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**Spoiler Alert: If you do not want to know how the movie ends or certain major details, please do not read my review.

“My dad just showed me the whole kingdom. And I’m gonna rule it all. Hehehe” These are just some of the proud words to come out of a proud little lion cub named Simba, in Disney’s 1994 animated film, The Lion King. The movie was re-released on October 7, 2003 both on VHS and as a 2-Disc DVD as part of Disney’s Platinum Edition collection of animated films.

From when the movie begins, a feeling of grandeur and greater purpose is felt. It starts off slow, with a black screen and all you can hear are birds chirping and singing. Then before you know it, you hear the now infamous song-like chant in an African language, and animals everywhere become aware of something of importance. The following scenes captivate with African animals of all sorts moving and migrating in processions to the sounds of a great booming female voice describing the great “Circle of Life.”

For those unfamiliar with the movie now turned Broadway musical, The Lion King chronicles the life of a young lion cub named Simba and his family that lives in a palace called Pride Rock and rules the Pride Lands. It was one of Disney’s first animated films to be created without the use of a pre-existing story such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, or Aladdin.

The cast for the movie was well chosen to say the least. It really helps keep the story going by holding your attention long enough to enjoy yourself. Young Simba is voiced by once young heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas and voiced by Matthew Broderick in his adult years. His playmate and future mate, Nala, is voiced by Niketa Calame as a cub and by actress Moira Kelly as an adult. The honors of voicing the king, Mufasa, went to none other than James Earl Jones. His deep, wise voice goes fittingly with the character. His queen and Simba’s mother, Sarabi, is voiced by Madge Sinclair. Probably the best cast voice throughout the film would be Jeremy Irons, who voices Mufasa’s jealous brother Scar. His henchmen, an unruly and humorous trio of hyenas, are voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings. The all-knowing mandrill monkey named Rafiki, is voiced most entertainingly by Robert Guillame. Simba’s future friends Timon the Meerkat and Pumbaa the Warthog are voiced by the dynamic duo of Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella. And of course we can’t forget Mufasa’s right hand, his majordomo, Zazu the hornbill voiced by rowan Atkinson.

The movie begins with Simba as a cub learning from his father Mufasa all about his place in the circle of life as the future king of the Pride Lands. What neither of them realizes is how angry Simba’s uncle, Mufasa’s younger brother Scar, is that he is no longer next in line as king. From that point on, Scar formulates a grand scheme in order to annihilate both Simba and Mufasa in order to steal the throne. Being a musical movie, as Disney is famous for, this results in some wonderfully catchy songs such as Simba’s bold “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and Scar’s wonderfully menacing “Be Prepared”.

Scar’s devious dreams become reality in the form a masterfully crafted wild stampede scene, in which both Mufasa and Simba’s lives are gambled with (I’ve included some of this clip below for your viewing pleasure). Few people realize that this scene in particular made Disney history for being one of the first times that animators used a major amount of computer and 3D animation. By using this technology, they were able to create a realistic, randomized wildebeest stampede that became one of the most dramatic and intense scenes of the movie – Mufasa’s death and Simba’s self-imposed exile. Here is where the audience gets swept away by the pounding music and is filled with fear and anxiousness. It is after this scene that Scar takes over the Pride Lands and establishes a cruel and selfish dictatorship.

Guilt-ridden with his father’s death, Simba runs away and passes out in the desert. He is found by the charismatic Timon and kindhearted Pumbaa. The pair introduces their no worries outlook on life called “Hakuna Matata,” one of the most memorable songs from the film. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella do an amazing job of adding just the right amount of comedy and fun reminiscent of Robin Williams as the genie in Aladdin. As you watch the trio gallivant through the jungle as Simba grows older, you get a sense of reckless abandonment and carefree days – two things very common in youth. Things soon flip around when Nala, his best friend finds him in an attempt to find food for the lions back home.

Unfamiliar with Simba’s origins, Nala spills the beans in front of Timon and Pumbaa about who Simba really is and where he comes from. Here is where Simba’s past catches up with him and he is faced with the task of deciding who he will be. His open frustration makes the inner turmoil believable and leaves room for a connection to be made between him and the viewer. He realizes what exactly Nala means to him, which graces viewers with the Oscar-winning song, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” written by the legendary Sir Elton John. After some heated debates with Nala and heartfelt discussions with old Rafiki, Simba does choose to return to Pride Rock and confront his uncle Scar.

The final scenes have a great deal of action. Once Simba arises from the shadows to reveal himself, he goes head to head with Scar. Of course he doesn’t do this alone, but with the help of Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and his pride. This scene is further dramatized by the hyenas fighting the lions and the brush fire that comes to life at the same time. Scar’s lies and treacherous words come back to get him as the hyenas do not come to his defense and kill him themselves as his punishment. This drives the movie’s underlying lesson of how important the past is and how it affects your future. With Scar gone, Simba takes his stroll to the tip of Pride Rock, symbolizing his status as king. The film ends with a reprisal of the film’s opening song “Circle of Life” bringing it back to the beginning in a positive, strong way.

Some may find it hard to get into the story since it doesn’t contain any people. Unlike Beauty and the Beast which had inanimate objects speak because they were once people, all of the characters are animals. Before it, Bambi was the only movie to do that, but The Lion King took it to the next level. That being said, the situations that present themselves are very human, and very real. There’s a little something for everyone in it. From Mufasa’s strong parental guidance and young Simba’s sense of adventure to Timon and Pumbaa’s funny antics and Nala’s love for her home and those she shares it with, there’s a lot to enjoy. It is very much a family movie that presents life changing events, yet keeps it fun all the while.

Works Cited

Alvin, John. The Lion King. 1994. The Lion King Poster. 7 May-June 2008 <www.impawards.com/1994/lion_king_ver1.html>.

Lane, Justin. USA – Labor – Theatre – Broadway Stagehands Strike. 2007. New York City, New York USA. Corbis. 7 May 2008 <http://pro.corbis.com/images/42-19186819.jpg?size=67&uid={664691b7- c167-4f5c-acab-ee4d5be95f37}>.

Lion King Lithograph Can’t Wait to Be King. Magical Mountain. 7 May 2008 <http://www.magicalmountain.net/images/emporium/disneyana/LionKingLitho_SimbaNalaCubs.jpg>

Simba I Nala 2. 1994. Wrzuta. 7 May 2008 <hanaaa86.wrzuta.pl/…/5LZvqh1yJX/simba_i_nala_2>.

Hestoft, Ralf-Finn. 2005 PowWow Convention in New York City. 2005. New York City, New York, USA. Corbis. 7 May 2008 <http://pro.corbis.com/search/search.aspx?i=1208223655>.

The Lion King. Dir. Rob Minkoff. 1994. YouTube. 7 May 2008 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KedQ0SbioE>.

peer-movie-review-draft

Not only is this my favorite movie of all time, but I chose it because as a film, it introduced alot of new ideas and used technology in a way that Disney filmmaker’s had not used before. The story line is original and the setting is amazing. I’ve never really written a review like this before, so I know my draft is going to change as I go along.

So here’s my draft.

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I want to start off by saying that I pretty much agreed with everything that Christopher Orr of The New Republic said in his critique of the ending to the movie There Will Be Blood. I liked the fact that he kind of gave a mini re-cap of the film’s events and described the main character’s (Daniel Plainview) personality and his inner flaws. In my opinion, the movie has a pretty much dark, lurking feeling to it. You get a feeling that there is always someone with sinister and/or cynical intentions or ulterior motives.  As i watched it, I felt like there was always something looming, a suspense that kept building up. It really made you wonder what was going to happen.

I also liked how Orr addressed Plainview’s need for family even though he made it pretty clear to everyone, both in speech and behavior, that he had no need for people and found them to be useless/worthless. He really had a generally pessimistic view of people. That’s what made his confrontation with his adopted son H.W. so dramatic. To watch him hurt H.W. after raising him (despite his original intentions to use him for economic gain) was very dramatic and important. It was important because this is where you see just how egotistical, selfish, and disconnected Daniel Plainview really is. The problem with this scene is the transition into it. The film just jumps through time and leaves you wondering way too much. It feels like one day Daniel loves H.W. with no doubts, and then he suddenly treats him like his worst enemy without any remorse. Orr’s is right when he wrote,

“At some point in the intervening years, he has given himself over entirely to the monstrosity that had always lurked but had never fully possessed him. How? Why? It’s not hard to imagine answers, but the film has elided them.”

I also agreed with Orr’s belief that the ending fight scene with Eli was cheap and did not do the rest of the film justice. It felt rushed and goofy. I too believe that the director felt he needed a confrontational ending like that and that a more simple, understated one would not have been enough. Overall, the movie was not really the type of movie I would go out and rent on my own, but I can still appreciate it. It creeped me out most of the time as I watched it, but it is well written and cast. If you like movies with historical context and dark characters, I would recommend it.

Orr’s review is much more critical, in my opinion, than Scott’s review. He comes off very opinionated and strong. as he reviews the movie, he gives a lot more storyline details. He does a good job of explaining the significance of the main characters, their behavior, the cinematography, and the film’s soundtrack. At the same time, I feel like he gives up too much of the movie.

If I wanted to write a review like Orr’s, I would have to be critical and detailed. I would have to set the story up and make it so that people can picture it in their mind’s eye. The trick is to do this without ruining it for readers who have not seen the movie yet. He also makes it a point to not only constructively criticize, but give praise where praise is due.

When you compare and contrast Orr’s review to Scott’s, you can see that they do share many similarities. They both:

• Describe what the movie is about
• Give the historical context of the stories
• Tell the reader’s what they may not like or find confusing
• Use descriptive words and write in active, involved voices
• Explain who is behind the film/project & why it’s important to mention them in the first place
• The creative value in the films is mentioned
• Opinion

All of these traits can be found in the writers’ reviews. These are all things worth having in a review. They make a reader want to continue reading and decide if they want to see the movie at all. It helps prepare viewers for what they may see.

I would like to start off by saying that A.O. Scott’s review of “Good Night, and Good Luck” is very well written. Of course, I would expect no less from a writer at the prestigious New York Times. He does a good job of explaining the context of the movie, who is behind the making of the film, they key actors and why anyone should watch this movie in the first place. After having watched it myself in class, I agree with alot of what Scott wrote in his review. The film is set at a fast pace to match, in my opinion, the fast paced world of journalism and broadcast. it never strays away from this world and disconnects itself somewhat from the outside world in the sense that you barely see the characters’ lives outside of work.

If I were to offer any ideas to Scott in terms of revising his review, I would tell him that since not everyone is familiar with the definition of what communism actually is, it would help readers if he gave a short explanation of what it is. It wouldn’t have to be long or in depth, just a enough to give them an idea of what he is talking about. This would keep people from feeling like they would not understand the movie at all and continue reading to find out more about the movie. He wrote himself that, “And be prepared to pay attention. “Good Night, and Good Luck” is not the kind of historical picture that dumbs down its material, or walks you carefully through events that may be unfamiliar.” Given that, he could maybe fill in a little bit of the gaps that the fill may be leave behind in its wake. That would be my main suggestion to him. Other than that, I think he did a very good job.

As a Journalism major myself, I liked watching this movie very much. I didn’t think I would have liked it, but I did. I liked it because even though it’s an event that happened years before I was born, the message is still extremely relevant. I still believe that, “The free press may be the oxygen of a democratic society, but it is always clouded by particles and pollutants, from the vanity or cowardice of individual journalists to the impersonal pressures of state power and the profit motive,” as Scott wrote intelligently. It truly feels like there’s a battle going on between people who want to write and contribute something positive to the world and people who want to write whatever makes the most money, regardless of the damage it could cause. It made me happy to see Scott address this issue towards the end of his review. It would have made Murrow proud.

What made this article cool was the interaction between these two men. I liked seeing what they had in common and how their worlds were different. It was also fun to see New York through the eyes of an absolute stranger from a very different country. Being from New Jersey, I have become accustomed to the average tri-state tourist and have answered many questions of theirs on my own. In other words, I felt like the writer managed to take a very common subject of sorts, and write it in a refreshing new way. I could feel an unspoken bond develop between the men, despite the differences they had. It was also pretty cool to see how it affected the writer and what he learned from his experience because he went into it thinking one way, and came out in a different frame of mind.

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