I remember going to see the lion king in the cinema for my younger brothers birthday, I remember crying when Moufassa dies and still 18 years later (I now feel old) I have tears most the way through this film.

****The film****
The Lion King is a 2D animated film written by disney, with music written by Elton John and Lyrics by Tim Rice. The film is based in an African Pride Land I believe in either Tanzania or Kenya as Kilamangaro is featured in the opening scene. The films main character is Simba a cub born to Moufassa and Sarabi. The animation is fairly basic in comparisson to your Pixar films but this makes this film. I believe it was a pixar film it would ruin the emotion you can get from the cartoon aspect. The film is a real family film for all the family from young chidren - to the older members of the family.

***The opening Scene***
The opening scene involves all the animals coming together in the pride land for Simbas christening. The opening scene is in my mind the best opening to a film I have ever seen. The music and the coming together of all the animals is mind-capturing.

**** The Plot****
The story is based on Simba and his adventure before becoming king. He has a cruel Uncle who beholds a grudge that he is not ever going to be King and plans for Moufassa and Simba to be killed so he can take there place and let the hyenas take over. The hyenas pretend they have killed Simba after Moufassa is trampled to death in a stampede set up by Scar.

Simba is infact in a Jungle with Timone (meerkat) and Pumba (Warthog), they save him from the heat of the desert where he escaped to. They take him in and he grows up to be like them eating worms and beetles. He never forgets his roots although never lets them knw that he should be king of PrideRock.

While Simba is living this life, Scar has ruined PrideRock the hyenas have taken over and there is nood food left. Narla a friend of Simbas from childhood heads to the jungle to hunt for some food for the pride, he finds Pumba and chases him through the jungle screaming, it is at this point Simba fight Narla and he gets pinned down. Simba remembers Narla pinning him down when he was younger and realises who it is. She manages to persuade him to go back to PrideRock

Upon Simbas return to PrideROck he witnesses his Uncle Scar hitting his mother Sarabi, Simba is furious and they end up in a fight.........

Who dies? Who ends up as king? I will not ruin the end for all of you that have not seen it.

**** Why I love this film****
From beginning to end this film touches and plays with your heart, one minute you are looking at the cutest little cub then he is getting chased to be killed, then he is in a jungle meeting the comedians of the film and then your heart is left pounding to see if he gets his rightful place as King.

My 2 year old loves this film and knows all the animals in the film and her favourite is the Giraffis which are featured in the opening and closing of the film. She loves the songs which are cleverly written to have a real african feel to them. She sings along to some of them and dances away.

This is a classic film that will not age over time. If anyone gets the opportunity to go and see it at the broadway or in London you really must, it is a must see theatre performance that will get you alot more than the film did.

I am giving it a five star as it really is a classic Disney film, it is a film for all the family that grandparents and young chidren will equally get as much out of.