We see a view of the jungle. The sun rises. Cool. The different types animals look at the sun. A lion sits on top of a mountain. This lion holds a cub. A baboon takes then takes the cub.

"The baboon marks the lion cub on his forehead with a red mark. He holds him up and the other animals bow before him. Nice atmosphere created here. A little mouse moves around. Spectacular visuals. An evil lion called Scar chats to a mouse. He tries to eat him. Wonderful introduction to the movie. These animals are real but their moving mouths are animated. What innovative CGI"

Then the king of the jungle (called Mufasa) arrives. Scar is misbehaving so Mufasa asks if Scar wants to duel. Scar is Mufasa's younger brother. Mufasa says "Simba will be your King". We see the jungle at dusk then at night. Beautiful scenery. Mufasa's son will be Simba. Simba chats to his dad in the morning.

"Mufasa brings Simba on top of high mountain. Mufasa says to his son 'Everything the light touches is mine... It belongs to no one, it is yours to protect'. He continues 'As king you need to inderstand balance... from the ants... to the big animals'. What beautiful words"

Simba jumps on a funny bird who is telling the news. Simba toys with a dung beatle. Simba chats to uncle Scar. "Have you ever been to the shadow lands beyond the borders... it's an elephant grave yard" says evil Scar. Scar is tempting Simba to go there. Then Simba's mother gives him his shower by licking him hehe. Simba is friends with a girl cub. There is a bird that tells people the news and it says that Simba will get married to a girl cub some day. They both laugh it off.

A musical number begins... "I just can't wait to be King". The girl cub Pinja fights with Simba. They shouldn't but they walk outside the pridelands to the shadow lands where there are elephant skeletons. Its quite bleak. Then Hienas appear. The hienas say they want them to stay for dinner... They want a "midnight snack" hehe. The Hienas chase them and then menacingly circle them. They are about to be eaten, then Mufasa arrives and roars. Awesome scene. He warns the hienas. It appears that Mufasa is clearly the king of the jungle.

The news bird says that Simba getting into scrapes is fine.

"Mufasa then says 'Simba... you deliberately disobeyed me'. Mufasa then says 'I guess no one messes with your dad'. He adds 'The great kings from the past look down on us from the stars'. This movie has some great emotive speeches"

The Hienas chat in the shadows land. Then Scar arrives and says to the hienas "Why eat one meal when you could feast". Scar then says "When I am king there will be more for you". Then a musical number commences. We then cut to a canyon/gorge. Scar takes Simba to a gorge to practice his roar. It's funny that Simba can't roar and it sounds like a miaow hehe. Then he practices again, this time its a louder roar! Then lots of buffalo get agitated and advance into the gorge.

Simba is down there and its dangerous because the buffalo are running at speed, its a stampede. Mufasa is trying to find Simba but he needs to climb up to save himself. He's nearly up top. Scar is up there. Mufasa tries to ask Simba for help but Scar let's go of him and pushes him off the cliff. Scar says that it was "Simba's fault that he's dad died" because he should have escaped from the gorge himself, he was too weak.

Then Scar sends the Hienas after him but Simba escapes. Scar does a speech, he lies that the death of Mufasa was unfortunate. Mufasa adds "From the ashes of this tragedy... we shall welcome a new era". Mufasa then takes the throne. Simba then takes a voyage into the desert. He collapses. The vulchers then arrive. Then a warthog called Atumba with what appears to be a racoon on his back arrives. Both of them are funny and they save Simba.

They know that Simba is depressed so they teach Simba to say "Hacuna Matada". It means "no worries". Then Atumba shows Simba their other animal friends. The animals eat juicy insects and act funny.

"The hienas say that King Scar wishes to talk to Saraba, a female lioness so as she can be Scar's queen. He refuses to be his queen. She refuses but then he says to her 'From now on the lions will eat after the hienas... and they don't leave much behind'. Scar as the villain has a great menacing presence through out the movie. You start to think that Simba has no chance"

Saraba investigates Scar. Scar is walking around suspiciously at night. Simba has now grown up. He had stayed with in Atumba's territory until he grew up. Now all grown up they all discuss 'the circle of life'. They feast on insects.

"One of the animals say 'Ever look above and wonder what those lights are'. They all chat about the stars. They also chat about the 'Royal animals in the stars that are watching over us'. A dung beetle then rolls some dung. Some of Simbas hair gets loose and it travels a great distance to a baboon. Then the baboon says 'Simba is alive!'. What a cool scene"

Then the warthog and other animals sing "In the jungle... the quiet jungle... the lion sleeps tonight".

"Nala the lioness ventures towards Atumba's territory and attacks Simba but she didn't realise it was him, she couldn't recognise him. She walks with him. Then the musical number 'Can you feel the love tonight' commences. This is one of the best musical numbers of the movie"

Simba and Nala play around with each other. Nala wants Simba to return. But Simba says "Acuna matada" (no worries) and he doesn't need to return. She says Scar has descimated the pridelands. Nala is sad that Simba doesn't care.

She says "I came here to find help... I guess I was wrong". A baboon tells Simba to follow him. The baboon takes him to a lake.

"He looks down into the water and sees his father's face. Then the face says 'Remember who you are' in the fathers voice. Then Simba goes on top of a mountain and roars!!! What a brilliant scene. Simba now becomes a real lion"

Simba then runs back to the pridelands. He looks over the pridelands and it has been decimated. Pumba and Meercat also tail him. The Hienas guard the entrance to the pridelands.

Simbas mother angrily says to Scar, you are nothing compared to Mufasa. Simba arrives and confronts Scar. Scar makes Simba admit that it was his fault that Mustafa died. Then Simba nearly falls from a cliff. He's on the ledge. Then Scar whispers to Simba that it was him that killed Mufasa! Then Simba jumps up and attacks Scar. Other lions help fight Scar. Nala attacks another female lioness. A fire is started down below.

The warthog also assists. The hienas attack the lions. Simba chases after Scar.

"'It's over Scar' says Simba. 'Run away' says Simba to Scar. Scar then kicks lava into the face of Simba. But Simba retaliates and fights scar. These fights are awesome. Then Scar falls down to the ground. Scar had lied to the Hienas and so the hienes then attack him and eat him! They say to Scar 'A Hienas belly is never full'. Another impactfull scene"

The baboon calls Simba Your Majesty and paints his forehead with a red line denoting that he is king. Simba roars! Simba then stands on the high mountain with Nala. We then cut to a future scene where the baboon holds the baby cub of Simba and Nala up to the sky! What an ending!

What a brilliant movie. It had some very memorable scenes.

"The advanced CGI where the animals have moving mouths as they speak is outstanding. But what really struch a chord was the wonderful and inspirational speeches that are spoken through out the movie. The most intense character of all was Scar. What a villain! He was voiced excellently by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Mufasa who was voiced by the ever reliable James Earl Jones and he was inspirational. The young Simba was voiced well by JD McCrary"

What a great cast of voice actors. The action scenes were also shot superbly. This is a very innovative film. Enjoy the exciting 1hr 58min.