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The Lion King

Play trailer 1:13 Poster for The Lion King G 1994 1h 28m Kids & Family Musical Adventure Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 173 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
This Disney animated feature follows the adventures of the young lion Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), the heir of his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones). Simba's wicked uncle, Scar (Jeremy Irons), plots to usurp Mufasa's throne by luring father and son into a stampede of wildebeests. But Simba escapes, and only Mufasa is killed. Simba returns as an adult (Matthew Broderick) to take back his homeland from Scar with the help of his friends Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella).
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The Lion King

The Lion King

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Critics Consensus

Emotionally stirring, richly drawn, and beautifully animated, The Lion King is a pride within Disney's pantheon of classic family films.

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Critics Reviews

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Bernard Zuel Sydney Morning Herald Apr 29
The beauty and precision of the animation in this Disney film is its most obvious feature. You find yourself praising the lighting and cinematography before realising it's all in the drawings. Go to Full Review
David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture 12/20/2024
The grandeur of the Serengeti Plain comes through the animation, and the young audience may actually feel something like amazement. Go to Full Review
Rob Salem Toronto Star 12/19/2024
4/5
The unique matching of voice to visual makes each of the characters sing, in the figurative as well as the literal sense. Go to Full Review
Jeffrey Gantz Boston Phoenix 12/20/2024
Best of all is Scar: his sly treachery is worthy of Shakespeare's master overreacher, and Jeremy Irons responds as if born to play Richard III. Go to Full Review
Nanciann Cherry Toledo Blade 12/20/2024
4/4
A superb movie, with a timeless story, many levels of humor, and artwork that conveys images and themes that real-life movies could only hint at. Go to Full Review
Michael D. Reid Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada) 12/20/2024
Apart from the brilliant, incredibly-detailed animation, the film's most overwhelming asset is the inspired vocal casting. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ben W 10/11/2023 Great! Classic! Amazing music and touching story. See more A 10/02/2023 it's a wonderful movie. I didn't get to watch it in Theaters because I was too young at the time. it's a great movie and all the kids and parents will love it. See more Easton B @Ebmoviemaster2026 16h Here is my spoiler free review on the lion king and it is an amazing film. The animation is great for the time period. Simba is a great protagonist and overall all the characters are great. Scar is one of my favorite animated villains of all time. The songs slap so hard. The plot is great. It has one of the most emotional scenes in cinema history. The cast fit the roles perfectly. The fight scenes are very well done. The humor is great especially between Timon and Pumba which are a great duo. This movie is so nostalgic for me and will never get old. Now let’s get into the negatives. I wish some of the origins of some of the characters were explained more, that is basically it lol. Overall it is an amazing film and definitely my 2nd favorite Disney film of all time. See more Vixo S @vixo_six Jun 10 The Lion King remains powerful because it turns a childhood adventure into a myth about grief, identity and the painful process of growing into oneself. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff build a film that feels epic in shape but deeply intimate in emotional effect. Its central loss gives the story a lasting wound. The film does not treat grief as something simple or temporary. It allows guilt, confusion and escape to exist beside humor, warmth and beauty. That balance is what makes it meaningful for children and adults alike. The animation still carries scale and grace, while Hans Zimmer's score and the songs by Elton John and Tim Rice give the film its mythic force. Years later, The Lion King endures because it understands that growing up often means learning how to live with absence while still accepting who you are meant to become. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Jun 2 A mesmerizingly powerful transcendence for animation that achieved perfection in utterly emitting an epic spectacular in a standard timeframe filled with unforgettably strengthening music and fantastic performances, highly raising this [unexpected triumph] as Disney’s greatest animated film whilst cemented in the studio’s top tiers. (A+) See more Franco S @francospak May 27 The Lion King is a beautiful classic. That ages like a wine, not like a grape. I've lived its premiere as a kid, an got absolutely blockbustered with its VHS. And now, as a father, I've lived once again its beautiful drawing, breathtaking script, funny characters, and moving music. Not a single frame wasted. Even the cheapshots and low punches are crafted and timed to perfection. See more Read all reviews
The Lion King

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Movie Info

Synopsis This Disney animated feature follows the adventures of the young lion Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), the heir of his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones). Simba's wicked uncle, Scar (Jeremy Irons), plots to usurp Mufasa's throne by luring father and son into a stampede of wildebeests. But Simba escapes, and only Mufasa is killed. Simba returns as an adult (Matthew Broderick) to take back his homeland from Scar with the help of his friends Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella).
Director
Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Producer
Don Hahn
Screenwriter
Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton
Distributor
Walt Disney Pictures
Production Co
Walt Disney Pictures
Rating
G
Genre
Kids & Family, Musical, Adventure, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 24, 1994, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jul 12, 2024
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$95.6M
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
DTS, DTS-ES, Dolby A, Dolby SR, SDDS, Dolby Digital, Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)