Film Reviews

The Lion King 3D

• Rating:
• Director: Rob Minkoff
• Starring: James Earl Jones
• Details: US / 89mins (G).

Before teeth are gnashed, fists are clenched and I'm chased by villagers waving pitchforks and burning torches, this review will be investigating the 3D aspect of this re-release and will try to judge if it's worth handing over your hard-earned dough… again. The Lion King is always worth checking out and is out now in a 2D format – you can save yourself a few quid by avoiding the 3D.
We all know there are movies that have to be seen on the big screen and The Lion King is one of them, a classic in Disney's long line of classics. Like Jurassic Park, The Lion King's re-release coincides with its Blu-Ray counterpart, and it's a trend that's beginning to worry me. A paranoid cynic (like myself) would theorise that the likes of Transformers are only made to flog toys and Happy Meals and lament the idea that a film could be in the cinemas purely as a promotional tool. Unlike JP, however, Disney have given us a 3D version.
There are movies that are actually 3D – Avatar - and movies that are rendered 3D in post – Clash of the Titans – which aren't really 3D. The Lion King is one of those that aren't. With or without 3D The Lion King looks gorgeous. With its hand-drawn technique when so many animated movies today rely on CGI, The Lion King still looks fresh and exciting. Thankfully, there are no pop culture references as Disney were determined that the story should exist in its own world. What's more is that it's an animated film where you can actually guess the voices without seeing the credits: James Earl Jones is unmistakable, as is Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, and doesn't Jeremy Irons have the perfect voice for a smarmy villain?
(Watching this again I came to sympathise with Scar's plight – he was always going to turn out to be a bad 'un with a name like that: the guy was called Scar because he had a scar. My parents were going to christen me Receding Hairline or Average Writer before sense stepped in but the names have been strangely prophetic.)
But what of the 3D? Sadly, it's a bit of a misnomer again. This re-release works hard at giving the scenes depth of field but there's only so much you can do when a movie wasn't designed that way from the outset. There is one moment, however, where the 3D really shines: the stampede in the gorge. I don't know if I was carried along with the spectacle and the action, but it has an immersive quality – you're in that gorge with Simba and the Wildebeests. Bar this wonderful sequence, however, you're not missing a lot here.

Review by Gavin Burke