Re-Watch: The Lion King (1994)

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There are quite a few movies seen as kids that we never revisit as adults. So now that we are all grown up (well, at least technically), here’s a review ‘re-watch’ of a fond memory, but with a whole new perspective…

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When The Lion King released, there was huge hype created about its incredible new animation, although it was still 2D. My brother and I were among the first to rent a video cassette of the movie and huddled up in front of the TV. Carmen Twillie started belting out ‘The Circle of Life’ as the entire animal kingdom rushed to catch the first glimpse of the new prince. But for me, the most everlasting memory of that isn’t the hero shot of Rafiki the mandrill holding up baby Simba; instead, it’s a scene at the very beginning of the movie, where the camera is focused on a line of ants walking up a tree and slowly switches the focus to the background as a herd of zebras marches on. They looked almost real!

Cut to 15 years later and on a dull Saturday afternoon, I decided to return to The Lion King, just to see what effect it has now. The quality of animation has obviously gotten a lot better since then and while the film can’t compare to modern productions, I was glad to see that one shot still stands out just as much. Believe me, there’s nothing cooler than having a nostalgic memory stand the test of time…

Makes for a wonderful wallpaper, eh?

I’m not going to waste space on the movie’s story or other such introductory factors here. If you haven’t watched the movie (and in that case, go stand in the corner, you heathen!), you can check out the IMDB plot synopsis and its Wikipedia page to know more about it. The movie’s great and well worth your time; if it wasn’t, people wouldn’t be talking or reading about it years later.

What really surprised me about The Lion King while re-watching it now was that this was a ‘kiddie movie’ with messages that are aimed completely at adults.

The most explicit message to film is to embrace one’s past by learning from it rather than running away from it. Honestly, what is someone with 8-10 years of experience on this planet going to gain from that?

One of the best parts about re-watching the movie is that certain conversations and dialogues bring about a new depth to them. As a kid, I hardly even noticed these! Take, for example, this little exchange between Mufasa and Simba about the ‘Circle of Life’:

Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.

Simba: But Dad, don't we eat the antelope?

Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.

Another cool bit about watching the movie as an adult — especially one who has been exposed to hours of Discovery and National Geographic — is to observe the attention to detail that the animators and the writers have put in. As a child, I watched Simba and Scar face off in a vengeful final battle, hoping the noble, prodigal prince takes out the undeserving, evil king. As an adult, I noticed a lion’s instinct to rise up on his hind legs when fighting another lion, so as to use those powerful paws that can easily crush a human spine. These are little things, but they mean a lot to a keen viewer.

Hakuna Matata! (Click to listen)

Oh, and the soundtrack! I loved the songs even as a kid and had the album, but always fast-forwarded them while watching the movie. Now, the songs suddenly seem so integral to the film that it would be sacrilege to skip through them. The Lion King is an all-out musical with the songs being used as narrators and to take the story forward. Take a bow, Elton John, take a bow.

In the end, it’s almost poetic that the first feature of the Re-Watch section is a movie that tells us to revisit our past and learn from it to understand who we really are…

Rating: 7/10