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Review of film: “LION KING 3D”
In 1994, DISNEY released a movie that not many people felt would do very well—“LION KING”, with original music by ELTON JOHN & TIM RICE...
... It became a huge worldwide BLOCKBUSTER (nearly $ 772 million). The U.S. gross was like $ 312+ million (making it the largest ANIMATED-film gross up to that time). An IMAX release in 2002 brought in another $ 29+ million...
... The movie was released on VHS & regular DVD discs, & that (including rentals) brought in another $ 1.5 billion...
... Now, DISNEY has had the film converted into 3D for a scheduled 2-week release in movie theaters, mainly as a way of building-up “buzz” for its release on BLU-RAY 3D discs on October 4th...
... I viewed a theater 3D screening of the film, & here’s my report:
... As you may recall, the King of the Jungle is a lion named Mufasa (voiced by JAMES EARL JONES)...
... With his wife Sarabi (MADGE SINCLAIR) nearby, he goes up on a rock outcropping & lets a mandrill named Rafiki (ROBERT GUILLAUME) -- the “Shaman” of the Pride Lands – hold up his new baby son Simba (later voiced by JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS) for the other animals to see & celebrate...
... Almost everyone is happy at the birth -- except for Mufasa’s jealous brother lion Scar (voiced by JEREMY IRONS), who dislikes that there’s now an heir “between” him & being able to RULE the Pride Lands himself (which is his long-time goal)...
... Simba grows, & becomes friends with a female lion named Nala (NIKETA CALAME)... Mufasa’s advisor, a Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill bird named Zazu (ROWAN ATKINSON), tries to “guide” Simba in how to behave...
... In his scheme to take over the Pride Lands, evil Scar works to enlist the help of a group of feline HYENAS: Shenzi (WHOOPI GOLDBERG), Banzai (CHEECH MARIN), & “laugher” Ed (JIM CUMMINGS)...
... Scar misleads Mufasa, causes him to be KILLED in a stampede-- & tries to make Simba believe that HE (Simba) was the source of his father’s death...
... That causes Simba to RUN AWAY -- & allows SCAR to take over as RULER of the Pride Lands, assisted by his Hyena cohorts...
... As he travels thru new lands, Simba meets up with the proponents of “HAKUNA MATATA” – a warthog named Pumbaa (ERENIE SABELA) & meerkat Timon (NATHAN LANE) --, who remain helpful lifelong FRIENDS...
... Once he becomes an adult lion, Simba (now voiced by MATTHEW BRODERICK), RETURNS to the Pride Lands, & is happy to meet up with now-grown Nala (MOIRA KELLY)...
... Simba learns he’d been DECEIVED by Scar, & (with the help of his various friends) works to regain his rightful place as KING of the Pride Lands...
... I’ve made a number of complaints in the past about INEFFECTIVE use of 3D in most recent releases...
... But, in this movie, it’s QUITE EFFECTIVE, giving added “depth” & an enjoyable sense of enhanced “ACTION” to what’s happening onscreen (the dances of characters, the COMBAT between various animals, etc.)...
... The story is fine, the characterizations & animation are excellent, the music is WONDERFUL, & thus this is one of a very small number of films which I rate at 10.00 out of 10 stars for effectively implementing “THE CIRCLE OF LIFE”...
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