The Lion King: Signature Edition

[Michael Scott]

The Lion King: Signature Edition

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

​

Movie
Hakuna Matata!!! Yes, it’s that time of year again. The time when Disney releases another one of their classic films that has been vaulted out into the wild. Most of the vaulted films tend to be Disney’s biggest and best, but The Lion King is probably one of THE best films they have ever released over their 70+ years in existence. I have fond memories of ALL the great Disney classics, but the three that really are top of the heap for me happen to be Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast, and The Lion King. The Lion King was much like Beauty & the Beast in that it surpassed being “just another kids movie”. It was an adult’s tale of Hamlet put to cartoon, a cute kids film with wonderful music, an award winning live action musical on Broadway, and has some of the most revered music in cinematic history. Not to mention a really good 3D disc from the 2011 Diamond Edition! This signature edition once more re-releases one of the best Disney classics on home video, and once again whether you purchase this set will depend on if you own the previous edition or not at all.

I jokingly say that The Lion King is an animated version of Hamlet, but in reality it blends several differing classics together to make something unique. There are elements of classic Bambi, Biblical stories of Joseph, and even a little bit of Hamlet in as well (ok, heavy elements of Hamlet). It follows the story of a new king coming to the Saharan desert. Mufasa (James Earl Jones) the Lion king has just sired a young child named Simba (Matthew Broderick) and announces his pride to the world. His heir, his son, is going to grow up become the next leader of the wildlife. The only thing is that his weaker, but much craftier, brother Scar (Jeremy Irons) has much darker plans and secretly wants the throne for himself. So the only thing to do is slaughter Mufasa and blame the young boy for his death.

However, Scar made one fatal mistake. He should have killed the child as well, and young Simba is free to wander into the surrounding jungle where he is taken care of by a meerkat named Timone (Jonathan Lane), and a farting warthog named Pumba (Ernie Sabella). A carefree pair of miscreants who live life a little bit less seriously than the lion pride does. Or, well, anyone else either. Years later the young cub is now a young lion, and it is time to return to his pride and reclaim what his uncle Scar took from him so many years ago.

The Lion King just hits all the right notes. On the surface it’s a kids movie with hints of Hamlet thrown in, but as you dig deeper The Lion King proves that it really does have the staying power to be a bonafide classic. Mufasa’s death is still as gripping to me today as it was 23 years ago (wow, has it been that long?), and the adorable antics of Timone and Pumba still have me giggling along with my nephews, who are now the same age I saw it as a child. The songs are wonderful, the score by Hans Zimmer is absolutely mesmerizing, and the artwork is out of this world. It’s very rare that a children’s movie can appeal to adults and children EQUALLY, but The Lion King is one of those movies. There are plenty of stupid fart jokes, and the catchy tunes are aimed at children, but the heavier stuff skates the line between adult and children’s material with a delicate balance that doesn’t lose much to either side.

I will say, the movie DOES have a few flaws that haven’t worn as well as I would have liked. I thought of the film as a perfect movie back when I was 12 and seeing it in theaters, but I have to look back and watch the film as an adult, and that means looking at it a bit more critically than I once did. The second act with Timon and Pumba raising Simba to be one of their own is filled with lots of great songs, but it DOES drag a bit compared to the fantastic 3rd act, and stunning opening act. The jokes are a bit on the kiddy side, and the “Hakuna Matata” mantra that the two inundate him with gets worn thing. However, that’s not a wild problem, and only acts as a minor flaw in an otherwise incredible film.




Rating:

Rated G for General Audiences




Video:

Like most of the Disney Signature editions, The Lion King will be using the exact same transfer as the 2011 Diamond edition, with one small caveat. That little caveat happens to be the fact that Disney went back and restored the missing clouds that fans caught on the last few home video releases. Still, it looks almost IDENTICAL to the previous edition, that is in no way a bad thing as the Diamond Edition of The Lion King was, and still is, a stunning Blu-ray disc. Colors are bright and warmly saturated throughout the Saharan landscape, with lots of earthy oranges and browns for the Lion’s homes, while the jungle home of Timone and Pumba is full of greens and blues and other assorted jungle colors with equal aplomb. Line work for the characters is picture perfect, and the disc is free from any digital anomalies. Everything is just EXQUISITELY detailed, from Simba and Nala walking in the jungle, to the soft and fluffy clouds floating in the sky. Puffs of dust kick up under Simba’s feet, and the rivulets of water when he laps from a gentle pool creates individual ripples that waver and move in distinctly different ways. Black levels show no fault, and really I can’t see fault in the picture at ALL.







Audio:

Much like the video encode, the 7.1 DTS-HD MA track is a mirror image of the Diamond Edition’s stunning audio mix. 7.1 tracks were all the rage back in 2011 (being that Atmos and DTS:X didn’t really exist 6 years ago), and that 7.1 mix is in NO way faulty in any way, shape, or form. The rumbling track is one of the few audio mixes that leaves you in awe every time you listen to it. The rumbling voice of Mufasa, his thunderous roar, or the incredibly immersive sound track that gained so much acclaim for it’s unique musical numbers, all just fill the sound stage with pure magic. LFE is deep and guttural, adding weight and power to Mufasa’s roar, or the slamming of rocks as Scar meets his fate. Surrounds are in constant use with the musical numbers, as well as the jungle wildlife, and the vocals are absolutely impeccable. Once more, a perfect track.






Extras:

• Brand New Sing-Along Version
• Audio Commentary – View the film with commentary by producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff.
• Visualizing a Villain – Against a backdrop of live dancers and the animated "Be Prepared" sequence, artist David Garibaldi paints a masterpiece of evil.
• The Recording Sessions – Watch rare footage of the actors recording their roles, matched with the final animation. Intro by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff.
• Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation – Nathan Lane (Timon) and Matthew Broderick (Adult Simba) offer candid and hilarious insights into their Lion King experiences.
• Inside the Story Room – Co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff present archival footage of five original story pitches.
- Circle of Life – See how color creates emotion and meaning in the film's iconic opening.
- Simba & Nala – See how elements proposed in story meetings evolve into what appears onscreen.
- Simba Takes Nala Out to Play – …And, sometimes what seems funny in story meetings never makes it into the film!
- Hakuna Matata – Co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff sing, act and dance their hearts out as they pitch the "Hakuna Matata" sequence.
- Rafiki and Reflecting Pool – Co-directors Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff pitch a sequence that became the emotional heart of The Lion King to Producer Don Hahn.
• Music & More – Sing along to your favorite songs from the movie!
- "Circle of Life"
- "I Just Can't Wait to Be King"
- "Be Prepared"
- "Hakuna Matata"
- "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
• Galleries
- Visual Development – Explore a gallery of striking artwork that inspired the movie's look and feel.
- Character Design – Trace the development of the film's unforgettable characters through early concept art drawings.
- Storyboards – Examine storyboards created in the development of "The Lion King."
- Layouts – Feast your eyes on layouts created in the development of "The Lion King."
- Backgrounds & Layouts – Journey through a gallery of landscape paintings that shaped the world of "The Lion King."
• Classic Bonus Features (Digital Only) – These offerings from prior home entertainment releases include hours of bonus material, such as bloopers, audio commentary, deleted and alternate scenes, and in-depth journeys into the music, film, story, animals and stage show.

Final Score: ​

With all of these Disney Signature releases, there is some give and take here. The Lion King (and it’s sequels) have been in the Disney vault for some time now, so this is the first time that the movies have been released to the general public, but this time it doesn’t come with the 3D disc for those who really wanted that particular edition. The extras have a few new ones, but they also eliminated some of the old ones and put them as digital links only. So like I said, a little bit of give and take. The encodes are fantastic looking (as was the original release), and the fixing of the missing digital clouds has finally been restored, so if you never picked up the 2011 release, then YES, this is a must buy. If you had the original 2011 discs, then I would be hard pressed to recommend a double dip.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Mathew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones
Directed by: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Written by: Irene Mecchi, Jonothan Roberts
Aspect Ratio: 1.78.1 AVC
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Studio: Disney/Buena Vista
Rated: G
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: August 29th, 2017

Image

• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Must Own

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I loved this movie. In fact, we also saw the musical. Highly recommended.

 

[Asere]

Thank you for the review. I own the Diamond Edition and love it. For now I will pass on this edition.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Disney has released a few 4K titles. I'm surprised they haven't started attacking that market more aggressively. This title is perfect for that move!

 

[Michael Scott]

Disney has released a few 4K titles. I'm surprised they haven't started attacking that market more aggressively. This title is perfect for that move!

Their first and only one was actually Guardian's of the Galaxy 2... which is actually a choice made by MARVEL themselves... Disney proper hasn't released a single 4K title yet.

 

[Tony V.]

I only watched this movie for the first time two years ago when they released the blue ray. I am a bit behind LOL

 

[tripplej]

If you ever get a chance to see the musical.. check it out. Highly recommended!

 

[Todd Anderson]

You're right, Mike. I thought they had popped a few off right before announcing GOTG V2.

Well... IT'S ABOUT TIME!

 

[Michael Scott]

yeah, they're always slow to adopt new products. they were almost 4 years into DVD before they released stuff.

 

[S2000 Nirvana]

Just something worth noting...Wall-E is a great animated movie for surround Sounds! ...'9' is also good movie for surround says my Cap 118HT..