Changes

The next day, Scar takes Simba to the gorge on the guise of his father having a surprise for him, telling him to also practice on his roar. As Simba does so, a herd of wildebeests (stirred up by the hyena trio) stampedes in the gorge, with Simba caught in the middle. Mufasa hears word of it and goes with Zazu and Scar to the gorge, where he rescues Simba. When trying to climb out, however, Scar shoves him back into the stampede, the herd trampling Mufasa to death. Simba is distraught by his father's death, which Scar tells him is his fault and then tells him to run away. Simba does so (after being briefly chased by the hyenas), and Scar takes command of the Pride Lands, letting the hyenas into the kingdom.

The next day, Scar takes Simba to the gorge on the guise of his father having a surprise for him, telling him to also practice on his roar. As Simba does so, a herd of wildebeests (stirred up by the hyena trio) stampedes in the gorge, with Simba caught in the middle. Mufasa hears word of it and goes with Zazu and Scar to the gorge, where he rescues Simba. When trying to climb out, however, Scar shoves him back into the stampede, the herd trampling Mufasa to death. Simba is distraught by his father's death, which Scar tells him is his fault and then tells him to run away. Simba does so (after being briefly chased by the hyenas), and Scar takes command of the Pride Lands, letting the hyenas into the kingdom.

Lost and alone, Simba is rescued in the desert by a comical duo: a wisecracking meerkat named Timon and a naïve yet friendly warthog named Pumbaa. They take Simba into their jungle home and teach him the philosophy "Hakuna Matata", where he has no responsibilities and no worries. He grows up into a powerful young male lion, but he still feels guilt over what happened to his father. In the meantime, Rafiki realizes that Simba is still alive and sets out to find him and bring him back. Back in the jungle, Simba saves Timon and Pumbaa from a lioness that is hunting them, only to realize that it's Nala, and the two friends reunite and fall in love. Soon, Nala tries getting Simba to return to the Pride Lands and take over from Scar (whose policy of letting the hyenas overhunt upsets the balance of the Pride Lands, and even the hyenas are getting sick of Scar's reign), yet Simba refuses, set in his new Hakuna Matata lifestyle. But when Rafiki helps him see his father's spirit, who urges him to take his place in the Circle Of Life, Simba makes his choice to save his father's kingdom and returns to the Pride Lands.

Lost and alone, Simba is rescued in the desert by a wisecracking meerkat named Timon and a naïve yet friendly warthog named Pumbaa. They take Simba into their jungle home and teach him the philosophy "Hakuna Matata", where he has no responsibilities and no worries. He grows up into a powerful young male lion living a life of ease and hedonism, but he still feels guilt over what happened to his father. In the meantime, Rafiki realizes that Simba is still alive and sets out to find him and bring him back. Back in the jungle, Simba saves Timon and Pumbaa from a lioness that is hunting them, only to realize that it's Nala, and the two friends reunite and fall in love. Soon, Nala tries getting Simba to return to the Pride Lands and take over from Scar (whose policy of letting the hyenas overhunt upsets the balance of the Pride Lands, and even the hyenas are getting sick of Scar's reign), yet Simba refuses, set in his new Hakuna Matata lifestyle. But when Rafiki helps him see his father's spirit, who urges him to take his place in the Circle Of Life, Simba makes his choice to save his father's kingdom and returns to the Pride Lands.

Simba sneaks into Pride Rock with help from Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa, and he confronts Scar when he witnesses his uncle striking Sarabi for mentioning Mufasa's name and questioning him. Backed in a corner, Scar starts making Simba feel guilty for Mufasa's death again and backs him up against the edge of Pride Rock, only to reveal that he was the one who murdered Mufasa. Now free from his guilt, Simba forces Scar to confess, and a great battle occurs: Simba, his friends, and the lionesses against Scar and his hyenas. Simba faces Scar at the top of Pride Rock, who tries saving his own fur by pinning his crimes on the hyenas, and attacks Simba after his nephew banishes him from the Pride Lands. A battle ensues between Simba and Scar, and Scar gets flung off to the side of Pride Rock by Simba and survives, but he's quickly killed soon after by the hyenas; they had overheard Scar blaming them for his crimes and backed away to let him deal with Simba alone.

Simba sneaks into Pride Rock with help from Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa, and he confronts Scar when he witnesses his uncle striking Sarabi for mentioning Mufasa's name and questioning him. Backed in a corner, Scar starts making Simba feel guilty for Mufasa's death again and backs him up against the edge of Pride Rock, only to reveal that he was the one who murdered Mufasa. Now free from his guilt, Simba forces Scar to confess, and a great battle occurs: Simba, his friends, and the lionesses against Scar and his hyenas. Simba faces Scar at the top of Pride Rock, who tries saving his own fur by pinning his crimes on the hyenas, and attacks Simba after his nephew banishes him from the Pride Lands. A battle ensues between Simba and Scar, and Scar gets flung off to the side of Pride Rock by Simba and survives, but he's quickly killed soon after by the hyenas; they had overheard Scar blaming them for his crimes and backed away to let him deal with Simba alone.

* '''Niketa Calame/Moira Kelly as Nala (cub and adult)''': Nala is Simba's best friend and eventual mate. As a cub, she's just as adventurous as Simba and can easily overpower him in a tussle. When she grows up under Scar's tyrannical reign, she leaves to find help and ends up finding Simba after they fight. They spend a romantic night together as they fall in love, but the night ends with Nala trying to persuade Simba into returning to the Pride Lands and reclaim his throne; while he doesn't listen at first, he does eventually return with Nala right behind him. Once Simba becomes king, Nala becomes his mate and the mother of his cub.

* '''Niketa Calame/Moira Kelly as Nala (cub and adult)''': Nala is Simba's best friend and eventual mate. As a cub, she's just as adventurous as Simba and can easily overpower him in a tussle. When she grows up under Scar's tyrannical reign, she leaves to find help and ends up finding Simba after they fight. They spend a romantic night together as they fall in love, but the night ends with Nala trying to persuade Simba into returning to the Pride Lands and reclaim his throne; while he doesn't listen at first, he does eventually return with Nala right behind him. Once Simba becomes king, Nala becomes his mate and the mother of his cub.

* '''James Earl Jones as Mufasa''': Mufasa is the king of the Pride Lands, as well as Simba's father. He is wise, kind, and has a good sense of humor, though he can be quick to anger if anyone he loves is threatened.

* '''James Earl Jones as Mufasa''': Mufasa is the king of the Pride Lands, as well as Simba's father. He is wise, kind, and has a good sense of humor, though he can be quick to anger if anyone he loves is threatened. Simba looks up to him as a hero and a father, and his death devastates him.

* '''Jeremy Irons as Scar''': Scar is the main antagonist of the film, as well as Mufasa's brother and Simba's uncle. He had yearned to be king of the Pride Lands, only for his jealousy of Mufasa to intensify once Simba is born. Cunning, sly, and sarcastic to the point of bitterness, he would go to any length to make sure he becomes king, even if he resorts to murder and treason.

* '''Jeremy Irons as Scar''': Scar is the main antagonist of the film, as well as Mufasa's brother and Simba's uncle. He had yearned to be king of the Pride Lands, only for his jealousy of Mufasa to intensify once Simba is born. Cunning, sly, and sarcastic to the point of bitterness, he would go to any length to make sure he becomes king, even if he resorts to murder and treason.

* '''Madge Sinclair as Sarabi''': Sarabi is the queen of the Pride Lands, as well as Simba's mother.

* '''Madge Sinclair as Sarabi''': Sarabi is the queen of the Pride Lands, as well as Simba's mother. She is shown to be a caring mother for Simba, yet she later shows that she is no pushover. Later in the movie, she coldly ignores the hyenas snapping at her heels, only giving them a stern glare with her head held high. She also confronts Scar about the way he runs things and later joins her son in the battle for Pride Rock, which results in Scar being defeated.

* '''Robert Guillaume as Rafiki''': Rafiki is an old mandrill shaman. He is the one who presents Simba to the kingdom on the day of his birth. While cooky and bizarre at times, he is also very wise, an example being reading a sign of Simba's survival carried by the wind.

* '''Robert Guillaume as Rafiki''': Rafiki is an old mandrill shaman. He is the one who presents Simba to the kingdom on the day of his birth. While eccentric and bizarre at times, he is also very wise, an example being reading a sign of Simba's survival carried by the wind.

* '''Rowan Atkinson as Zazu''': Zazu is a hornbill and Mufasa's majordomo. He is the one who reports to the king about what goes on in the kingdom. While he's the target of Simba's mischief, he is still loyal to the royal family and will do his best to help them.

* '''Rowan Atkinson as Zazu''': Zazu is a hornbill and Mufasa's majordomo. He is the one who reports to the king about what goes on in the kingdom. While he's the target of Simba's mischief, he is still loyal to the royal family and will do his best to help them.

==Themes==

==Themes==

Several themes in the movie include conservative values like reconciliation, faith, and heroism. One major example of honoring one's parents is Simba seeing his father's spirit in the clouds, who urges him to retake his place in the Circle of Life.

Several themes in the movie include conservative values like reconciliation, faith, and heroism. One major example of honoring one's parents (which is one of the [[Ten Commandments]]) is Simba seeing his father's spirit in the clouds, who urges him to retake his place in the Circle of Life.

Totalitarian rule is condemned in the form of the film's villain, Scar. Once he murders Mufasa and guilts Simba into running away, he sets up a government of sorts, where his hyenas help themselves to all the lions' prey. But he's eventually shown to be a terrible king, lazing away and letting his hyenas overhunt; in fact, his hyena helpers even hint that in spite of the animosity between them, Mufasa was the better king than Scar.

Totalitarian rule is condemned in the form of the film's villain, Scar. Once he murders Mufasa and guilts Simba into running away, he sets up a government of sorts, where his hyenas help themselves to all the lions' prey. But he's eventually shown to be a terrible king, lazing away and letting his hyenas overhunt; in fact, his hyena helpers even hint that in spite of the animosity between them, Mufasa was the better king than Scar. Scar even convinces himself at times that he was a much better ruler than Mufasa, displaying the same arrogance that communist rulers have displayed during and after their reigns.

Open borders and illegal immigration are shown to be negative, an example being where Scar lets the hyenas enter the Pride Lands unchallenged and the hyenas start to overhunt.

Open borders and illegal immigration are shown to be negative, an example being where Scar lets the hyenas enter the Pride Lands unchallenged and the hyenas start to overhunt. Once Simba overthrows Scar and becomes the king, he works to restore the Pride Lands back to their former glory which can also mean fixing the land's borders, food and water becoming plentiful again.

 

Hedonism is portrayed as negative, for while Timon and Pumbaa genuinely are Simba's friends, their Hakuna Matata lifestyle of easy living and laziness does lead Simba off the path of responsibility.

==Sequels and TV Shows==

==Sequels and TV Shows==

A sequel called ''The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride'' was released on home video in 1998, based on Shakespeare's ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''. Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara learns about the Outlanders, a group of lions led by Zira who are still loyal to Simba's evil late uncle Scar. Things get more complicated when Kiara and one of the Outlanders, Kovu (a young male lion destined to follow in Scar's pawprints), fall in love with each other, and Rafiki (after receiving a sign from Mufasa's spirit) tries getting Kiara and Kovu to fall in love and unite the two warring prides. While most Disney sequels have had mixed to bad reviews, ''The Lion King 2'' is considered by people to be one of the best Disney sequels.

A sequel called ''The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride'' was released on home video in 1998, based on Shakespeare's ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''. Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara learns about the Outlanders, a group of lions led by Zira who are still loyal to Simba's evil late uncle Scar. Things get more complicated when Kiara and one of the Outlanders, Kovu (a young male lion destined to follow in Scar's pawprints), fall in love with each other, and Rafiki (after receiving a sign from Mufasa's spirit) tries getting Kiara and Kovu to fall in love and unite the two warring prides. While most Disney sequels have had mixed to bad reviews, ''The Lion King 2'' is considered by people to be one of the best Disney sequels.

In 2004, a prequel/parallel movie called ''The Lion King 1 1/2'' (or ''The Lion King 3'' in other countries) was released, based on a play called ''Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead''. This tells the backstory of Simba's titular misfit friends, Timon and Pumbaa, as they meet each other and Simba, as well as exploring parts of the first movie in the eyes of the titular duo.

In 2004, a prequel/parallel movie called ''The Lion King 1 1/2'' (or ''The Lion King 3'' in other countries) was released, based on a play called ''Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead''. This tells the backstory of Simba's misfit friends - Timon and Pumbaa - as they meet each other and Simba, as well as exploring parts of the first movie in the eyes of the titular duo.

Two television shows were released: ''Timon and Pumbaa'' in 1995 and ''The Lion Guard'' in 2016. ''Timon and Pumbaa'' has the meerkat-and-warthog duo going on wacky adventures in their jungle and around the world. ''The Lion Guard'' - which ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2019 - tells of Simba's son Kion assembling a group of animals to help protect the Pride Lands and preserve the Circle of Life.

Two television shows were released: ''Timon and Pumbaa'' in 1995 and ''The Lion Guard'' in 2016. ''Timon and Pumbaa'' has the meerkat-and-warthog duo going on wacky adventures in their jungle and around the world. ''The Lion Guard'' - which ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2019 - tells of Simba's son Kion assembling a group of animals to help protect the Pride Lands and preserve the Circle of Life.

The remake contains the same themes as the original, examples ranging from faith to reconciliation, and it also contains most of the original story from the 1994 film. The overhunting part from Scar is expanded upon, showing that Scar did this deliberately to keep his tyrannical reign in line and out of spite for Sarabi refusing to be his queen (a scene that is very similar to Claudius wedding Hamlet's mother in ''Hamlet'' and was even lifted from the Broadway musical, though the musical had Scar harassing Nala instead). Hakuna Matata is also shown in a nihilistic light in the remake - Timon and Pumbaa believing that nothing exists beyond seeking one's own happiness - and Simba follows in the same path before eventually taking responsibility. That being said, critics have said that the CGI's biggest flaw is lack of facial expressions, as well as important scenes from the original being missing (such as Rafiki telling Simba that while the past can hurt, he could either run from it or learn from it).

The remake contains the same themes as the original, examples ranging from faith to reconciliation, and it also contains most of the original story from the 1994 film. The overhunting part from Scar is expanded upon, showing that Scar did this deliberately to keep his tyrannical reign in line and out of spite for Sarabi refusing to be his queen (a scene that is very similar to Claudius wedding Hamlet's mother in ''Hamlet'' and was even lifted from the Broadway musical, though the musical had Scar harassing Nala instead). Hakuna Matata is also shown in a nihilistic light in the remake - Timon and Pumbaa believing that nothing exists beyond seeking one's own happiness - and Simba follows in the same path before eventually taking responsibility. That being said, critics have said that the CGI's biggest flaw is lack of facial expressions, as well as important scenes from the original being missing (such as Rafiki telling Simba that while the past can hurt, he could either run from it or learn from it).

==Links==

==Links==