#109 The Lion King

Scar: I killed Mufasa!

So I know EVERYONE has seen this one, and if you havent then your childhood must have been seriously lacking (just kidding). It is one of Disney's best films (you notice I didn't say "The Best" because I am partial to Beauty and the Beast) and it was obviously good enough to make this list alongside many other classic films. I did just watch this today so I'm not cheating and writing this from childhood memories, but since I am sure most of you have seen this movie already there isn't much summary for me to do. So let me describe what this movie means to me and why I think it should have made this list. The basic story is that Simba, the prince of pride rock, witnesses the death of his father, Mufasa, and blames himself because of the manipulation of his uncle, Scar, who was really responsible. Simba then runs away and meets a couple of quirky characters whom he lives with until he is discovered by Nala, a lioness from Pride Rock, and is convinced that he must go home to reclaim his throne. The story is pretty basic but the execution is amazing. Mufasa's death scene is by far one of the most dramatic and heartwrenching moments in film. I literally cry every time I see that moment where simba screams as mufasa falls and again when he attempts to wake him after he has died. In addition to its sad moments it has a lot of other emotional elements; there is the relationship between Mufasa and Scar which is very Claudius-esque (Hamlet), the emotional growth of the relationship between Simba and Nala who go from childhood friends to lovers and the comedic element provided by Timon and Pumba. I also love the cyclical aspect of the story. The movie has three important events that take place on Pride Rock, the first is the birth of simba, the next is the final battle where simba reclaims the throne, and finally the birth of simba's child at the end of the film. The setting seems to represent the "circle of life" and emphasizes that life always moves on and with death comes new life. I think the reason this film has appealed to so many people over so many generations is that it has the perfect blend of adult and child content. It is so good that I have seen it in theaters three different times throughout my life; first when it was originally released in 1994, again when it was done as special release in Imax in 2002, and finally again when it was in 3-D in this year. This film is iconic of our childhood as children born in the '90s and now that it has been re-released it can be a part of future generations...