Childhood movies have something special; they feel like they are embedded in our brains. Every time we watch them, they bring back a piece of our childhood.
A movie like that is to me, The Lion King. The 1994 version is the original one to me. No other version, the films of the franchise, the short films stand a chance to the original one. Probably it's because I grew up watching this.
While writing this and rewatching some clips and the trailer, I feel nostalgic. The starting music of the trailer brought back so many memories. The fun, excitement, adventure, sadness, friendly romance was taking over my mind...
I can't count how many times I have watched this, as a child, and as a mom as well. The characters became like well-known people to me. The doubling seems so perfect, I can't imagine and my mind doesn't accept another voice for them.
Now when I think about why I like it so much - I find a few answers.
The story - the circle of life, and the family bonding is what makes the film powerful. The father-son bond, the heartbreak after Simba's father died; everything was so touchy. Any child would feel sorrow, the excitement in their heart.
There is no comparison of the original one's artwork to today's animation. But it has something magical in it. We grew up watching similar cartoons so it felt comforting. Now, it feels original and authentic in this era of AI and animation.
The character build-up was very instance. Unlike, today's many films, this original one has many side characters and they all seem very important to build the story. Not just Simba, his father, and the villain; all the other characters were inspiring and had emotional materials.
I also grew up watching Timon and Pumbaa cartoon series. So, not just because of the lion king but because the ear absorbed us so much, it embedded its core in our hearts.
Back then, watching a movie was not simple. We had to wait when it will come to the TV or watch it on the VCR. I remember, I watched The Lion King many times on TV and glued to the monitor. I cried, was ashamed for crying, but felt so much joy seeing Simba's victory.
The whole story is influential to me, not just any character. The bravery, the family bonding, the fun and excitement, the friendship and support, the leadership skill; everything is absorbed in the core of my heart.
It's not just a movie, a life story to me. Sounds silly, it's not a human story. But a silly movie taught our small brains so much. The death of Simba's father, and when Simba gets to know the truth; these two scenes were so emotional...I can remember every single detail of them.
It still never fails to attract me on the screen when it plays.
There's no single thing that I can criticize about this film. I never checked about this movie review until now. It got IMDb 8.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%. I would give this 10/10, if not so then 9.8/10. It's not just a movie but a film I grew up with.
