10
Wednesday, June 29, 1994
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
REVIEW
'Lion King' should take lion's share
By Matt Hydeman Kansan staff writer
"We are all a part of the circle of life." says the great Lion King, Mufasa, to his son, Simba, as the cub looks wide-eyed at the lands stretching before him from Pride Rock.
Thus begins Walt Disney Pictures' latest animated film, "The Lion King."
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Company / KANSAN
More than three years in the making, the studio's first original animated production promises to be bigger than "Aladdin" or "Beauty and the Beast" in entertainment for all ages. Already the film's opening weekend has netted Disney $44 million — almost double what "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast" made in their opening weekends combined. The film still has the rest of the summer to draw crowds and lure audiences back to experience the magic over and over again.
The story revolves around Simba, the heir to all the land seen from Pride Rock. Simba, the son of Mufasa, is forced to grow quickly after the death of his father, which is caused by Scar, the King's brother. Simba believes that he is responsible for his father's death and flees the kingdom, never to look back. He finds a new life with a wart hog, who has a case of flatulence, and a meerkat, which looks like a prairie dog.
It's no joke when I say "for all ages," either. When I watched the movie on Saturday, there were as many, if not more, adults attending the film than children. One couple said that their four-year-old didn't want to see the movie but that they came because they liked a preview they had seen.
Unbeknownst to Simba, Pride Rock has been taken over by Scar and all the hyenas in the area. They have pledged their allegiance to Scar as long as he provides them with food. A young lioness — Nala, Simba's betrothed — stumbles upon the presumed-dead Simba. She tells him of the kingdom's fate and of Scar's takeover of the land.
When Simba balks at returning to the scene of his perceived "crime," he faces the ghosts of his past — and his father's spirit — and knows that he must rejoin the "circle of life" that is his destiny. He returns to face the sinister Scar.
It's a credit to both the actors and the film that the animators could incorporate the actors' features and mannerisms that make the characters as realistic as possible. The vocal talent in this film is also first-rate.
Actor James Earl Jones lends his voice to King Mufasa, father of Simba. Jones' rich voice, with its low rumble of quiet power and strength, is one of the best parts of this movie. If lions could truly speak, all of them should sound as good as Jones' Mufasa.
As the young Simba, television's "Home Improvement" star Jonathan Taylor Thomas gives the lion cub a mischievous yet innocent tone that transcends the animation to tug at your heartstrings in the film's saddest parts. Matthew Broderick, as the adult Simba, matches Thomas by making Simba the uncertain yet brave lion who knows
that he must fulfill his destiny within the "circle of life" and return to Pride Rock to stop Scar.
Scar might have been the hardest role for which to find the right actor. Not only did Scar have to be evil but he also had to be clever enough to get away with manipulating the young Simba.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Company / KANSAN
Irons played in the movie "Reversal of Fortune."
In addition to the tremendous work of Broderick, Irons, Jones and Taylor, the film is filled with surprise voice cameo from Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings as the hyena henchmen of Scar. Niketa Calame and Moira Kelly are the voices of the young and adult Nala. Madge Sinclair is Simba's mother, Sarabi, while Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are Simba's friends, Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the wart hog. Robert Guillaume is Rafki, the baboon priest, who is the keeper of the "circle of life."
continued use of computer animation like that used in "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast." There were areas in the movie where I was certain that I was looking at actual film, only to discover that it was indeed animation. This new technology is quickly becoming a standard in animation and is well worth the time it takes to meld the animation with computer graphics.
"The Lion King" is certain to be the biggest hit of 1994, with children and adults alike. If this film doesn't make you laugh or cry, or move you by the message that we all must take our place in the "circle of life," then you must have a heart of stone. Disney has again outdone itself in creating a fantastic story and a tremendous film.
The animation is exceptionally fluid in areas thanks to the
COMMENTARY
Animated movie is Disney's pride
By Chester Maple
Special to the Kansas
It is the dawn of a new day and a new frontier for Disney Studios.
The studio's first original animated film, "The Lion King," opened nationally Friday. It is showing at Hillcrest Theatres. 925 Iowa St.
Studio sources said that the film was different from other animated films in several ways. The film was inspired by Greek mythology, Shakespeare and several other sources. It also takes a risky step by depicting a tragic, on-screen death, sources said.
According to an article in the July 1994 Premiere magazine, Jeffrey Kenberg, head of Walt Disney Studios, started nursing this project in 1991 when it was called, "King of the Jungle." The title was changed when the film makers learned that lions don't actually live in the jungle.
Jody Rovick, a Disney Studios publicist based in Kansas, said it took more than 600 animators to complete the film. However, when animators first were approached about the project, no one would touch it.
In the Premiere article, one of the animators said, "It's harder to do animals — there are twice as many legs, and it takes a lot of analyzing."
Apparently the studio and the animators became more confident. In the summer of 1993, there already were rumors of a Lion King attraction at Disney World in Florida. It is tentatively scheduled to open Friday.
After more than one million drawings, which consisted of 1,190 individual scenes, the final product is an exciting story about growing up and taking responsibility. With its wonderful music and incredible cast of characters, "The Lion King" is a film that few people will forget.
The movie features the voices of James Earl Jones as King Mufasa, Jeremy Irons as his evil brother Scar and Matthew Broderick as the adult Simba, who becomes the Lion King.
Another step in the film's creation was choosing the right music.
Academy-award winning lyricist Tim Rice, hot off his success with "Aladdin," wrote the music with the aid Elton John. The studio also hired Hans Zimmer, whose credits include "Rain Man" and "The Power of One," to write the instrumental score.
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The movie follows Simba's journey from boyhood, exile, adolescent irresponsibility and back to his destiny as true king. Helping Simba with this trek are comic-relief characters Pumba, a lovable, dimwitted wart hog and Timon, a small, hyperactive meerkat with a sharp tongue. Their philosophy for Simba is "Hakuna Matata," or "no worries."
Simbalives by this philosophy until he is visited by his father's ghost. He is urged to take his place in the circle of life.
Premiere predicted that "The Lion King" would earn $100 million by Labor Day and become one of the highest-grossing films of the summer.
Look for "The Lion King" to emerge as Disney's summer pride.
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