One of the most intriguing qualities of The Lion King lies in the fact that its difficult to actually hate any of the characters. Not to say that audiences spent 90 minutes hoping for Scar to emerge victorious. Rather, every single main character is so richly developed that no scene qualifies as filler. The fluffy I Just Cant Wait To Be King was literally presented as a distraction, but it provides a point of reference for Simbas attitude in the second half of the film. Hakuna Matata was light and fun and designed to divert us from the reality that Mufasa totally just died, but it also introduced a theme that would define Simbas growth into adulthood. That Scar outlawed the mention of Mufasas name tells us as much about the state of the kingdom under his rule as it does about him. Even Sarabi is dynamic on screen. The Lion King may boast some fantastic action sequences, but the character beats in between can be even better.
Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .
