This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There are many bad things about the current wave of 3-D movies: the general shoddiness of the product, the discomfort of wearing those plastic glasses, the surcharge theaters charge for those glasses, and the fact that the already too-dim light of the projector is cut in half.
But there's at least one good thing about 3-D: the chance that some classic films will make a welcome return to theaters, as Disney's 1994 African epic "The Lion King" does for a two-week run starting today.
The movie has become a classic for children, though a great many adults (the ones who pay the exorbitant prices for tickets to the Broadway version) love the universal story of a young prince sent away from home to realize that he must return to reclaim his throne and restore the kingdom to greatness. In this case, of course, the prince is Simba (voiced by then-teen-heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a boy, Matthew Broderick as an adult), who witnesses the death of his father, the king Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), and runs away because the king's evil brother, Scar (Jeremy Irons), made Simba believe he was to blame.
As directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, the story is lively, shifting easily from the high drama of Mufasa's death in a wildebeest stampede to the comical pairing of the meerkat Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane) and warthog Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella). It's also great to hear the voice cast again, notably Rowan Atkinson's officious majordomo Zazu and Robert Guillaume as the mystical baboon Rafiki.
The musical numbers — with songs written by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice — include such Disney staples as the bouncy "Hakuna Matata" and the romantic "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" and are well worth hearing again. (Confession: In my 1994 review, I wrote that the "songs are forgettable, and none will become instant classics like 'Be Our Guest' or 'A Whole New World.' " Shows what I know.)
Seeing "The Lion King" in this crisp 3-D restoration, the full explosion of color of the African landscapes and the clean lines of Disney's animators are made brighter and sharper than ever. From the opening shot of an African sunrise, through the unsettling images of Scar's goose-stepping hyena troops to Simba's fiery battle to reclaim Pride Rock, every scene is vibrant and alive. There are no added scenes, no augmented 3-D effects, and no need for any of them.
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'The Lion King' in 3-D
The 1994 Disney classic returns in a razor-sharp 3-D rendering.
Where • Theaters everywhere
When • Opens today
Rating • G
Running time • 89 minutes