that every living and non-living existence has a purpose. There is no such thing as waste of resources in Pandora. For example, every time an animal is hunted for food, there is a long “prayer”, so to speak, held to thank the animal for the sustenance that it provides to the world around it.

Neytiri, the leading female character in the movie, displays this symbol of respect when she hunts a nearby animal for herself and Jake Sully, the leading male character, to eat, but before she prepares the meal she thanks the animal and prays for the animal to be with Eywa, the natives’ deity. Similarly, in The Lion King, there are symbols of respect of nature throughout the movie. For instance, Mufasa, the leader of Pride Rock and Simba’s father, explains to Simba the duties as leader, he tells Simba of “the circle of life. Basically, the “circle of life” means, quite literally, the circle of life; herbivores feed on the resources around them, such as grass, then the carnivores feed on the herbivores, then the remains of the herbivores serve as fertilizer to produce more resources, like grass, and life proceeds in a circular nature. In terms of Lion king, Mufasa explains to Simba that the grass grows in the nearing areas of Pride Rock, then the prey eats the grass and other means of food, then the lions of Pride Rock hunt said prey, and then they leave some remains for the Earth so that grass can continue to grow and can thus continue the cycle of life.

Pocahontas also plays into this them of respect for nature. The tribe of Native Americans in Pocahontas always grew their own food such as the corn fields that are displayed in the beginning of the movie, and they use their resources wisely. For instance, whenever they need homes or means of traveling across bodies of water, they destroy as little as possible by using as much as they can out of one tree. So, the wood of the tree makes use for a canoe, and the twigs and leaves can be used for a variety of things, like campfires to cook food on.

Also, very similar to Avatar, Pocahontas explains that every creature around them “has a life, has a spirit, has a name. ” This suggests that Pocahontas and her tribe see nature to be just as important as the people of the tribe. After all, the tribe would not exist if it weren’t for the nearby water, the fertile soil to grow crops, and the local wildlife to provide sustenance that the crops can’t. Overall, all three movies carry over similar aspects of intense respect for the nature around them. Another similarity amongst all three movies would be Spirituality.

In all of these movies, the characters within the movies always resort to some all-knowing deity or leader to guide them. In Avatar, there is the Tree of Souls. The Tree of Souls is where the native people of Pandora can uplink there memories, download memories, and pray to their deity. This powerful tree also enables the natives to connect to their deity, Eywa, when in need, like in cases of desperation or emergencies. In example of this would be when Neytiri goes to Eywa and pleads for help when it seemed like the non-natives, or rather the westernized humans, were going o take over what was left of Pandora. Neytiri went to the allknowing deity in search of help when she had nowhere else to go. The belief of power of the deity saved Pandora as Eywa communicated with the wildlife and instructed them to fight back. Because the wildlife fought back, the natives were able to win back Pandora and continue on in their peaceful existence after they removed all malicious humans from the planet. Similarly, in the movie Pocahontas, there are rampant signs of symbolism by means of Grandmother Willow.

Grandmother willow is Pocahnotas’ all-knowing deity, whom, ironically, also happens to be a tree. Grandmother willow is very similar to Eywa not only in that they are both trees, but by providing Pocahontas with the same lifesaving advice and help that Eywa provided Neytiri. For instance, when the white men started to venture into the lands of the natives, the first reaction of the natives was to attack the men. However, Pocahontas sought advice from Grandmother Willow who instructed her to not attack but learn about the men first.

This advice helped to save not only the white men but Pocahontas as well, though there was much fighting before the peace. The Lion King also has a presence of an all-knowing deity/ leader. Initially, Mufasa is seen as the all-knowing leader who brings pride Rock to such great heights and who always has the answers to all the problems in Pride Rock. However, after Mufasa passes away due to the malicious nature of his brother, Scar, the role of an all-knowing deity switches over to Rafiki, a baboon who befriends Simba.

When Simba runs away from Pride Rock, he spends many years blaming himself for the death of his father and thus staying away from Pride Rock. However, Rafiki uses his spirituality to show Simba who Mufasa is in the world around him and how he must return to Pride Rock to save his family and friends from Scar’s horrible reign. Overall, all of these three movies show that the presence of spirituality provides for the solutions to problems or advice for problems evident in the movies. Furthermore, there is a shared them f the cliche good versus evil. In these movies, there is some form of evil trying to immerse itself and invade into the lives of the characters. In avatar, the greedy westernized men and women represent the evil while the non-aggressive men and women, as well as, the natives of Pandora represent the good. The westernized men and women represent the bad because not only do they plant themselves onto a planet without the consent of the natives, but they reap the planet of its resources that it generously provides to the natives.

An example of this greedy nature is evident when the leader of the company that invades Pandora chooses to forcefully “evict” the natives from their Home Tree by gassing them out and then bombing the tree. Why the act of violence? The company is trying to ge unobtainium that is located underneath the Home Tree. Why is this resource so desired by the humans? Well, unfortunately these irrational humans are driven by a powerful motivating force known as greed. The unobtainium is worth large sums of money so the plan is to get as much of the resource as possible for maximum profit.

These selfish humans not only planted themselves on a planet where they weren’t welcome, but successfully destroyed the once peaceful nature of the natives by wreaking havoc on their homeland and by threatening to remove all ties to Eywa through the destruction of the Home Tree. The good, as represented by the non-greedy humans and the natives of the land, seek to rid the planet of the destructive beings by fighting back alongside the wildlife of Pandora. All native people and animals of Pandora unite to offer retaliation to the greedy. Also, in Pocahontas there is a similar theme of good versus evil.

The evil is represented by the invasive white settlers and the good is represented by the natives of the land. The white settlers in Pocahontas intend to take the land from the Natives and claim it as their own without any regards to those who were there before them. The Natives represent the good because they only act in violence when their lives and the well-being of their world are being threatened. The Natives only resort to violence as a means to an end, after several failed attempts of peace. This concept is practically the same as Avatar.

For instance, both movies show native people being invaded by greedy humans who seek to unrightfully take what is not theirs, leaving the native peoples to resort to violence in retaliation to the cruel men and women. The Lion King also displays the good versus evil theme similar to that of Avatar and Pocahontas. The evil within Lion King is represented by the brother of Mufasa, Scar, and his trusty group of hyenas, whereas, the good is represented by the followers of Mufasa. Mufasa’s followers include Simba, Nala, Simba’s mother, Rafiki, and many others.

Scar and his cackling hyenas represent the evil because not only does he kill his own brother, Mufasa, but he also convinces his nephew, Simba, to run as far away from Pride Rock as possible thus convincing Simba that he was to blame for his father’s death. Scar convinces Simba to run away so that he can reign over Pride Rock in Simba’s absence, seeing that Simba was heir to the throne. Further down the line, Scar’s greed overcomes him in his reign over Pride Rock and his followers and everyone else in Pride Rock begin to starve due to lack of food and resources.

Scar intends to carry on a reign of misery because misery sure does love company. The good is represented by Simba and Mufasa’s other followers because they are the only force who seeks to fight against Scar and his terrible ruling ethics. Though it isn’t entirely as similar to Pocahontas and Avatar, all movies seek to exploit the greedy nature of those who want what they can’t have. Overall, these movies do in fact carry over the ideals of good versus evil, though The Lion King’s version may be slightly different than Avatar and Pocahontas.

Though all of these movies carry similar ideals, they differ in their approach to display said ideals. The depictions of war within all movies are portrayed from vastly different perspectives. In The Lion King, all depictions are portrayed to appeal to an audience of children. When there is fighting going on there are no gory, blood filled scenes so that children aren’t frightened away. However, it still carries many life lessons such as things aren’t always as they seem as evident by Simba being convinced that he was Mufasa’s killer when in fact Scar was Mufasa’s killer.

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The Lion King, Essay Example

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Introduction

Animated films, especially those produced by Disney such as The Lion King, function as cultural texts that can be analyzed through an anthropological prism. Wells (1998) contended that “The idea that animation is an innocent medium, ostensibly for children, and largely dismissed in film histories, has done much to inhibit the proper discussion of issues concerning representation” (Wells, 1998, p.187). Anthropologists can discern the contested values and beliefs that pervade American culture by elucidating the cultural politics ingrained in Disney’s animated films. Such a process of uncloaking necessitates exploring beyond the surface for any and all cultural messages that evince undergirding tensions and persistent contradictions and paradoxes. Doing so enables anthropologists to ascertain counter-hegemonic tropes and themes, particularly related to the intersectionality of class, gender, sexuality, race, ability and the nation (Harris, 1994). The Lion King was released in 1994 and experienced cataclysmic success, as it was quite popular among children, ascertaining alternatives to the hegemonic understanding of the film such as how the film represents ideas about masculinity and femininity as well as the various representation of race, especially how black people are limned and how such renderings evince racists stereotypes. As a result, rather than proffering an authentic portrayal of African culture, The Lion King reflects various stereotypes attached to race and gender in western societies in order to pander to western audiences so that it could achieve blockbuster status even as an animated film in various markets.

The Lion King is an animated film produced by Disney as the thirty second feature film in the classic Disney films. It takes place in Africa in the kingdom of the lions, clearly conveying various biblical and literary influences. The film narrates the story of a young lion named Simba who is supposed to succeed Mufasa, his father, as the ruler over this kingdom. Unfortunately, greed overtakes Scar, Simba’s uncle, who murders Mufasa at the beginning of the film and therefore usurps the throne. Simba, still very young, is manipulated into believing that he is responsible for the murder of his father, which is why he flees into voluntary exile as a result of his angish, humiliation, shame, and deep-seated despair. Simba thus grows up alone and comes of age residing with two wastrels free of worries, which the motto “hakuna matata” translates to. Simba gains significant insight and perspective from Nala, who is his friend since childhood, and Rafiki, his shaman, before he returns to the kingdom of lions to challenge the authoritarian rule of Scar. After a violent scuffle between Simba and Scar and his hyenas, Simba assumes the throne of the kingdom, which had deteriorated in Simba’s absence. Pride Rock thus returns to its former greatness, enable the circle of life to persist.

The representation of gender: patriarchal mores

The Lion King portrays a gender order that is steeped in patriarchal leadership and family, as the characters who ruled over Pride Rock are all males. The lionesses, conversely, are all forced to accept a more secondary and subjected role to their male counterparts, and hunting is the only way they could become somewhat stronger than the lions. Nonetheless, the lions demand that the lionesses go hunting, which thereby strips the lionesses of their autonomy. Following Mufasa’s death and Scar’s ascendance to the throne at his own behest, the lionesses had the opportunity to get rid of Scar if they decided to do so, yet their identity throughout their entire lives was demarked by dependency. as a result, the lionesses have no sense of independence or ability to resist the hegemonic patriarchal order firmly embedded in the portrayed culture. While this construction of femininity is aligned with traditional renderings of gender in western cinema, it is interesting to assess how masculinity is constructed within the portrayed culture. In The Lion King, masculinity is a socio-cultural construction in a world where manhood is something that is learned and performed rather than being biologically intrinsic. At the outset of the film, Mufasa, Simba’s father, is killed when Simba is still very young. As a result, Simba must grow up without a father or strong, male influence, away from his mother. As a cub who grows up alone, it appears that Simba is vulnerable to harm, yet he finds solace in his friendship with Timon and Pumba. When he reaches adulthood, Simba exactly resembles his father, who is viewed as a paragon of masculinity demarked by his power and muscularity. At the end of the animated film, Scar and Simba get into an explosive altercation, which conveys that masculinity in this portrayed culture is represented through animals anthropomorphically (Wells, 1998, p. 190). The lions assume the stance of bipedal humans, as they are upright on their two hind feet and attack each other in the same way that humans do when they are in a fist fight.

The representations of femininity and manhood in The Lion King is quite problematic due to the fact that it clearly privileges patriarchy, as only sons of kings were able to inherit the throne and reign over the kingdom. Feminist critics point to the fact that such a depiction eschews how lions actually behave in their natural habitat, as lionesses occupy the most important roles in how lions societies are actually structured. The film diminishes the potent role of lionesses by merely framing them as the love interests of the male characters, such as Nala and Simba. Other female characters seemingly cease to exist in the portrayed world. The title of the film itself intimates that male lions are supreme and that male authority is at the apex of the kingdom, and male lions as kings emerge as patriarchal tropes.

The representation of race: reinforcing western racial scripts

Another significant anthropological representation in The Lion King is that of race and how Disney pandered to western audiences by perpetuating various stereotypes that are intrinsically racist. Although the cultural fabric in the Western world during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries promote multiculturalism, films provide cultural texts in which criticism about the construction of race has germinated. Disney has taken concerted efforts to portray race in an authentic and healthy manner, yet The Lion King perpetuates racist stereotypes that have pervaded western discourses for many centuries. The presence of the hyenas becomes problematic as they viewed as members of indigenous or subaltern cultures who are bottom feeders and appear mangy bullies who torture Simba. These hyenas are portrayed by non-white actors, which intimates that Disney, while perhaps done intentionally, limn African Americans and other members of subaltern races not as humans but as animals. Indeed, the hyenas resemble a feckless street gang that reflects the nefarious intentions of minorities such as Hispanics and African Americans. Such notions pervade western discourses about members of subaltern races, especially those of African descent. In addition, the antagonist of the film and Simba’s sinister uncle, Scar, has dark-colored fur, unlike the other lions who have bright golden fur. This seemingly irrelevant observation nonetheless suggests that darker colored skin people–i.e. Africans and African Americans–are cast as evil and are the villains not only in fictive narratives but also in real life.

“The Circle of Life,” which is the opening song of this animated film and its lyrical content demonstrate Disney’s incapacity to depict Africa in an authentic manner and covers up the overt unwillingness to portray black people, especially Africans, as human beings (Byrne & McQuillan, 1999, p. 101). Indeed, this theme song commences with clearly African vocals, yet the instruments are not African in origin. Rather, they sound quite western and was devised by white musicians. The scenery in the opening scene does not look authentically African, as there are very few signifiers of African culture and geography, especially since English is the language used throughout the film rather than any African dialect. Despite portraying African culture, American actors and the English language are deployed in the film, which subtly accentuates the hegemony of American culture and society over Africa. Benshoff & Griffin (2009) argue that the baboon, Rafiki, shares a likeness with the African deity Eshu who is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding travelers and is blamed for the misfortunes or fortunes that creatures endure (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). Although Rafiki is a lauded character in the animated film. he nonetheless comports himself in a half-crazed, reckless, foolish, and bizarre manner. These traits are often used to describe Africans and African Americans in western discourses. There is also overt disrespect and denigration of African cultures and tradition. When Zazu reminds Simba that his friend Nala would eventually become his wife, Simba retorts that once he assumes the kingship, that custom will be nullified. Although it is hard to discern whether such racial representations were intentional or not by Disney production members, as progenitors of cultural products, hyper vigilance must be adopted because audience members are only exposed to the final products rather than the intentions of the producers.

Various epochs are always stigmatized by particular discursive representations of gender and race, among other critical cultural constructions. The Lion King continues to be highly criticized for its representation of gender and race, as it reproduces western stereotypes and scripts through its portrayal of African culture and society. Patriarchy and a strenuous form of manhood is presented as ideal in his film, which eschews the actual behaviors of Africans and the prominent role of African lionesses in their social structure. More poignantly, the representation of race in the film is problematic for reproducing pejorative western stereotypes about Africans and African culture, especially in the portrayal of African characters as animalistic rather than human.

Benshoff, H. & Griffin, S. (2009). America on film: Representing race, class, gender, and sexuality at the movies . Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Byrne, E. & McMullan, M. (1999). D econstructing Disney . London: Pluto Press.

Harris, J. E. (1994). Stereotyping for fun and profit. Christopher Street.

Sweeney, G. (1995) ?What Do You Want Me to Do, Dress in Drag and Do the Hula??: Pumbaa and Timon’s alternative lifestyle dilemma in Disney?s The Lion King . S eventh Annual Society of Animation Conference , University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Wells, P. (1998). Understanding animation . London: Routledge.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

The Lion King

After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.
In Africa, the lion cub Simba is the pride and joy of his parents King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Mufasa prepares Simba to be the next king of the jungle. However, the naive Simba believes in his envious uncle Scar that wants to kill Mufasa and Simba to become the next king. He lures Simba and his friend Nala to go to a forbidden place and they are attacked by hyenas but they are rescued by Mufasa. Then Scar plots another scheme to kill Mufasa and Simba but the cub escapes alive and leaves the kingdom believing he was responsible for the death of his father. Now Scar becomes the king supported by the evil hyenas while Simba grows in a distant land. Sometime later, Nala meets Simba and tells that the kingdom has become a creepy wasteland. What will Simba do? — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
After the death of his father, a young male lion cub flees the kingdom and ends up living with some friends. As time passes by, he is reunited with some old friends and learns the truth about what really happened. He must return to the kingdom to face his past. — RECB3
In the re-telling story of "The Lion King", Simba is born to King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, he will be next in line to the throne and he will be betrothed to Nala. However, Scar, Mufasa's jealous brother and Simba's scheming uncle wants to rule the Pride Lands for himself. Scar and the hyenas hatch a plan to eliminate Simba and Mufasa by causing a wildebeest stampede. Mufasa saves Simba from the stampede, but he is murdered by Scar. Simba becomes devastated over his father's death and he goes into self-imposed exile. Simba is taken in by Timon and Pumbaa. Years start to pass for Simba, but his past still isn't behind him after he reunites with Nala and he is struggling to come to terms with his past mistakes. Simba will soon learn that he must take his place as the rightful ruler of Pride Rock in order to restore balance to the Circle of Life and put a stop to his greedy uncle's tyranny. — dawsonpersi
The sun rises over the Pride Lands. Animals from all corners of the kingdom head over to Pride Rock ("Circle of Life"). The ruling lions King Mufasa (voice of James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi (voice of Alfre Woodard) are welcoming the birth of their cub, Simba. The mandrill high priest Rafiki (voice of John Kani) presents Simba before all the animals, and they all bow before the new prince. A little mouse is scurrying around his environment until he comes across the vicious Scar (voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor), Mufasa's jealous brother. Before he can devour the mouse, Scar is interrupted by Mufasa's hornbill major-domo Zazu (voice of John Oliver). He warns Scar that Mufasa is on his way to chastise him for missing out on the ceremony for Simba. Sure enough, Mufasa arrives to confront his brother, just as Scar is trying to make lunch out of Zazu. Scar expresses his dismay for not getting his place on the throne after Mufasa now that Simba is born. After Mufasa and Zazu leave, Scar looks on with scorn. Rafiki is by his tree, where he uses several bugs to form a drawing of Simba on the tree. Time passes, and Simba (now voiced by JD McCrary) is an eager and curious little cub. He wakes up his father so that he can explore the Pride Lands. Mufasa explains that everything in the Pride Lands is theirs, but anything beyond the borders is forbidden from venturing into. He also tells his son that they are connected in the great circle of life in regards to his duty as a future king. Zazu then flies in for the morning report before Mufasa teaches Simba how to pounce on the bird. Moments later, Zazu tells Mufasa that he has spotted hyenas. Mufasa orders Simba to go to Sarabi. Simba goes to Scar, who rests alone on his own little rock. As Simba expresses curiosity over what is beyond the borders of the Pride Lands, Scar tells him that it's an elephant graveyard. Simba then goes to find his best friend Nala (voice of Shahadi Wright Joseph), who is in the middle of a bath. Simba gets his own bath from Sarabi before he tells Nala that he wants to go to the watering hole, but Sarabi makes the cubs take Zazu as a chaperon. On their walk, Simba tells Nala where they are really going. Zazu notices them together and notes how cute it is to see two betrothed cubs together. This grosses out Simba and Nala, who insist they are only friends. Zazu says those are the rules, and Simba says he is going to change some of these rules when he becomes king ("I Just Can't Wait To Be King"). The cubs lose Zazu amidst the other animals before they head to the elephant graveyard. While exploring, they are found by a pack of hyenas, led by Shenzi (voice of Florence Kasumba), Kamari (voice of Keegan-Michael Key), and Azizi (voice of Eric Andre). Shenzi is ready to eat them once she realizes who Simba is, even as Zazu flies in to warn her that doing so would start a war with Mufasa. She attacks, but Zazu manages to hold her off long enough for Simba and Nala to run away. The pack then surrounds the cubs. Simba tries to roar at the hyenas but merely musters up simple growls. As they laugh and ask him to do it again, a louder roar is heard. Mufasa runs in and fights off the hyenas before ordering Shenzi to back off or face retribution. The hyenas retreat, but Mufasa is upset at Simba as he takes him and Nala home. Mufasa has Zazu take Nala home while he talks to Simba. He expresses his disappointment in him, but Simba tries to defend himself by saying that he was trying to be brave like Mufasa. He tells his son that he's only brave when he needs to be, and that he was afraid of losing Simba. They then sit to look up at the stars, and Mufasa tells Simba that the great kings of the past are looking down on them. The hyenas return to their hideout, complaining about their lack of food. It is then shown that Scar is leading them, and he deliberately led Simba and Nala to their path. He then tells the hyenas about his plan to kill Mufasa so that he will lead the Pride Lands ("Be Prepared"), and this will also mean more food for the hyenas. The next day, Scar brings Simba by a gorge to practice his roar. After he leaves Simba alone, he gives to hyenas the signal to make their move. Suddenly, Simba looks up at the cliff to notice a WILDEBEEST STAMPEDE. He runs for it and climbs up a tree for safety. Scar finds Mufasa and Zazu, warning his brother about Simba being trapped in the gorge while telling Zazu to alert the lionesses. Mufasa runs through the herd of wildebeest to reach Simba. He brings the cub up to safety but is dragged away by the wildebeest. Mufasa then starts climbing up the hill, only to be caught by Scar, who sinks his claws into Mufasa's paws. With a sinister look in his eyes, Scar tells Mufasa, "Long live the king", and he smacks his brother off the cliff to his demise. Simba watches helplessly as his father falls into the stampede. He runs down and discovers Mufasa's body, tearfully pleading with him to wake up. Scar finds Simba and says it's all his fault that his father is dead. Fearing for the consequences, Simba asks Scar what to do, and Scar orders him to run away and never return. After Simba does so, he sends Shenzi, Kamari, and Azizi (plus an unnamed hyena) to chase after Simba and kill him. Simba outruns the hyenas to the edge of a cliff where he and the fourth hyena fall over. Shenzi orders the other two to make sure Simba is dead, but they figure to themselves that he could not have survived the fall, and they are not eager to climb down and check. Simba is seen hiding before continuing his exile. Scar announces Mufasa's death to the lionesses, and then says that Simba was also killed. He feigns his grief before walking up to Pride Rock to assume his new duties as king, and then brings the hyenas out. Zazu and Rafiki watch from a distance and mourn Mufasa and Simba. Simba walks alone for miles before ending up in a desert. He collapses in exhaustion before a flock of vultures swoop in to try and eat him. They are interrupted by the meerkat-and-warthog duo Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), who scare off the vultures before finding Simba. The two decide they should keep the cub so that when he grows into an adult lion, he will be on their side. Simba wakes up and is despondent, still blaming himself for his father's death. Timon and Pumbaa take him in and show him how they live their lives, according to their motto, "Hakuna Matata" (It means "no worries!"). Since the other animals are friends, Simba can't eat them and now feasts on bugs. He spends more time with Timon and Pumbaa, now growing into an adult (now played by Donald Glover). Under Scar's reign, the Pride Lands become devoid of sufficient food and resources, since the hyenas are bleeding everything dry. Nala (now voiced by Beyonce Knowles-Carter) expresses concern over how things have turned. Scar even tries to get Sarabi to be his queen, promising that she can dine with him, but she refuses. He then has the hyenas eat the rest of his kill, leaving barely scraps for the lionesses. Later that night, Nala tries to leave Pride Rock, but she is spotted by Zazu, who knows what Scar will do to her if he catches her leaving. Therefore, he creates a diversion to get Scar and the hyenas to chase him, allowing Nala to get away. After spending a day chowing down on grubs, Simba, Timon and Pumbaa lay down to look up at the stars. As Timon and Pumbaa muse over what could be up there, Simba mentions what Mufasa once told him about the kings of the past looking down on them. Timon and Pumbaa laugh it off, which bothers Simba. He goes to be alone, and as he lays down, some fur from his mane flies off. It is blown away and goes through a few animals before it finds its way to Rafiki. He senses that Simba is still alive, and he rejoices. Timon and Pumbaa are walking through their home while singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" before Nala attacks and chases after them. As they flee, Simba jumps out and pounces on Nala, but after she pins him down, he realizes who it is. Simba is excited to see his best friend again while Nala is elated that Simba is alive. The two go off together to catch up, leaving Timon and Pumbaa to realize that the two lions are becoming more than friends ("Can You Feel The Love Tonight?"). However, the happiness is short-lived once Nala tells Simba that he needs to return home due to what Scar and the hyenas have done. Still feeling guilty, he refuses to go back. Nala leaves him when he becomes too stubborn and doesn't listen to her. Simba wanders off alone until he is found by Rafiki. He tells Simba he knows Mufasa, and that he is alive. Simba follows Rafiki and is led to a lake. Rafiki makes Simba see his reflection, which turns into the image of Mufasa. Up in the clouds, Simba sees and hears Mufasa's voice as his face is illuminated by lightning. Mufasa knows that Simba has forgotten who he is, and therefore has forgotten his own father. He tells him to remember that he is the one true king. Now realizing his purpose, Simba runs off to catch up with Nala, and Timon and Pumbaa follow. The four make it to the Pride Lands and meet with Zazu, who is also happy to see Simba again. They see how bad the land looks, and why it is urgent that they stop Scar. Simba has Timon and Pumbaa be "live bait" to distract the hyenas and to let them get to Pride Rock. Simba sees Scar hurting Sarabi when she defies him again. Everyone is stunned to see Simba returning, and he goes by his mother's side. Scar tries to turn the tables on him by making Simba admit his guilt in Mufasa's death. Scar advances toward Simba, causing him to slip and hang over the edge of Pride Rock. Lightning strikes a nearby tree, causing a fire down below. Scar then brags to Simba over how he looks, not realizing he is openly admitting his own guilt for the lionesses to hear. He then whispers to Simba that he killed Mufasa, and Simba pounces on his murderous uncle. Scar confesses to his crime, but then sics the hyenas on the lionesses, beginning an all-out war. The lions battle the hyenas, while Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki all get a few good licks in. Simba then goes after Scar, who tries to run away. When Simba confronts him, Scar blames the hyenas and says that he was planning to kill them for their supposed crime. Scar begs Simba for mercy, and Simba orders him to do the same thing he ordered him to do as a cub: run away and never return. Scar seems to agree to the terms, but instead flings hot embers in Simba's face. The two then begin to fight, swinging claws at each other until Simba gains the upper hand and knocks Scar off the edge of the cliff. He survives and sees the hyenas coming toward him. Unfortunately for him, the hyenas heard him throw them under the bus, and they proceed to rip Scar to shreds. The rain falls over the Pride Lands to wash away the fire. With the hyenas gone, the lionesses gather around Pride Rock. Zazu and Rafiki allow Simba his chance to ascend. He walks to the edge of Pride Rock and hears Mufasa's voice saying, "Remember." With that, he roars before the lionesses to become the new LION KING. The Pride Lands return to their former glory, looking beautiful and prosperous once more. Timon and Pumbaa have moved in to be close to their friend. Simba and Nala are now king and queen, and Rafiki presents their cub Kiara to the rest of the animals, thereby continuing the circle of life.

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It may be a long time before viewers can appreciate the 2019 remake of "The Lion King" as a freestanding work, instead of judging it against the original. The 1994 version was "Hamlet" plus "Bambi" on the African veldt: a childhood-shaping, Oscar-winning blockbuster, the second-highest grossing feature film of its calendar year, one of the last great hand-drawn Disney animated features (Pixar's original " Toy Story " came out 18 months later), and a tear-producing machine. This remake was controversial long before it opened, mainly because it seemed to take the Walt Disney company's new branding strategy—remaking beloved animated films as CGI-dependent "live action" spectaculars—to its most drastic conclusion. It serves up the same story with different actors, different arrangements of beloved songs and soundtrack cues, a couple of original tunes, a few fresh scenes and sequences, and, of course, photorealistic animals. The latter are the movie's main selling point, so believable that one of my kids remarked afterward that sitting through the film was like watching a nature documentary on mute while the soundtrack to original "The Lion King" played in the background.

But here's the thing: the movie is helmed by a Disney veteran, actor-director Jon Favreau , who's great at this kind of thing. And this might be his best-directed film, if you judge purely in terms of how the scenes and sequences have been framed, lit, and cut together. The cinematographer is Caleb Deschanel , who shot some of the greatest live-action animal adventures in movie history, including " The Black Stallion ," and this production straightforwardly owns the notion of "realness," modeling its animals on actual creatures, defining character more through body type and ingenious details of movement than through facial expressions, which might've looked kinda creepy here, honestly. (The animals are a little bit creepy at times, though not as creepy as in Andy Serkis' "Mowgli," where you sometimes felt as if you were watching top secret footage of gene-spliced animal-humans.)

Favreau broke into filmmaking with such hip indie comedies as " Swingers " and " Made ," then improbably transformed himself into a junior version of Steven Spielberg or James Cameron , overseeing the biggest of big-budget properties, including the first two " Iron Man " films and Disney's recent hyper-real remake of " The Jungle Book ." This may be his most daunting challenge yet, or at least his most provocative if you cherish the source material. The very idea of presuming to remake Disney's most financially successful late-period animated film with the latest in computer-generated imagery, while continually reminding people of the original by recycling the same story and music (and many of the same iconic shots and locations, including the lions' distinctively shaped Pride Rock), is as close as Hollywood gets to courting charges of blasphemy.

Visually, the original was 88 minutes' worth of stylized paintings in motion, like a child's storybook come to life, but with expressionistic or psychedelic elements (like the freaky green highlights in the "Be Prepared" sequence, and the stylized hellfire and skewed camera angles during the end battle) that tickled the sensibilities of film-buff parents. In contrast, this new "Lion King" is rooted deeply in the real, from its plain, sometimes drab colors to the animals' intricately rendered bone structures, muscles, and fur. Even when the characters are singing the familiar songs and repeating the familiar lines (or, in one hilarious and oddly postmodern interlude, quoting another Disney movie) the entire crew is working double-overtime to convince you that these creatures exist, that they shed fur and drop scat on the jungle floor.

Favreau and Deschanel's camera (or "camera"—this is a digital movie built from ones and zeros) follows closely behind the animals as they gallop through grasslands, scale cliffs and hills, tumble and wrestle and fight, and romp through water and rain. It's as as if they were real animals with intelligence and agency who allowed camera crews to follow them rather than eating them. (Disney always released animal documentaries in addition to their animated and live-action features, and this one sometimes feels like a very basic one from the 1950s, where an editor would cut to an unremarkable close-up of a bear panting in the summer heat, and the narrator would tell you it was sad because it missed its mom.)

It's impossible to deny that this movie represents a technical milestone. We've seen digitized versions of real animals before (perhaps most strikingly in the recent "Planet of the Apes" movies, and in Favreau's "Jungle Book") but they're presented so matter-of-factly by Favreau that if they didn't talk and sing, and if you squinted just a bit, you'd never know they weren't the real deal. And the filmmaking itself adds credibility. The "camera" (again, there is no camera, just CGI) seems to have weight. When it "flies" over "Africa," you'd swear it had been attached to an actual helicopter. When the elder lion king, Mufasa ( James Earl Jones, the only actor from the original reprising his part), scales the walls of a canyon to rescue his son from rampaging wildebeests unleashed by his evil brother Scar ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ), it's clear that the filmmakers have put a lot of thought into how a 400-pound alpha predator would do such a thing, whereas the original was content with "the lion climbs up the rock."

Of course there's something to be said for sticking to "the lion climbs up the rock" rather than proving you that know how to answer the question "How does a 400-pound lion climb up a rock?" The Dad Joke answer is, "Any way he wants to," but animators need more direction than that. It's easy to make a case that lions and hyenas and baboons and hornbills and antelopes drawn with ink and paint, with an eye towards the simple yet daring gesture rather than Nature Channel texture, register as more emotionally "real" than things that might be mistaken for photos, especially when they're doing vaudeville wordplay and delivering sad monologues and singing songs by Elton John and Tim Rice .

But that doesn't fly, not anymore, because the movie industry has conditioned audiences to think that "reality" and "believability" are the greatest of all creative virtues, and that the live-action blockbuster is the classiest, most respectful way to tell a story. That's why visually daring animated films like " Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse " only make a fraction of the box office haul of more literal-minded live-action Marvel movies. And it's why almost every spectacle-driven live action (or "live action") blockbuster, from Marvel and DC to the " Star Wars " franchise and the American Godzilla films, and the Transformers, and even Pixar, are obsessed with making sure that countertops and pavement and glass and hair and skin and fur and fire and water look photographically real, and that everything moves believably even you're watching wisecracking toys or combat droids or city-destroying kaiju. To quote a friend, if you follow this creative impulse too slavishly, it's like using a magic wand to make a toaster .

Where you fall on this stuff is anyone's guess, if you care about it at all. You might not, and that's OK. But it should be said that even if you're not obsessed with cinema minutia, this film is still a fascinating aesthetic experiment, less reminiscent of Favreau's previous photorealistic Disney animal picture, "The Jungle Book," than of Gus van Sant's 1998 remake of Alfred Hitchcock 's "Psycho," a curiosity that wasn't quite shot-for-shot but got eerily close. Watching this new "Lion King" reminded me of seeing the "Psycho" remake in a theater and hearing people scream their heads off at the film's jump scares, even though they were near-exact reproductions of things Hitchcock had done 28 years earlier, with the same music, but in color instead of black and white, and with different actors.

Who deserves credit for inspiring that powerful emotional reaction in 1998? Alfred Hitchcock, for making "Psycho" in the first place? Or Gus van Sant, for realizing that the master's work was so fully realized that if he copied it as closely as possible, audiences would still scream in the same places 38 years later? If you retain as much of an original work as possible while reimagining it, is it a gesture of respect or timidity? Is the result a thought experiment, or just an easy way ("easy" in terms of imagination, not effort) to make lots of money by creating a slightly different version of a thing people already know they like? Maybe films like the new "Lion King" take the phrase "give the people what they want" absolutely literally, and that's the whole (cynical?) point of their existence. But is slavish fidelity to an old text really what "the people" want? Or is it possible—to paraphrase a different showbiz maxim that's equally true—"the people" don't actually know what they want until someone shows it to them?

There are parts of the new "Lion King" where that second maxim comes into play, and it's beguiling, sometimes glorious. Like many "live action" Disney remakes of animated movies, this one is much longer than the original, and yet (like Favreau's "Jungle Book," still the best entry in this photorealistic remake series) it uses the extra length to make a statement, creating a sense of stillness. This might sound odd in a review of a CGI-driven 2019 Disney movie, but Favreau often appears to be trying to create a mid-twentieth-century motion picture made with the shiniest new tech—the kind of movie that took its time and gave viewers a bit of mental breathing space, permitting them to contemplate what they were seeing as they saw it.

There are times when the movie clears out music and dialogue and just lets you hear natural sounds and watch lions, giraffes, elephants, birds, rodents, and insects move through the frame. This movie uses the motif of "light" more subtly than the original, because it's striving to look "real" rather than stylized, and the result is a great example of how CGI animation can achieve a different kind of poetic effect that's different from the kind that old-fashioned cel animators might attempt.

When Mufasa tells young Simba that his domain is "everything the light touches," the scene is illuminated by a golden, dawn-like glow, and when they have what proves to be their final conversation before Mufasa's death (that's not a spoiler, folks—"Hamlet" is 400 years old) the sunlight ebbs and gives way to darkness, and the sky fills with stars, foreshadowing Mufasa taking his place among the ghosts of kings and queens up above. A sequence two-thirds of the way through takes a brief transitional bit from the original—Rafiki the baboon realizing that Simba is still alive by catching his scent in the wind—and builds a lengthy, chain-reaction sequence around it, with a tuft of Simba's fur traveling, like the " Forrest Gump " feather, from the Eden-like jungle where he's exiled himself to the pridelands.

And while the photorealism of the animals snuffs out any possibility of subtle "human" facial expressions, the creatures' bodies provide more characterization detail than you might expect. Especially impressive is the way Scar's physique contrasts with Mufasa's. The former is angular and raw, a Mick Jagger or David Bowie sort of body that lopes and limps, while the latter is a magnificent bruiser like Dave Bautista or Dwayne Johnson , so thick and powerful that when he moves, you can imagine the air parting around him. When Scar licks his paw and grooms himself absentmindedly as his brother pontificates, the gesture comes across as decadent and contemptuous even though it looks like something a real lion would do. That's filmmaking magic of a different kind than was contained in the source, and it's not necessarily lesser.

What distinguishes all these choices is that they aren't blatantly trying to re-create or pay homage to something that viewers loved in an original work, in order to comfort us and press our nostalgia buttons. That means they can stand on their own two paws, making unflattering comparison harder. When the movie is doing its own thing, you don't think about whether Donald Glover's performance as the adult Simba is better or worse or merely different from Matthew Broderick's Simba (he's different—more internalized and shell-shocked), or whether Beyonce gives a better acting performance as Nala than Moira Kelly (she doesn't, except when she sings), or whether Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen are a funnier meerkat-warthog duo than Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella (call it a tie, and ties go to actors with Broadway-caliber singing voices). The movie is never less interesting than when it's trying to be the original "Lion King," and never more compelling than when it's carving out negative space within a very familiar property and strutting to the beat of its own, new music.

The worst thing you can say about this movie, and perhaps the highest compliment you can pay it, is to say it would be even more dazzling if it told a different story with different animals and the same technology and style—and maybe without songs, because you don't necessarily need them when you have images that sing.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Film credits.

The Lion King (2019)

Rated PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements.

118 minutes

Donald Glover as Simba (voice)

Beyoncé Knowles as Nala (voice)

James Earl Jones as Mufasa (voice)

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar (voice)

Alfre Woodard as Sarabi (voice)

John Oliver as Zazu (voice)

John Kani as Rafiki (voice)

Seth Rogen as Pumbaa (voice)

Billy Eichner as Timon (voice)

Eric André as Azizi (voice)

Florence Kasumba as Shenzi (voice)

Keegan Michael Key as Kamari (voice)

JD McCrary as Young Simba (voice)

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The Lion King Summary 4 Pages 920 Words

The film I decided to summarize is The Lion King by Walt Disney. It is an animated film as are all Disney movies. The movie opens with the themes song "The Circle Of Life" playing as the camera show Mufasa, king of the lions holding his newborn son Simba. The whole community of animals is here at Pride Rock to witness young Simba because he is the future king. Everyone in the kingdom is happy about the birth of the new prince except for one lion. That lion is Scar. Scar is Mufasas brother and was next in line to be king before Simba took his place. Scar is angry and jealous of young Simba. Young Simba is a very happy lion. He plays all the time with his best friend, a lioness named Nala. Simba is watched by the bird Zazu, and when Zazu tells Simba that one day he will be king, Simba is more then happy bursting into the song "I Just Can't Wait To Be King". Scar meanwhile has other plans for Simba. One day Scar sends Simba to play in the elephant graveyard and Scar also sends his minions , they hyenas there. The hyenas try to kill Simba but Mufasa shows up and saves Simba. When Scar learns of this he becomes angered even more and sings "Be Prepared" in reference to his plan to kill Simba. Scar has the plan set. He lures Simba to the gorge and gets him to wait there, while the hyenas cause a stampede of the wilderbeast. Scar knows that Simba has no chance of surviving the stampede. Simba is on his way to doom when Mufasa comes to his aid again. Mufasa gets Simba out of harms way but in the process finds himself hanging off a cliff. Scar sees this and rushes to the cliff but not to save Mufasa but to make sure he dies. Scar then tells Simba that he should leave because Mufasas death was his fault and the kingdom will be angry with him.. Simba departs Pride Rock very solemnly. Simba finds his own place to live far away. He then meets Timon (a wisecracking merecat) and Pumb ...

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Production Analysis of The Lion King Essay

Introduction, progress of technologies seen in the film, emotional impact of the movie, works cited.

Animate film The Lion King from 2019 is a remake of the popular same-name hand-drawn cartoon. The action of both films takes place in the African savannah. They tell the story of a lion cub named Simba, who lost his father Mufasa because of his evil uncle Scar and was expelled from the pride. Years later, he returns to restore justice and regain the throne. In spite of the fact that the remake features spectacular photorealistic scenes made with the help of computer animation, it lacks emotional richness.

Researchers note that over the last two decades, digitalization and visual effects used while making animated films have developed greatly providing film-makers with a set of new opportunities (Bruckner et. al. 6). In this respect, The Lion King (2019) is a milestone from a technological perspective (Seitz). Jon Favreau, the director, who is good at creating the feeling of realness in animated films and his crew make the viewers feel like in the movie, not digitally created lions, monkeys, and other animals but real ones are shown (Seitz). According to Seitz, “this might be his best-directed film, if you judge purely in terms of how the scenes and sequences have been framed, lit, and cut together” (Seitz). So, the film-makers managed to create an animated film that looks like it has been shot with a camera.

The magnificence of the savannah is conveyed through employing long shots from the bird’s eye’s view and the high angle at the beginning of the film. Researchers note that shots of this kind are widely used by directors when they want to place a premium on the environment and show the position of the characters in it (Prince 9). Close-ups, on the contrary, emphasize the characters rather than the setting (Prince 9).

The Lion King 2019 features quite a lot of close-ups letting the “camera” (for it is a digitalized movie) follow the animals while they roam in water and rain or run through the meadows. The light reminds of the natural light of savannah which makes this motif different from the one of the original (Seitz). Plain, drab colors chosen are also true-to-life, therefore, the audience is, on the one hand, excited to see such a detailed representation of reality (Seitz). On the other hand, all these tools make people feel like they are watching rather a documentary film about nature than a fictional animated movie.

Although the technical components of The Lion King might deserve a high grade, it is possible to note that “the question becomes not if animators can create realistic animation, but if they should” (Greer 2). Actually, the faces of highly detailed digital characters look stiff and can hardly express the range of emotions required (Prince 13). That is why in the movie under analysis realistic animals are not capable of having proper facial expressions.

As a result, all the episodes that, according to the plot, should involve plenty of emotions, in fact, do not. Mufasa’s death, Scar’s monologues and other fragments of the remake which are intended to be highly affective fall flat on the spectators. Moreover, the vocal performances taken from the original movie do not correspond with the unemotional faces (Seitz). In the film, the sounds of the wild nature can be heard which aggravates the similarity of the film with a documentary.

To sum up, in The Lion King from 2019, greater emphasis is placed on the realistic representation of animals and nature not only in pictures but also in sounds. With the use of the latest visual effect and tools, the film-makers have achieved impressive realness. However, as for the emotional component, the movie might be not deep enough due to the technical inability to make digitalized characters convey proper emotions.

Bruckner, Franziska, ‎et al. Global Animation Theory: International Perspectives at Animafest Zagreb . Bloomsbury Academic, 2018.

Greer, Sarah. Simulating Life: Reimagining Realism in the Art of Animation . 2019. Web.

Prince, Stephen. Movies and Meaning: An Introduction to Film 6 th ed. Pearson Education, 2013.

Seitz, Matt. “ The Lion King Movie Review and Film Summary. ” rogerebert . 2019. Web.

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Category Family , Literature

Topic Character , Children

The Lion King and the Heroic Journey

The plot and themes, saga of simba, the betrayal, life in exile, reunion with nala, simba's inner journey, the return and the final battle, the final showdown, reflection on the human journey.

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Lion Pride Hierarchy Gone Wrong – Lion King Summary Essay

August 3, 2019
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The entire plotline of the movie is based on the Family Dynamics of Lion which is called Lion Pride, how could Disney get it so wrong? My Lion King Summary Essay of 1000 words

It’s all over the internet and people are just dumbfounded that considering the entire plotline is based on Family Dynamics of Lion, how could they get it so wrong? Everybody is talking about how in real-life families of lions, females have a more dominating role, unlike the movie which totally ignored the facts. Provided the movies are a work of fiction and it was not a documentary, Disney really abused the license of creativity by forcing the male characters to steal all the glory that belonged to female loins.

The female members of the group are in charge of hunting, raising cubs, and making important decisions for the group. Lioness or female lions are the leads in real life! Therefore the entire basis of the movie plotline (rivalry of male lions) falls short when tested for facts. Fans’ recommend story would have been better suited if it was ‘The Lion Queen ’ instead.

Table of Contents

What are True Lion Behaviours and Family Dynamics in Real Life?

In a typical African pride, three to six females live together, controlling all the family dynamics and making important decisions like where to hunt and who would be a suitable mate. The females recruit their daughters who live with them until death. This ensures that related females will be able to take care of each other’s offspring in case of death or any other calamity. In psychology, it is called ‘tend-and-befriend’ a stress response commonly used by females. Sounds like a very healthy and highly functioning society, right? Wait till you read the other half of the story.

Is Disney To Blame?

On the other hand, males who are otherwise loving fathers, and are seen showing affection towards the cubs, live a very insecure life. They can be thrown out of the group if a female decides she is interested in another mate. Out of this insecurity, they force any male cub showing signs of adolescence to leave the pride. This means male lions are thrown out of their own family at the young age of two to three years and then wander off until they are accepted by any other pride and hence after again live under the fear of rejection.

Sometimes male lions kill cubs (not their own offspring) to force a lioness to go back on the heat, so she will accept him as a suitor. Talk about a dysfunctional society and unhealthy family dynamics, eh? Yes! While it should be no surprise that Disney has always been more gender-biased and patriarchal than they would care to admit, however, after Belle from The Beauty and The Beast and Anna from Frozen, fans started to believe that Disney has grown out of its typical ‘damsel in distress’ mindset.

But apparently old biases die hard and Disney is still stuck in the 17th century denying female characters their credit and glorifying male characters just because. It was a great opportunity to change the gender of Simba and the main characters giving the Lionesses their fair credit and young girls some inspiration, but Disney messed it up badly.

What Do Lion Behaviour Experts Have to Say?

Alexander Richard Braczkowski , a Zoologist, who is also a Ph.D. candidate says that in real life it would be Sarabi’s Pride, and Scar and Mufasa will be partners and NOT enemies. Male siblings stick together to secure a better tenure in a female-dominated group. He further confirms that Lion lives in a matrilineal society and the real-life dynamics of a lion pride in African national parks can be far more Game of Thrones than The Circle of Life. Related females stay together in groups and chose which males should be allowed in the group (mostly for mating purposes).

He also shared an interesting real-life example of how a group of six male lions joined forces in the mid-2000s in South Africa’s Sabi-Sands game reserve, to take control of a huge landscape of 170,000 acres for six years. However, their enterprise was overthrown by another two males. Another interesting fact that Alexander shared in his post is that female lionesses prefer mates with darker manes over lighter ones. This is because male lions with darker hair have more testosterone and heal quicker after fights. They indicate fitness and sexiness to lionesses.

This means that the Scar who had a gorgeous black mane would be considered sexier than his brother with lighter locks. (Totally not thinking about how much hotter Loki is than Thor). Speaking of Scar, his act of telling Simba to leave and never return is much close to reality but it will not be through manipulation and guilt but with force and pure menacing threats.

Banishing male lions is no novelty or punishment; that’s how it is for them. Once the cub is two years old they are just forcibly evicted by their own fathers and uncles out of fear of competition that is triggered by the fresh supply of testosterone in the young lions. When they are thrown out of the family as adolescents it becomes more important to stick around with their brothers and cousins to have each other’s back (which brings us back to why Mufasa and Scar would be partners).

Final Word? (Concluding Lion King Summary Essay)

When the Lion King movie was originally released in 1994, that was a different time period. Back then media was mainly controlled by patriarchal Gods and female leads had little to no scope. At that time viewers were also not this insistent on seeing more of female representation as to the strong, independent, and influential leads. But now the time has changed and so has the mindset of viewers and trends of media. Only if Disney will start to catch up! Seriously I don’t think any fewer people would have watched the movie if they have marketed it as “The Lion Queen – Gender Swapped Because Facts and Female Leads are Awesome!” What Do You Think?

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