The Lion King is the story of Simba, a young lion cub, who can't wait to be king. One day, when Simba is out with his father, a terrible accident happens, and his evil Uncle sees him, and convinces him it was all his fault, and Simba must run away. It's all part of Scar's dastardly plan though, as he takes the throne himself. Will Simba come home and take the throne back?
I think this is one of the greatest Disney movies every made - even though there are sad moments in the story, good does triumph over evil. The musical score is wonderful, and of course, who didn't want to go on an African Safari after watching this movie when it first came out? For this Blu-Ray release - the first time the movie has been available since 2004 - they have enhanced the picture and sound. While the movie isn't as old as many of the vault releases we've seen recently, it still helps to clean it up a little. Those with high definition TVs will notice it most.
The Lion King has been released as a combo pack, something Disney is really good at doing for us parents. It comes with both the regular movie DVD and the Blu-Ray disk, so you won't have to re-buy the same title in the Blu-Ray format down the road if you don't already have a Blu-Ray player or PlayStation 3. While these combo packs cost just about $10 more than just buying the regular DVD, you end up saving money in the long run. Plus, if you have a computer/laptop with DVD playing capability or portable DVD players, you can play the regular DVD disk on those.
The set does contain plenty of special features, although the DVD disc is limited with them, containing only "The Lion King: A Memoir - with Don Hahn", who was the producer for the film. The bonus material really is on the Blu-Ray, which is packed full. The same bonus material you'll see on the DVD disc is included too. Included are four never before seen deleted scenes from The Lion King, which diehard fans will enjoy. It also includes a few never before seen bloopers from the movie (yes, you can have bloopers with animation, mostly with voices, of course), a deleted song, an extended scene called "The Morning Report", and an interactive Blu-Ray Gallery.
The Blu-Ray also contains Sing-A-Long mode, where you can watch the movie and the lyrics to the songs pop up, as well as Disney Second Screen, where you can interact with the movie on your laptop or iPad.
This set also contains Fast Play, which is a navigation utility that automatically starts the disc as soon as it's put in the player and pretty much remembers your viewing preferences. If you're interested in purchasing The Lion King for your family's collection, there's a printable coupon out right now that will save you $5 off your purchase here of the four disc set. Do hurry though, as the coupon is only good through October 11th! This title also qualifies as part of the Disney Movie Rewards program, so be sure to enter the code inside the box to get your reward points.
The Lion King is rated G (special features not rated, of course), and this movie is pretty much safe for those over the age of 4-5. There are a few rather scary scenes for the very young - including when Simba's father is killed, but since it's an animated Disney movie, you're in the clear with no questionable scenes and moments. (ie: sex, bad language, etc)
The Lion King is being released today Tuesday, October 4th, 2011, and will only be available for a limited time. (You know Disney and their vault!) Rated G, the total running time is 88 minutes long (not including special features). The suggested retail price for the 2 Disc Blu-Ray Combo is $39.99, but Amazon has it available for $21.99 as of this posting.
I received a copy of this DVD in order to view it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own.
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