The Lion King

  The Lion King is the top rated kids’ movie and is considered one of the greatest Disney animated musicals. It has some violence but it mostly shows and teaches kids that love, hope, and family are the three things that matter most. In The Lion King, Simba is voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a child and is voiced by James Earl Jones as an adult (Common Sense Media). Simba starts out as a cub and after his uncle Scar kills Mufasa, Simba’s father, Simba runs away and meets Timon and Pumbaa who takes him in and serves as his best friends/family. After he gets older his childhood friend Nala finds him and tells him that he needs to come back and take over the pride that is rightfully his to own.

 

          Some things you may not have known was that The Lion King was first named “King of the Jungle” but due to the fact that there was no “jungle”, because the characters were out on the savanna, the makers had to change it. During the making of the movie the creative team decided to bring in real live lions to research their movements so they had a better idea of how they moved. Also, while they were trying to find a song, they first started out with the song ‘He’s got it all worked out’ when they decided they needed a more fun loving and bug eating kind of song, they started thinking of something along the lines of Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo and Hakuna Matata came to be. Finally, Pumbaa’s tummy rubbing in the movie was inspired by an animator’s wife. If you notice that in the movie scene where Pumbaa, Timon, and Simba are lying underneath the stars, Pumbaa starts gently rubbing his belly. This idea came from the animator’s pregnant wife, where when women are pregnant they sometimes like to rub their bellies to make them feel more comfortable. Thanks to this idea, Pumbaa is more human and relatable.

          In my opinion The Lion King is great for all ages. I remember watching it with my brother when I was little. To this day it is still one of my favorite childhood movies. My favorite part is when Timon and Pumbaa find Simba and start singing Hakuna Matata. This song brings joy and happiness. If I could I would choose this movie as my child’s first movie to watch and remember.

 

Citations:

“The Lion King.” – Movie Review. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-lion-king>.

“Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Lion King.” D23com. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <https://d23.com/ten-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-lion-king/>.

“Best Disney Movies.” Top Disney Movies. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. <http://www.disneymovieslist.com/best/best-disney-movies.asp>.