Plot
Tricked into thinking he killed his father, a guilt ridden lion cub flees into exile and abandons his identity as the future King.
Release Year: 1994
Rating: 8.3/10 (226,320 voted)
Critic's Score: 83/100
Director:
Roger Allers
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones
Storyline A lion prince is born in Africa and is told by his father, King Mufasa, that when Mufasa dies, Simba will take over the throne, cheating his Uncle Scar out of becoming King of the Pride Lands. Scar, fueled by rage, plots to kill Mufasa and Simba so he is able to take over the throne. He and the hyenas team up and manage to push Mufasa to his death, but Simba survives, and, armed with misinformation, flees the Pride Lands. Simba, believing that his father's death was his own fault, decides to never return home; due to this decision, he meets Timone the Meerkat, and Pummba the Warthog, and the trio become fast friends. Simba stays with them well into adulthood until his childhood friend, Nala, tracks him down and begs him to return to the Pride Lands, where Scar has reigned as King for years, and ruined everything. All of the animals will starve to death if Simba does not return. Simba...
Writers: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts
Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas
-
Young Simba
(voice)
Matthew Broderick
-
Adult Simba
(voice)
James Earl Jones
-
Mufasa
(voice)
Jeremy Irons
-
Scar
(voice)
Moira Kelly
-
Adult Nala
(voice)
Nathan Lane
-
Timon
(voice)
Niketa Calame
-
Young Nala
(voice)
Ernie Sabella
-
Pumbaa
(voice)
Robert Guillaume
-
Rafiki
(voice)
Rowan Atkinson
-
Zazu
(voice)
Madge Sinclair
-
Sarabi
(voice)
Whoopi Goldberg
-
Shenzi
(voice)
Cheech Marin
-
Banzai
(voice)
Jim Cummings
-
Ed
(voice)
Frank Welker
-
Additional Voices
(voice)
Taglines:
The Circle of Life
Release Date: 24 June 1994
Box Office Details
Budget: $45,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $1,825,849
(USA)
(15 June 1994)
(66 Screens)
Gross: $945,578,747
(Worldwide)
(10 December 2011)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
A few weeks before the film opened, Elton John was given a special screening. Noticing that the film's love song had been left out, he successfully lobbied to have the song put back in. Later, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" won him an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Goofs:
Factual errors:
The elephant skeletons would have to come from freakishly large elephants. Hyenas could not pass through the trunk socket of an elephant's skull.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Scar:
[Scar catches a mouse]
Life's not fair, is it? You see, I... well, I shall never be king. And you... shall never see the light of another day. Hmm-hmm-hmm, adieu. Zazu:
Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?
User Review
The Best Animated Film I Have Ever Seen
Rating: 10/10
The Lion King is a great film. Along with a great story (inspired by
William Shakespeare's Hamlet), terrific animation, and an all star cast of
voices, there are the lessons that are learned from this film (despite
being
a little rough for the younger children). Like responsibility and honor.
I rank this animated film among the great films I have ever seen. It was
part of my childhood and it is a film experience I will never forget. And
hopefully, you won't either. A++
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