1
I will admit whether they are original cartoons or CGI, Disney's G-Rated are typically nothing but lame "sweet" crap. The story was lame, and (even worse) the movie had terrible music through all of it. The Lion King is one Disney movie that I saw when it first came out, and it proved this very well in 1994. The whole movie is simply telling kids to be brave and do what your told. The memories of having to watch this movie will simply give you nightmares. Just watch something like the original 60's "Flintstones" cartoons instead, they were much more entertaining than "The Lion King".
2
The top 250 films of all time this apparently is? Well obviously a bunch of chimpanzee's must be deciding what films are featured on this list. The Lion King is a terrible film that is massively overrated. After watching it I felt I had seen the film before. The ideas were stolen from the films Tarzan and Ice Age! I couldn't believe the people who made this film had ripped off two other films and got away with it, an absolute disgrace! There are some poor elements of the film: 1. Hyenas. Hyenas got a lot of bad press because of this film, thousands must have died since it's release. Anyone involved or who even bought this film has the blood of innocent hyenas on their hands. 2. Animation. Very poor quality. We live in 2016, can we not get better technology now to produce better animations? 3. Jeremy Irons. Whilst not a bad actor, he is a complete hypocrite. There is a video where he actively speaks out against the death penalty. That's pretty funny Irons considering you acted the role of Scar and had no problem killing of your own brother Mufasa. Hypocrite much? Poor film that is not worth viewing. Don't waste your time.
3
This movie is way too overrated to be in the top 1000 of any lists. Why? This movie's plot is way too generic. A lot of movies that were made before this had the same plot of someone trying to impress the people around him and becoming the hero while a villain tries to stop them. Movies like avatar are WAY underrated for their fantastic storyline and effects. Be sure to like this review, so people can get their ratings right to today's times, and not let NOSTALGIA get in the way of honest ratings. If you haven't watched this movie as a child, you definitely won't enjoy it watching it now. This is not the only one, as series like avatar: the last airbender also confuse people into thinking that the movie Avatar is in any way linked to that series, which is not true at all. It's all nostalgia feelings and will pass when the next generation of people who haven't watched this empty movie will start writing reviews.
4
The story of a spiteful lion from kenya who inadvertently causes the death of his own father then cowardly runs away to live in the Dominican Republic. Simba voiced by the dreadful Mathew Brodderick is the heir to the throne and therefore spoilt rotten by his parents, he has the best of everything, a spacious cave, fresh meat whenever he demands it and his very own slave (a bird voiced by Rowan Atkinson). This however is not enough for the young lion and along with his camp uncle plots to have his father murdered by arranging a herd of antelopes to trample him to death. Simba however is not cut out for the rule of Kenya and flees leaving his uncle to pick up the pieces and try to steer the country safely towards the new millennium. Simba starts his new life in the Dominican Republic with his new friends Timon a sly twisted meerkat and Poomba a perverted boar, together the trio stoop to new levels of depravity gorging on insects and indulging in petty crime such as vandalism. Eventually encouraged to go home by a Jewish baboon Simba returns and brutally kills again this time beating his uncle to death before burning his body. He then resumes his control of Kenya completing the circle of life which Elton John so beautifully sang.


5
Hyenas are now hated for this stupid movie. And lions are not the kings of the beasts. It just sucks! It is my least favorite movie of all time. If I was to chose between watching the lion king and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, I would chose Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. I have no idea what people see in this movie. I would give it a negative number if I could. HYENAS KILL LIONS! I just hate it. TIGERS ARE THE KINGS OF THE BEASTS! NOT LIONS! I have to say, I was very disappointed, the only good thing was the music. Honestly, I wish those lions starved to death and I am glad that simbas father died. I hate Disney for making people hate hyenas. I LOVE THOSE GUYS! They are AMAZING! In fact, I like them better than humans! I just can't wait to be king. To bad you will have to wait forever. By the way, wildebeest can not trample and ADULT MALE LION! Way to go on the details there. Disney has to make a movie about hyenas being good because honestly, hyenas are not more evil than humans. AND THAT IS A FACT!
6
Even as my prescribing, I by chance (always on the lookout for KdL) read from the "new edition", and am really happy to buy the movie now, and affordable, and still be able to Blu Ray. I think films like The Lion King are no longer on the market. Sure we have great films, but there were twice as like a Disney movie The Lion King, which moves really young and old, laugh, dance where young and old, and weep? I think it's the best Disney movie of all time and am thrilled to see the movie with my children to be allowed. I can only recommend to all parents who do not know the film, he looks at you, and you convinced by what I write here. 5 out of 10 stars, enough for me;-) From my perspective, 10 out of 5 stars! I've bought the old DVD and then they lost when they move, I was sad one day and I watch it if you do not yet viell there again and since you will now be I am. After I became a mom, I'm totally in Disney fever and so you need this DVD. Purchase as many as you wish...
7
This movie is a complete and shameless rip off with no credit given of the original Kimba the white lion made in Japan in the 50's or 60's that I remember seeing as a kid. While the animation is bright and the voice acting is bearable I cannot bear to see Disney continue to take credit for another's work
8
Absolutely nasty bit of racist pandering, masquerading as a children's story. The jackals (etc.) are "the negro", get it? - the natives that the lions must civilize - or destroy - in order to rule Africa without opposition. A staunch defense of the supremacy of the Europeans, and why the rest of the world ought to bow down before them (?!). Well, why should the world bow down before them!? Because they can churn out such vomitus as this wannabe animated "film"!? The basic lesson of the vast bulk of Disney propaganda - and this has been documented time and again over the past 50 years - is that non-Northern Europeans should "learn their place" and service the needs of the triumphant Northern Europeans in Europe and America; my father was wounded fighting the Nazis for spewing such garbage, and yet it finds its way into the hearts of unsuspecting millions just because it's masked by a smiling mouse. This film is a distillation of that crap, and I am shocked and dismayed that more haven't recognized it, especially among African Americans. Well, in 1500, no one doubted the supremacy of the Pope; by 1600 Luther's converts were openly calling him "the whore of Rome". Disney, you whore of Babylon, your time will come. (Besides which, the music just sucks.)
9
It sucks!!! it seriously does...ive seen crap that was better then that movie.. and its the highest grossing animated movie of all time?!?!? what on earth were people thinking when they went to see that...it was just terrible..a waste of money and time on disney's part.
10
This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.I will give you a few reasons because of that.One is it's too mushy,most Disney Movies are much better than this.Second this is a very violent movie, seriously I mean with all that killing and stuff.Another is the animals have vial table manners. They just gulp down food like the big bad wolf.Also the jungles don't look colorful enough.There should be more deatails.5th there are not cool animals like market young children won't understand that.I myself was saying boo in the theater.I can't believe we got the the DVD.If you like films about the wild I suggest Dreamwork's Madagascar.Letter 
11
Cheesy and predictable movie, but has its moments. Pretty standard plot, which, but for a few minor detours, can be foreseen from start to finish. Some of the detours are quite interesting though. The humour is mostly quite child-orientated and lame, but there are a few good lines. While most stuff is dumbed-down for kids, there are some decent edgier scenes. Most of Scar's scenes were worth watching. BAsically the story was so syrupy sweet, you got to support the bad guy (even the plot is so predictable you know it won't end well for him). Making it a semi-musical didn't help either. I dislike musicals intensely (though there are a few exceptions): all the music serves is to pad out the movie. Star-studded cast for the voices: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin. Pick of the bunch was Jeremy Irons as Scar - suitably evil voice, with gravitas. A kid's movie, and nothing more.
12
At the time, it seemed like an almost ominously good idea: an animated Disney film that was to plumb new depths of darkness and emotion. Critics have identified everything from "Bambi" to "Hamlet" to the Passion story as source material, and while some of those parallels might be more forced than others, some certainly have the ring of truth ("Hamlet" in particular), and it's obvious that Disney was attempting to stretch here, with an animated feature more adult and literate than the three consecutive comic operas it had produced before it. The movie made a bundle of money, of course, but somebody at Disney must have found something very wrong with it, as they never tried to duplicate the "Lion King" model again. (In fact, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" can be viewed as its exact opposite – a film that tries to turn a dark, ambitious, literary work into a junk TV cartoon.) In terms of musical style, too, the subsequent diminishing-returns animated films from Disney mainly reverted to the Ashman/Menken mock-Broadway formula, instead of imitating this pop-rock precedent. So, "The Lion King" is ambitious. But is it successful? As Mufasa and Scar would certainly agree, these things do not always go hand in hand. And despite its conceptual daring, "The Lion King" must be judged at best an artistic compromise, and at worst an all-out failure. The design, of course, is spectacular, and the first sequence stands not only with other animated films but with all movie musicals as one of the most memorable opening numbers of all time. But it isn't long before things start to go wrong. Elton John's songs are tuneful enough, but Tim Rice's lyrics are surprisingly witless, suffering from vague language and clumsy imagery ("Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared" – bared ambitions?). It's surprising how much the Menken/Ashman team is missed – "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" tried hard to be "Under the Sea" on the savanna, but Ashman's witty patter, almost more like something out of Gilbert and Sullivan than Broadway, is sorely lacking. (Ashman might actually have been the magic ingredient in the Disney recipe – they haven't made a decent non-Pixar animated feature since he died.) Jeremy Irons, as Scar, essentially repeats Jonathan Freeman's campy Jafar from "Aladdin," if anything achieving the remarkable feat of making this character even more mincing ("I must practice my curtsy," he sniffs when Mufasa reminds him of the rules of succession). And much of the adult appeal is squelched by the insertion of the most gratingly unfunny comic-relief characters into the mix. I find it nearly inconceivable that Disney should eventually have chosen to remake the film from the point of view of its worst characters. Furthermore, over the decades Disney has been accused of racism and sexism in its cartoons, both rightly and wrongly – but it's hard to deny that both are genuinely present here. After all, why shouldn't the hyena caste (socially inferior only because of their species) have a place at the table? (The use of Nazi imagery to depict them is more than a little ridiculous, given the lions are obviously the "Master Race" in the world of the film.) And as for sexism, why do the lionesses need a male to come back and rescue them from an effete wimp like Scar at all?  So in the end, the design remains beautiful, and certainly not everyone will have the same problems with the irritating elements I've discussed. Plus, I suppose some points have to be given for ambitious intent in itself. And yet the film as a whole provides neither the challenge nor the satisfaction it might have, and that's a true disappointment. 5 out of 10.
13
Best film ever? Disney at its best? Animation's crowning achievement? Well, I'm sorry to bust 99% of the world's bubble, but this is an EXCEPTIONALLY overrated film that in the past I would have thought good, but now think of as easily the worst animated "masterpiece" ever made by Disney. It's plot is so weak, it can be summarized in at most one paragraph. Every moment is stretched as far as it can go, and more time is filled with irrevelant material, such as songs (which are some of the weakest ever created by Disney, but I'll get to that later) than with actual story. People claim this gives it an "epic" quality. The only way that this could possibly be true is through epic boredom. The characters are shallow and unmemorable. Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa, and the Hyenas are comic relief that are sorely missing comicality (If you want a truly great example of Disney's comical relief, look at the Genie and Iago from Aladdin, or Kronk and Kuzco from The Emperor's New Groove). Simba is an unadmirable hero who I couldn't care less about, and his love with Nala is anything but inexistent. Scar is one of the weakest of the modern Disney villains, and does not make you hate him like Gaston or impress you with his evil so much that you like him like Jafar. The only characters I can pass off as even half-decent are Rafiki and Mufasa. The music I will give merit to as being okay and somewhat enjoyable, but still, it isn't within a hundred miles of the attractive Arabian dances of Aladdin or the Broadway style melody of Beauty and the Beast or the fun Tropical tunes of The Little Mermaid. Only the Circle of Life (even I have to admit that the opening number is magnificent) is as good as any of the songs in the aforementioned films, and just barely. The rest are simply radio-friendly pop tunes. However, one thing I will stop at no ends to give this film credit for is its animation. I will say right now that no other Disney film has backgrounds so richly detailed or characters so well designed. Indeed, the art quality is definitely the most astounding ever created Disney. But art quality alone cannot save this movie from all its other weaknesses, and besides, art quality is probably the least important of the four major aspects of an animated film (the other three being story, characters, and, in the case of Disney, music). This movie does not deserve to be praised as if it is the best Disney can muster. The people who think this is true have probably never seen any truly great Disney films, or just can't realize one. Aladdin, for example, is in my opinion the greatest film, animated or otherwise, ever made (And I am a film buff, to those of you questioning my merits). Beauty and the Beast is in my top 10, and many others would probably crack my top 100. The Lion King, however, is depressingly mediocre, and deserves at most a 5. I give it a 2 only for the art quality.
14
I don't want to sound really negative, so let me begin by saying that this is a very good Disney film, undeniably. Probably the best thing about this film is that it has possibly the best animation of any Pre-Pixar Disney film to date. I would also place its score by Hans Zimmer and songs by Elton John/Tim Rice in the top 5 of Disney films. However, this is OVERRATED (The only Disney animated one to be moreso than Beauty and the Beast, which is also a great film nevertheless). People call it the best Disney animated feature, but they should really look at some other of Disney's films. I would undoubtedly place this in the Top Ten, but don't immediately call it the best, because you'd be surprised what watching some other items from the Mouse Factory would do to your opinion. My biggest complaint is the story and how it is told. Does anyone besides myself realize that this is a Hamlet ripoff? First original Disney film indeed, Aladdin put much more story creativity into its adaptation of Arabian Nights. And this film can be a little slow at times. Aladdin is 90 minutes long, TLK 88, but sometimes I feel like TLK is 2 hours long, while Aladdin is maybe a 1/2 hour. Don't let this misguide you, I love the film, and it rightfully earns a 10/10. But I do not think it deserves as much acclaim as it has received.
15
Am I the only person who seems to notice this movie is Hamlet, watered down and without the incest? Granted, Disney movies aren't known for having the most original plots, but I expected a little more. Typically, I like Disney's animated features, but I found this one to be a little blah, to be frank. Perhaps I am being overly harsh and expecting too much from a kid's flick, or maybe I was wanting something a little more moving and less corny.
16
The adulation this flick receives completely mystifies me. Dramatically, musically and artistically, it's one of Disney's least distinguished animated entries. What it DOES have for it is Disney's slickest blend of radio-ready pop songs, celebrity voices, mumbo-jumbo eco-politics, anemic plot, pre-stuffed animals, and slapstick buffoonery. Commercial alchemy on this level is rare indeed, and try as it might the Mouse-House hasn't been able to top "The Lion King" yet.  (As for the animation itself, it's impressive but far too grounded in realism. Give me the lines and angles of "101 Dalmatians" any day.) Spun so neatly, "The Lion King" is a cinematic confection- tasty as cotton candy and with just about as much texture.
17
The Lion King, while being consistently entertaining, ends up being kind of disappointing by the end. The reasons for this are many and varied. First off, the film is very short. Only 88 minutes. I do not know why, but I thought that this film was supposed to be about 2 hours long. I think it is because I have always heard how much of an epic quality the film had. This is simply untrue. The film has very little in the way of script. Not much really happens in the film. You could probably sum up in only a couple of sentences. The characters and situations of the film are somewhat trite. It is unfair to dismiss this category of criticism because this a children's cartoon. The heroes and villains of other Disney films are much less formulaic, as well as the challenges they encounter (e.g., The Little Mermaid, Pinnochio, Beauty and the Beast). Simba's challenge was a bit interesting, but, as I complained above, it is brought up and resolved in a half-hour's time. The only characters I found really interesting were the villains, and not Scar, but the Heyenas. It is this third complaint which actually pushed me into the realm of disliking this film: the music. I've always felt that the music of Disney's animated fare was bad. There are three exceptions I can think of offhand: The Little Mermaid, Pinnochio, and the Jungle Book. All other Disney animated films have a collection of some of the worst music that has ever been produced. I think The Lion King takes the cake for general rottenness in the music department. There was not one song that did not make me cringe. All in all, surely the Lion King is okay for kids, but there are so many better films, even from Disney's canon, that one should expose their children to. My suggestions are any of those Disney films I've listed as good above. As for non-Disney films, I think My Neighbor Totoro (age range 2-10, I would say) and Kiki's Delivery Service (age range 6-18; the best lessons ever of responsibility and self-reliance are found in this film), both from Japan but also both easily available in any video store dubbed into English, are the two best films for children ever made. Also, The Prince of Egypt is pretty good for slightly older children (I would put The Lion King in the 3-8 age range and The Prince of Egypt from 9-13). I give The Lion King 5/10 = good for children, pretty uninteresting to adults.
18
I think when you made the comment about the TLK-Hamlet similarity, you were referring to my previous comment. I think you should know that I was not objecting to the fact that TLK adapted Hamlet, I was objecting to the fact that Disney did not properly recognize Shakespeare for giving them an adaptation (the same goes for Kimba the White Lion). They could adapt all they want, but cite it, or else its plagiarism...sucks doesn't it? If you plagiarize in college, you get expelled and earn a scar on your permanent record, but Disney did it with this and got nothing but praise...so anyways, that was my real complaint.
19
I wasn't going to comment on this one, but I was inspired by the review before me. This person along with thousands of others obviously have seen a different "The Lion King" than me because the one I saw was mediocre at best. Although I still give it a five, I think that it is unquestionably the worst Disney epic ever. I find the music to be extremely forgettable, if not downright irritating at some points, and the plotline erratic. And don't get me started about the nonexistent love story which we are supposed to buy. This movie also breaks several Disney rules which I have come to expect, like the mysterious singing from the heavens (almost all Disney epics have all the music sung by actual characters). To make a long rant short, I disliked this enough that I have not seen a Disney cartoon since.
20
King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi have a new son Simba. Mufasa's younger brother Scar is jealous of the new heir to the throne to rule the African plains. Scar tricks Simba to go to the elephant graveyard. Simba takes Nala despite Zazu's warnings. They are set upon by hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Mufasa rescues them. Scar comes up with a scheme to kill Mufasa and Simba. Scar places Simba in the middle of a wildebeest stampede herded by the hyenas. Scar kills Mufasa while he's rescuing his son. The hyenas chase Simba away. Scar claims the throne with Simba assumed to be dead. Meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa befriends the lost Simba and teach him their motto "hakuna matata". Simba is an annoying brat. He's my main problem in this movie because he annoys me even as a self-obsessed cub. It is the point of the movie so I do have to overlook it somewhat. I just don't care enough about Simba. Although, I don't know how I would feel about an animated Hamlet. The songs are iconic. The drama is Shakespearian. There is a lot to like about this classic but not necessarily Simba.
21
Great movie 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. love this movie i will suggest to watch this movie you will enjoy.animals can think they also have feeling and desires they also want to live freely and happily in their own world we should not waste forest and should protect forest
22
I find many people describe this film with extreme fondness. I watched it again today after not watching it since I was a child, maybe a little over ten years ago. I really cannot believe the big fuss and when I read reviews on here to see what everyone loved about it I couldn't really find anything and to be honest it just seemed that everyone was stating the obvious 'the songs,' which were the only terrific thing about the entire film, and the fact that they 'loved it as a child,' but children love what everyone else loves, can you really point out something that can really be admired? Do people not consider the incoherence of the plot? I have seen many reviewers see the film as I do, and they tend to point out the things that people don't seem to realise, such as the extremely annoying characters and the fact that the characters are almost... scrambled-like throughout. It's hardly a story. And I know you could say well maybe I liked it as a child because it is a child's film but as many people have stated it is not - because of the violence and depression. What irritated me most is how the film makes you feel sad at the death of Simba's father, yet Simba himself just runs away and almost immediately seems to feel indifferent towards the situation! He just DOESN'T care! He starts singing hakuna matata for goodness sake!! I struggle to see why this film is so loved.
23
For starters, I've been a big Disney and animation fan all my life; seeing Pinocchio at a pretty early age and "Robin Hood" on its initial release made huge impacts on me, and by the time this film came out I'd caught up with all of the Disney features. I loved - and still love - the early work, and have mixed reactions to most of the stuff from "Peter Pan" through "Oliver and Company" with a few exceptions. "The Little Mermaid" seemed like a return to form - and a return to the fairy tales that the company always seemed to do best with, and I liked "Beauty and the Beast" even more. "Aladdin" was alas a major step down - still pretty solid in the animation department, but Robin Williams' shtick was for me completely out of place and irritating. It was of course their biggest hit to that point, and they took some of the lessons they'd learned - less romance, more slapstick and gross humor, celebrity voices - and applied them to "The Lion King" with even more spectacular results. For 15 years this film has ranked among my worst films of all time, and every time I mention that I get people reacting as if I told them I was the Antichrist. Seriously - I think more people will get bent out of shape if you tell them you hate "The Lion King" than if your feelings are negative about "Citizen Kane", "Casablanca", or "2001". It's always struck me as weird, because I know I'm not the only person to dislike it, and in fact none of the friends I saw it with when it came out liked it much - though none of them hated it like I did either. I think that the main problem for me in 1994 is that the elements that I disliked from "Aladdin" in particular seemed amped-up several degrees here. I hated Whoopi and Cheech, hated the music, hated above all what I saw at the time was an infantilist assault on intelligence and wit - the smartest and coolest character in the film, Scar, also is pure evil, and all of the "good" characters are white-bread, boring, stupid. Dumb and strong triumphs over smart and clever; the songs sucked; the animation was coarser and less interesting than in the previous couple of films. I suspect that there were a lot of personal issues that contributed to my overwhelming hatred of the film, too, but those are lost to me at the moment. I'm pleased to say on this re-watch that I don't HATE the film anymore. But I still don't like it. The issues with the treatment of Scar - not sure what I was thinking there, that was over-the-top on my part. Sure Jeremy Irons' voicing of him is in many ways a typical smart but venal character, a Godless intellectual I suppose - but it's not really that overstated or deliberate, it doesn't come off as anti-intellectual to me anymore. James Earl Jones' Mufasa may not be a genius, but he doesn't come off as a dumb noble-hearted brute either, and nobody can really beat Jones in that kind of role. The opening sequences are somewhat impressive, and the film is rarely boring. I actually sort of liked the shaman baboon character Rafiki (Robert Guillaume), and it's good that young Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas/Matthew Broderick) takes a fair amount of screen time to grow up. But...I still hate the music; "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" I actually found tolerable in relation to the other songs, but even it was so cloying and just banal that I had a hard time not fast-forwarding. This is purely a matter of taste, I make no bones about it - I like very little of Elton John's post-1970s work and so it's not surprising really. I still find the hyena characters irritating, unfunny, and way over-used. The female characters are essentially just there to move the action forward - no, the film ain't obviously racist like I guess I thought it was (though it's rather confusing in its racial and ethnic undertones) but it's definitely a boys' film. Timon and Pumbaa are gross and annoying and the film as a whole just has no sparkle, no wit to me. The animation doesn't have the zip or the beauty of the previous few films; the direction and pacing seem more inevitable than exciting, the "spectacular" scenes like the stampede that kills Mufasa just don't come off as all that spectacular as the digital help is too obvious and cheap-looking. In any case, it wasn't torture to watch anymore, and it's actually reawakened an interest in going back through the Disney feature canon, re-watching some of the ones I don't remember well and catching up with a few of the newer ones that I never bothered with after being disappointed by this and "Pocahontas" in succession.
24
I know that this movie is absolutely atmospheric and the image detail and score are wonderful (hence the 3 stars) but as a Disney animation for the family, it is NOT appropriate for kids 6 years and under. I have an almost-6-year-old daughter and a 4-and-a-half year old and they aren't wimps, but The Lion King had far too much tension, dark moments, chase/fire scenes for them. My daughters couldn't even finish the movie, I had to turn it off before half way.  However, for +10 year olds it is fine. I remember watching it when I was 16 and really enjoyed it (but I wasn't bothered with watching it again: another reason it gets less than five stars, I only give more than 5 stars to movies I want to and have watched more than once).
25
Rarely have I watched a "kids" or "family" animated full-length movie and felt so unsatisfied, finishing the viewing with a frown on my face. This didn't happen the first time; just on the second and third looks. The film just got worse the more I watched it. Maybe I got more culturally aware. I saw how much New Age baloney was thrown into this film, with Elton John singing about the "circle of life," and a bunch of other more subtle Left wing propaganda that is typical of the Disney company. The villain, and even the little hero, became more annoying in multiple viewings. Once again, the more I watched this, the more unappealing both the characters and the story became, not just the "theology." Nothing in the story is boring, however. The characters are interesting, from the lions to the hyenas to the warthog and his buddy (who provide most of the comedy in here.) The graphics are top-notch with some of the animation - especially in the beginning - just gorgeous.
26
The Lion King isn't a bad film. It just doesn't have anything unique and the songs are annoying as hell. The story also has a ton of stuff that isn't explained. Why doesn't Scar kill young Simba after killing Mufassa. Why does Nala travel all the way to where Simba was living with Timon and Puamba. Why is there a drought, famine, and bad weather when Scar rules. There are like all these animals, so why don't they overthrow Scar. When Simba returns to face his actions, no one supports him until he finds out he didn't kill his father. Why does the land turn back to normal after Simba returns. This is probably the most overrated Disney film, but not the worst.
27
I'm not going to apologize to any of the idiots who may get offended by this comment. The Lion King is a really really really dumb movie. It is crap. The plot is extremely superficial and the characters are all so quickly spun and consistently shallow that by the end of the film I couldn't care less who won the day. To be honest I was rooting for Scar (at least he had the cool creepy voice). Raves about the celebrity voices? I'd rather have people I don't know speaking the lines. It gets distracting when you know that the hero is Matthew Broderick, or the villain is Jeremy Irons or Whoopi Goldberg, or whoever. And since when are all African lions American or British? Raves about the songs?! THEY ALL SUCKED. I only remember three of the songs (were there more?) The circle of life (even I have to admit that the first 5 five minutes of the movie were impressive), I Can't Wait to be King (possibly - no certainly - the most annoying song ever to be created by Disney, topped by the most out-of-place and contrived dance scene, and it was also reminiscent of the Beauty and the Beast classic Be Our Guest...extremely tacky, all in all), and Hakkuna Matata, which almost ties for most annoying song, because for years it was being shoved down the public's throat through toy and soundtrack promotions. I am a huge Disney fan, but this movie made me doubt my allegiance. To all duped consumers out there: If you want to see good Disney; if you want a movie that will entertain children and adults; if you want to hear good songs; if you want developed lead and secondary characters; if you want to see a plot with more dimensions than a sheet of paper; then see Beauty and the Beast, or The Little Mermaid, or Aladdin. Give this one a rest!
28
The Lion King gets much praise. Of course one can see why. The movie has great animation. Most of the characters are put together well and of course it has memorable music. Two of the songs were big hits in the 90's. So before I get on TLK's faults I will start with the good. The Lion King has great animation. It was Disney's best animation to date and most 2D movies never came close to surpassing TLK style animation. Now for the characters. I love Timon and Pumbaa. These two were great comedy relief for this film. I loved Mufasa and I hate that he had to die, but I realize that it was an important part of the film, involving the theme of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Rafiki is also quite funny. And those loathsome but lovable hyenas. The only characters I don't like are the main ones. Simba is annoying as a cub and even more as an adult. He's so stubborn as an adult that he has to have sense knocked into him about his past, instead of just finding out his destiny for himself. And the villain Scar, comes off as too weak. I guess my biggest problem with TLK is that, it is simply overrated. All the merchandise that was pumped out for this movie and its sequels was massive. I don't think Frozen could come close to the explosion of Lion King toys. On a whole TLK is not a horrible movie, I just don't think it is Disney's best. Most people do and that's fine. I think Beauty and The Beast is better than TLK. But don't take my word for it if you feel differently.
29
Good: Very powerful scene where Mufasa dies. Good revenge story. Excellent animation and score. Bad: Too many cheesy songs. Dialogue and plot are too simplistic (for the kids to understand it, but it bores the adults). The backgrounds have little detail (just compare with the backgrounds of Ghibli films, such as Spirited Away). I noticed people here claiming that this is the best animated film ever. First of all, that pretty much shows that such persons have little knowledge of animated films or simply very crude tastes. Watch films by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Frederick Back, Yuri Norstein (which I personally don't love but many animation buffs adore) and Satoshi Kon, for a good sample of what it top of the line in animation. And for US animations, well, Pixar alone produced 5-6 movies much better than this one.
30
The Lion King is one of the worst movies ever made. This movie uses slapstick and other juvenille tricks for the humor. This movie is aimed at little kids. I hate this movie and I always will. Damn the lion king ! Damn it to hell!
31
'The Lion King' is a Disney animation about a lion cub named Simba who runs away from his responsibility after thinking that he is to blame for his father's fate. Along the way, Simba meets Timon and Pumba, the comical sidekicks. It's a sad film, but it is a film about life, and it is realistic in that sense. However, 'The Lion King' is probably my least favourite Disney animation. Although Timon and Pumba are supposed to provide the comic relief, I found the couple very annoying. Yes, this film had huge success in the 1990s, but I was never impressed with it. Most people seem to really enjoy this film, so I am probably in the majority for giving it a low rating, but I just did not think it was that good of a film.
32
How overrated can a rubbish film like this get?! It's a mess, it's depressing, it's got dumb comedy - there's only one three good points about this movie and that is the animation, the appealing drama of the stampede scene and a few of the songs; "Can you feel the love tonight?", "I just can't wait to be King!" and "Be Prepared" the rest is simply repelling. I'm a spoilsport - I know! Because everyone else looks at "The Lion King" with awe but I DO think you need to realise the many poor points to this Carlton-film: 1. Terrible voice talents 2. Timon and Pumbaa are extremely annoying, offensive to the ears and just plain stupid 3. Simba would rather spend time with Timon and Pumbaa than go to his home at the Pride-Lands where he is desperately needed 4. Scar is also madly irritating rather than a frightening villain 5. Comedy that is stupid rather than funny 6. Adult Simba, it seems to me, so sugary and sentimental 7. Scenes of death 8. Immense depression as Mufasa is killed 9. The hyenas - those annoying, moronic hyena, especially the thorn pit scene! 10. Everyone is intimidated by Scar who, like I say, isn't even slightly scary 11. IT CAME SIXTH IN CHANNEL 4's 100 GREATEST FAMILY FILMS!!! I know I don't have the power to tell people what to like and what to hate, but I hope the list that is further up (of 11 items) might have given you something to ponder on before you watch this trash of a film on either video or DVD. I am a movie-lover and people think I am an expert on this kind of thing. What's more, Christmas 2004 was absolute chaos and thoroughly aggravating because in Hereford (England) there's a horrid, obnoxious, mindless, careless and stupid school called Barrs Court School and its loud-mouthed, unfunny-when-he-tries-to-be-funny, headmaster Richard Aird had organized his own version of the "The Lion King" and it was a complete travesty, utterly poor, pathetically acted by the silly pupils of the school (I didn't bother) and just a heap of cow muck! Hugely undeserving of all the people of this town giving up their time to see it. They're nutty as a fruitcake, if you ask ME! Even though, unlike Richard Aird hopeless, brainless, pointless, pitiful pantomime, Disney's "Lion King" has a professional production, reasonable animation, good drama, and admirable songs, it simply can't stand comparison with Disney's recent animated hits like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" - it's too obnoxious and depressing!
33
What could I say ? Disney simply copied one of the most popular japanese animated series and destructed it ! What makes me laugh is that Disney pretended to have worked hours and hours on the backgrounds (if you see a good one, phone me !)...God ! If you want to see the real one, go see "Jungle Taitei", you'll see something really different !
34
I usually enjoy Disney cartoons. However, I remember first seeing this film on the big screen in 1994 and thinking how Disney could have green lit this film with so much cartoon violence. Sure, the story is one of self discovery and finding one's place in the "circle of life". But there are many, many ways to tell the story without senseless violence. I played the film for some small children a few months back and they cried because of the death that happens during the Stampede. To be honest, I can't put my finger on it, but there's just something about this film that makes it unlike the other Disney cartoons and very, very depressing. By the way, the word SEX appears twice in this film. No, it's not the suggested "SFX" and no it's not "unitentional." I will never watch this film if I don't have to; I would rather watch the Chipmunks. 2/10.
35
All credit where it's due, on a technical level, THE LION KING is a very well put-together movie. The colors are vivid, the character's movements are fluid, and it's just a very pretty movie to look at. I give this movie a bad rap all the time, but even I have to admit this.  My problem is that it's been unbelievably overblown for twenty years. Disney marketing got it into their heads that this is some sort of high prestige experience; bigger than all their other animated fluff, and warranting of blind praise from everyone. It's impenetrable for me because I haven't been able to listen to the soundtrack for two decades (and the movie's big on its music). 1994 radio was saturated with both the Elton John songs and the Simba numbers, and I haven't been able to hear any of it again since. For a musical, that's kind of a deal- breaker. Story-wise, it definitely works better when you're a kid. The characters aren't obnoxious and Simba's reckoning isn't shallow. But it's just such nauseating material. The whole thing's built on pomp and spectacle, but there's nothing underneath. 
36
There are a million other Disney movies that are sooo much better than this one! This movie is just boring all throughout. Also,i felt it was too scary for children. It made my little cousins cry. The songs were bad in my opinion. I hated every character, and i really didn't care what happened to them, really i just wanted this movie to end! Disney is capable of so much more, which I saw in 2015 Cinderella! That Beats out this any day of the week. There just wasn't anything for me in this movie, very bland and boring. I really don't know what else to say about it, it was bland and poor! I'm giving The Lion King a 3/10 for being a poor attempt at a family film by Disney.