A landmark Disney animated adventure with memorable songs, striking visuals, and an unusually potent emotional arc about grief, responsibility, and growing up. It works as both a family crowd-pleaser and a surprisingly serious coming-of-age story.
The Lion King
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Animation · Family
Wed · 1h 29m
Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, Jeremy Irons
Overview
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
Director
Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Cast
Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, Jeremy Irons
Curator Review
Verdict
A landmark Disney animated adventure with memorable songs, striking visuals, and an unusually potent emotional arc about grief, responsibility, and growing up. It works as both a family crowd-pleaser and a surprisingly serious coming-of-age story.
Best for
families and kids who can handle some intense scenes
viewers who love classic hand-drawn animation
fans of musical adventure stories
audiences looking for a timeless, widely loved blockbuster
Skip if
you want a light, low-stakes kids movie
you dislike tragic family drama in family films
you prefer modern animation styles over 1990s hand-drawn work
Overview
The Lion King is one of the defining animated films of the 1990s because it understands scale and emotion in equal measure. It starts as a bright, funny animal adventure, then turns into a story about loss, guilt, and the burden of leadership without losing its momentum or accessibility.
Worth noting
What makes it endure is the confidence of the filmmaking: the compositions, the music, the comic timing, and the way every supporting character feels instantly legible. Even after decades of imitation, its emotional beats still land because they are built on clean storytelling rather than nostalgia alone.
Bottom line
It is also more serious than many viewers remember. Beneath the spectacle is a very direct coming-of-age tale about avoiding responsibility, confronting shame, and reclaiming identity. That gives the movie a staying power that reaches beyond childhood viewing.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ralph (5★) · 7440 likes
I like the part when Timon said the bug tasted like chicken. Haha how would he know? The rest of the movie was pretty good too.
James (Schaffrillas) (5★) · 5726 likes
A near-perfect work of art that can never be replicated. Let's hope nobody is stupid enough to try.
caitlin (5★) · 3433 likes
can you believe that billy shakespeare was SO moved and inspired by The Lion King that he wrote Hamlet like..... same
James (Schaffrillas) (5★) · 2989 likes
Biggest observation that came from this rewatch is that Timon would be a really good Tumblr Sexyman
Ellie ✨ (4.5★) · 2881 likes
scar going to all that trouble to become king and then lying around utterly neglecting to rule his kingdom is such a mood
Themes
coming of age, grief and loss, responsibility, family legacy, usurpation and betrayal, identity and self-discovery, good versus evil, leadership
Topics
animated classic, family adventure, musical, coming-of-age, epic storytelling, grief, 1990s, hand-drawn animation, Disney Renaissance, emotional