89% The Lion King (In 3D)

All Critics (91) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (10) | DVD (55)

Everyone, young and old, will find something to appreciate in this Shakespearean tale of a young lion discovering his rightful place in the world.

The story line is a Joseph Campbell hero-quest so stripped down to its basics as to become dull.

A computer-animated scene featuring a stampede of wildebeest is positively breathtaking.

The Lion King, more than any of the recent wave of Disney animated features, has the resonance to stand not just as a terrific cartoon but as an emotionally pungent movie.

The result is a step toward multiculturalism and ecological correctness, though not without a certain amount of confusion.

A crown jewel of modern Disney animation.

It's not hard to understand why The Lion King's good-vs.-evil adventure and high-spirited comic passages haven't lost their appeal. [Blu-ray]

It's an attractive film but altogether less interesting and more conventional than the Pixar productions that now dominate Disney's animated output.

"Hakuna Matata" would mean never having to be subjected to The Lion King ever again, much less having Simba's growing pains coming at your face in 3D.

It does exactly what it says on the tin.

Feel the love tonight. And see the colours, too.

Huge fun for the kids; some acceptable laughs for the adults.

The 3D technology adds some eye-popping moments but the best thing about this reissue is the chance for a new generation to see a modern classic on a cinema screen.

There are no gimmicks and the big emotional moments are almost entirely untouched.

However crass Disney's motivation may have been in rereleasing the film... it's cheering to see that... people still want to see great movies on a big screen with big sound...

Well worth another look, though it's a pity they're saving the newly made bloopers for the upcoming Blu-ray.

It didn't really need the 3D, but it's still a stunning, glorious family film, with the third dimension or otherwise.

While the core ideology behind The Lion King is extremely problematic and stands out even more today than it did in 1994, there is still much to admire about the film.

It's a wonderful treat to revisit and the 3-D is beautifully utilised, but it's perhaps not the classic that Disney purports it to be.

Art History stands out as one of Joe Swanberg's most visually and conceptually accomplished experiments.

Is the 3D version superior to the 2D version? No. Is the film still magnificent? Yes.

While "The Lion King" is one of the best Disney movies of all time, "The Lion King 3D" is a manipulative exploitation to bring paying parents back with their kids merely through the sexiness of today's 3D fad.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lion_king/

espn magazine espn magazine anywhere but here wall street protesters att new york yankees pittsburgh penguins