The Lion King is Shakespearean with themes of responsibility, past, identity, shame, oneness, trauma, and time. These messages are muddled by the convenient climax, ignorant politics, and simplistic resolution, but those are passable blemishes on a timeless narrative. The scope is grand, the characters are memorable and dynamic, the dialogue is impactful, the arc is quintessential, motivation is strong, emotions are ranged, and the bookend is powerful. Plus, each voice actor brings relatable charisma, commitment, and distinction. Consequently, there are few films with heart, tragedy, mysticism, and triumph like The Lion King. It's a dazzling and immediate icon.
Technically, The Lion King is a symphony. Its music delivers classic songs and epic drama. The famous design blends tragedy, cartoons, and an African setting. Its golden age animation supplements hand drawings with pivotal CGI. The imagery adds meaningful composition, motion, color, lighting, and framing. Its cast lacks regional authenticity, but they're also inseparable from the roles. The sound utilizes echoes, stings, diegetics, and distortions while building action, atmosphere, and tone from scratch. Its editing provides momentum, fades, action, superimposition, cross-cuts, match dissolves, rhythm, and a concise runtime. Overall, The Lion King confidently marries substance with entertainment.
Writing: 9/10
Direction: 10/10
Cinematography: 9/10
Acting: 8/10
Editing: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Score/Soundtrack: 10/10
Production Design: 10/10
Casting: 9/10
Effects: 10/10
Overall Score: 9.2/10
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