The Lion King
Movie, 1994, The Disney Renaissance, Set in The Pride Lands
The Lion King is #6 of 20 in release order and #14 of 20 in chronological order in the Disney Animated Classics.
The story
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
The Lion King recap
Simba is the cub of Mufasa, king of the Pride Lands, and the heir to the throne. Mufasa's jealous brother Scar wants the crown. He sends Simba and his friend Nala to the elephant graveyard, where hyenas attack them before Mufasa rescues them. Then Scar sets up a wildebeest stampede in a gorge with Simba trapped below. Mufasa saves his son, but Scar throws him from a cliff to his death and tells Simba it was his fault, telling him to run away. Simba is found in the desert by Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog, who teach him "hakuna matata", no worries. He grows up with them, while Scar and the hyenas ruin the Pride Lands. Years later Nala finds him and begs him to come home. The baboon Rafiki shows Simba that his father lives on in him, and the ghost of Mufasa tells him to remember who he is.
The Lion King ending explained
Simba returns, defeats Scar, takes his place as king, and the Pride Lands recover. Scar admits he killed Mufasa, and in the battle Simba throws him from Pride Rock. Scar tries to blame the hyenas, who overhear him and turn on him at the foot of the rock. Simba climbs Pride Rock and roars as the rain puts out the fires. The rains return, and the film ends with Rafiki presenting Simba and Nala's cub to the gathered animals.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Lion King
The Lion King is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 92%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Nightmare Before Christmas, before A Goofy Movie.
- Chronological order: after Atlantis: The Lost Empire, before The Nightmare Before Christmas.
What to watch before The Lion King
In release order, the essentials before The Lion King (1994) are The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
Cast
- Matthew Broderick as Simba (voice)
- Moira Kelly as Nala (voice)
- Jeremy Irons as Scar (voice)
- Nathan Lane as Timon (voice)
- Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa (voice)
- James Earl Jones as Mufasa (voice)
- Robert Guillaume as Rafiki (voice)
- Rowan Atkinson as Zazu (voice)
- Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi (voice)
- Cheech Marin as Banzai (voice)
- Jim Cummings as Ed (voice)
- Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Young Simba (voice)
Directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff.