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Order this DVD from Amazon.com
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The
Lion King
Platinum
Edition
(Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
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| DVD
Release Date:
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October
7, 2003
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Length:
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89 mins.
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| Rated:
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G
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| Format:
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Widescreen (1.66:1) Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions
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Audio:
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Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Disney Enhanced Home Theater
Mix
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| Subtitles:
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English, Closed-Captioned
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| Extras:
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Disc
One: Audio Commentary with Producer Don Hahn and Directors
Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, "The Making of 'The Morning Report'",
"The Lion King Personality Game", Sneak Peeks, THX Optimizer Disc
Two: Abandoned Scene: Warthog Rhapsody, "Animal Kingdom
Lodge" Promo, "Animal Kingdom Park" Promo, "Animals" Featurettes,
Art Design Galleries, Character Design Galleries, "DVD Sound
Design" Featurette, Early Concepts, Early Presentation Reel,
Effects Animation Galleries, "Film" Featurettes, "International
Release" Featurette, Multi-Language Reel, Music Videos, "Music"
Featurettes, "Stage" Featurettes, "Story" Featurettes,
Storyboard to Film Comparison, The Lion King 1 ½ Trailer, Timon
and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari
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Who hasn't seen The Lion King? Until
recently, it was the most successful animated film of all time,
earning in excess of $328 million at the box office. (It currently
sits at #10 on the all-time list.) Not only that, but it stands as the
most successful home video title of all time, with more than 32
million copies sold. To top it off, sales are expected to exceed 45
million with the new Special Edition DVD release! Plus, you can add to
that the Broadway production, the success of the soundtrack and the
countless number of toys that have sold, all because of this one little
movie that, early on, nobody thought would succeed. Wow. And why has The Lion King
become so successful? One look at the
newly released DVD, and you'll know. This movie is incredible. The
story. The animation. The music. They all blend together to make
something that is truly magical. And the DVD only stands to reinforce
this fact. It's not the number of special features (although it is
very impressive) but also the quality of the features, that give the
viewer a whole new respect for the film.
For those of you unfamiliar with The Lion King, I'll recap. There's a
lion called Mufasa - he's the king. His son, Simba, will one day
become the king. Then there's Scar, Mufasa's brother, who wants to be
the king. Without giving too much away, Scar kills Mufasa, tricks
Simba into thinking it's his fault. Simba runs away, abandoning his
role as the future king and leaving the throne open for Scar to become
the king. Of course, Simba comes
back, learns the truth, defeats Scar and they all live happily ever after. Like I said,
everyone and their dog has seen this movie, so I'm not really giving
anything away. Besides, if you haven't seen this movie, it's probably
because you aren't old enough to go to school yet, so chances are that
you aren't reading this review...
So I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I'm not here to tell
you what a great movie this is - you already know. I am here, however,
to tell you what a great DVD this is - and it is. There are so many
special features here, I can't even begin to tell you. So if it seems
that I'm brushing over a few things here and there, forgive me. It's
only because if I wrote in depth about everything included in this
double-disc DVD you'd be here forever. Trust me - I'm doing you a
favor. Plus, you're better off getting the DVD to check out for
yourself.
On the first disc, we're given the movie. Not just the movie, but two
versions of the movie. First, we get the original theatrical version
and second, the Special Edition which, if you were lucky, you got to
see on the IMAX screen. The difference? A new song, titled
"Morning Report". Was it that big of an addition? Not
really, I guess. It was nice that they had the original theatrical
version. You can only hope that George Lucas will take note and do the
same when he releases Star Wars on DVD. Of course, those aren't the
only ways to watch the movie. There's also a commentary track
featuring producer Don Hahn and directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff.
This is a great commentary because the filmmakers have so much to say,
and are so passionate about the project. It comes across in what they
have to say. You can also watch the movie with a sing-along track. I
started to watch it this way just to try it out. I'm not much of a
singer though, so I didn't get much further than the first song.
In terms of the audio and video quality of the movie, they were
incredible. The film was presented in the original theatrical aspect
of 1.66:1 and the audio was available in both Dolby Digital 5.1
Surround Sound and an all-new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix. I
chose the Home Theater Mix, and suggest you do too, if you have the
available equipment. What a difference!
Among the other features on the first disc are a look at the making of
"Morning Report", some deleted scenes that were put together
from early storyboards and a couple of games including Timon's
Grab-A-Grub Game and Pumbaa's Sound Sensations. Personally, these
games weren't that exciting for me, but maybe they'd work for the
younger audiences. When will we start getting better games on DVDs? On
other game, of sorts, is the Personality Profile game. Based on my
choices, apparently I am similar to Nala. I don't know what that
means, but it was still pretty fun. Finally, this DVD wouldn't be
complete without promoting Disney's young stars. They did it on the
Lizzie McGuire and Sleeping Beauty DVDs, so why not do it here? Here,
a group of the Disney Channel's stars including erstwhile Lizzie
McGuire, Hilary Duff and Raven-Symone sing "Circle of Life".
Not only do we get the video, but we also get a "making of"
feature for the video. Disney - please stop. Oh, and I should also
mention the usual sneak peeks. One of interest is The Lion King 1 1/2
which, based on the premise, doesn't seem that bad.
Insert disc two and you are greeted by the voice of Jeremy Irons,
voice of Scar in The Lion King. He explains what you are about to
experience. What a great voice. If I can add one more thing about The
Lion King it would be about the voices. Jeremy Irons, James Earl
Jones, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Whoopi Goldberg to name just
a few. What an incredible line-up. Back to the disc, there are two
options to exploring the special features. Either by continent, or by
subject. Depending on how you'd like to explore the movie, it's up to
you, but be warned - there are features in some of the continents that
aren't included when browsing the disc by the different subjects. For
your best bet, consult the little booklet included with the DVD.
There, you'll get a listing of all the features, and where you'll be
able to find them.
I chose to explore the disc by subject, starting with the music. What
stood out was hearing from Elton John and Hans Zimmer about their work
on the film. Much like the film's audio commentary, the passion for
the material is obvious. There was a lot of talk about the
contribution to the film musically by Lebo M, who is credited with the
film's African Influence from a musical perspective. Although we hear
a little bit from the man, it would have been nice to hear more about his
personal experiences working on the film. Also of
note in the Music section are three music videos included for your
viewing and listening pleasure.
Next up on the disc is a look at The Lion King: The Broadway Musical.
Although I'd love to, I've never seen The Lion King on stage. This
section of the DVD only makes me want to see it more.
Next, be sure to check out the Animal Journey. Introduced by Roy
Disney, this section is one for the kids. It tells us in short little
features, running roughly 2-3 minutes each, a bit about the animals
featured in The Lion King including Lions, Meerkats, Warthogs and
Hyenas. Where they live. What they do. It's a mixture of real footage
and footage from the film. Fun stuff to help the kids learn. The real
treat here, though, is the feature "Disney & Animals"
featuring archival footage of Walt Disney and the history and
tradition of animals in Disney films.
For those interested in the making of the movie, be sure to check out
the "Film Journey", which is a behind-the-scenes look at
what it took to get The Lion King made. As the features begin, we
learn how The Lion King was the underdog - how the big movie at Disney
at the time was Pocahontas, and that The Lion King was almost a joke -
a movie that nobody thought would succeed. And yet they worked against
the odds to come together as a team make one of the most successful
films of all time. We also get looks at the research that went into
the film, about how the filmmakers went to Africa, and what a great
experience it was. The best for me was the feature called
"Reflections" which was a look back at the film by the
everyone involved, and how big the movie became - and what an
extraordinary and emotional journey it was and has become and will
continue to be. Finally, as part of the Film Journey, we are treated
to a look at the design of the film and the design of the individual
characters. Next, we get a look at the computer animation in the wildebeest
scene and how/why it was created. Finally, check out the Film
Character Design Galleries. It's fascinating to see all the different
designs and the evolution of each character. In short, the entire
"Film Journey" is required viewing. If you're at all
interested in filmmaking or animation, or if you consider yourself
even a casual fan of The Lion King, there is something for everyone in
this section.
The final theme the Special Edition Disc deals with is the story of
the film. For me, this was the best feature, based solely on the fact
that I relate most of all to the story of the movie. I firmly believe
that, although the music and the animals and the filmmaking and the
animation were all important aspects of the film, the movie would be
nothing if it weren't for the story. The story and its themes are so
universal and timeless, and are the essence of the film and its
success. I enjoyed how we learn about the origins of the film and the
thematic elements involved. I'm not a religious person, but it's
fascinating to learn about the the biblical relationship to the story,
the link to Shakespeare's Hamlet, and the link to the lives of the
filmmakers, and where they were in their lives at the time of making
the film. The story is an emotional journey, and that fact is conveyed
extremely well here.
The final feature on the disc is the Virtual Safari. This is a great
one for the kids. No behind-the-scenes stuff here. Just a safari
hosted by Timon and Pumbaa. It played a bit like a theme-park ride,
which was very fun - and best of all, there were lots of choices, so
you could play the feature several times without doing the same thing
twice, which is nice, for a change.
Pretty complete, huh? Pretty impressed, huh? You should be. Disney
does it again. They've released the definitive version of one of their
signature films. For anybody out there, this is must-see material. And
even if you're only a casual fan, I highly recommend picking up a copy
of one of the great films of our time - one that will be there for
your children and your children's children. There is a reason that The
Lion King is the best selling home video title of all time - so if you
haven't done so already, go and get yourself a copy and remind
yourself why...
| The Movie: |
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10/10 |
| The
Extras: |
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10/10 |
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did you think?
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Click here for more information on
The Lion King
Liam Cullin -
Editor
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