First UK Lion King review

[2099net]

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=5645

A few of points that attracted my interest.

Zazu hosts disc 1, Scar hosts disc 2!

The UK contains DD 5.1 'Original Soundmix', half-rate DTS 5.1 EHT Mix

Disc one has an Hebrew soundtrack and subtitles, while Disc two has Hebrew or Spanish subtitles - no alternative language soundtracks.

"Circle of Life" Music Video Performed by the Disney Channel "Circle of Stars" (4:19, DD5.1 Surround) - A truly detestable rendition of the “Circle of Life” opening theme as sung by irritating American teens who are even more excruciating to watch.

The Virtual Safari is totally animated - no live action footage

Virtual Safari - Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella return as Timon and Pumbaa as they take you on two virtual safari's through the African jungle. Choose your method of transport (Jeep or Boat) and away you go on a mini-adventure created primarily for children where Timon and Pumbaa act as zany tour guides though most of the time end up running from hungry carnivores. Interaction from the viewer is limited to specific junction points where you choose to move left or right, and with just three such junctions in each safari you can imagine the variety on offer here is sadly minimal. This really is a shame as the mixture of CGI and 2D animation looks fine while the real treat is Terry Porter's 5.1 mix for these tours where he develops the DEHT concept and helps to create a very effective though short lived 'adventure ride' feel. So this is certainly great for the kids though adults will most likely be bored after 20-minutes.

There appears to be no Lion King trailers Apart from the Lion King 3 of course!

[Matty-Mouse]

It all seems to me at least, to look a bit better when you read it like that, than when we read the orginal press release. I still think it looks slight fluffy but unfortunately I think this is how Aladdin and Mermaid will look as well. Disney think that the newer flicks will appeal more to the kids and the older ones to adults. It will be interesting to see whats on the DVD's for the more "cartoony" films (Jungle Book, Dalmatians).

thanks for the link 2009.

[Loomis]

Thanks for that, 2099.
I have to agree - it looks slightly less fluffy in this review than I imagined. The 25 minute doco on music alone should keep a lot of punters happy.

I look forward to hearing that commentary too. I really enjoyed the one on Beauty and the Beast (and I believe Don Hahn was a participant there too), so I hope this is as fun.

The Making of "The Morning Report" (3:09) I find it amusing that the making of this goes for about as long as the actual new segment (A bit like the short film on the Two Towers disc that goes for 6 minutes, and a making of that goes for 8 ). I have seen the Morning Report I think (I'm pretty sure it was on the IMAX release I saw over the last holidays, as I remember Zazu singing something about a report near the pouncing scene. Very unexciting, I might add).

It actually looks pretty good to me. Some of those featurettes look pretty substantial, and better than the contents of Beauty, that's for sure.

The one thing that might be annoying is the two methods of exploring the disc. It does seem as though the journeys encompasses most of the substantive supplements, but there seems to be about 40 minutes worth fo stuff that doesn't fit in there. Why they can't just group it all together somehow is beyond me, but I'll reserve judgment until I actually play it There certainly does seem to be a lot of be a lot of material to get through there. The commentary alone makes it a worthwhile experience I think.

At any rate, I eagerly await this even more now! (Only a few more weeks!)

[PatrickvD]

Disney think that the newer flicks will appeal more to the kids and the older ones to adults. It will be interesting to see whats on the DVD's for the more "cartoony" films (Jungle Book, Dalmatians).

I was thinking the exact same thing. I wasn't really impressed by the platinum edition of Beauty and the Beast. I'm really looking forward to seeing Jungle Book and 101 Dalmation on platinum. Hopefully it'll be like Sleeping beauty.

[Luke]

That would be so incredibly lame if we don't even get the trailers on the R1 disc. As silly as it sounds, trailers are very high on the list of extras that I watch. They're short, sweet, can bring you back in time, illustrate different angles to promote a movie. I seriously hope it's just a case like with the UK Sleeping Beauty where we get trailers here.

The Virtual Safari thing sounds just plain stupid now. I'll watch "Cheetah" (in pan-and-scan, of course ) and get more of a safari tour.

[Jack]

The documentary material looks more meaty than I thought, although I still doubt it'll be as in depth as Snow White. The menus are pretty cool, too - even though they simpler than Snow White & Beauty and the Beast, they still look swell.

[philipp616]

I hope so much that the Trailers are on the R1 Disc. The Snow White PE featured one trailer for every re-release and the BatB PE also had a few trailers on it...

And now Lion King will only contain the trailer for Lion King 3 (1/2). I don't want to believe that...


Greetings
Philipp

[2099net]

I've based the comment on no trailers on this extract of the review: "If I had any complaints, and I do, it would be the lack of Theatrical Trailers..."

There is a possibility (however a slight one I'll admit) that they do exist and were simply overlooked by the reviewer for some reason.

For whatever the reason though, it's clear that Disney don't think trailers are important. They're missing of most releases, and last year's Beauty and the Beast was missing some of the film's trailers, and the same is true of the R1 Sleeping Beauty which is missing some re-release trailers.

I think we only got the various Snow White trailers because they thematically went with their "Disney Through the Decades" featurette, rather than because they thought we would be interested in them.

Things are worse on their international discs - Sleeping Beauty had no trailers what-so-ever, neither does their 2 disc Peter Pan release in either France or Japan. There is simply no excuse for this - especially when they seem to find the room for their silly little games.

I hope the new Alice in Wonderland disc has various original trailers and re-issue trailers and it would be criminal if the Pocahontas release is missing it's teaser trailer (which I think is the full "Colors of the Wind" sequence shown in a BatB Work-In-Progress type edit, alternating between finished animation, storyboards and pencil roughs.)

[Matty-Mouse]

ME WANT MORE TRAILERS!

[2099net]

Looks like this TV Special is included on the Lion King disc (based on the UK review)

Lion King: A Musical Journey with Elton John, The
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245234/

Shame this TV special wasn't included:
Making of 'The Lion King', The
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366742/

[Luke]

I love TV Specials from the time of release, and it's good that this will be included. Although, what was the talk of new Elton John interviews then?

And the featurette on the Musical is nearly as long as the one on the film, and is longer than the one on the story. Kind of...weird. I'd rather have interviews with like James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, etc....than Julie Taymor. But the more, the merrier. Those people all talk on the TV special NOT included.

[Joe Carioca]

I hope the new Alice in Wonderland disc has various original trailers and re-issue trailers and it would be criminal if the Pocahontas release is missing it's teaser trailer (which I think is the full "Colors of the Wind" sequence shown in a BatB Work-In-Progress type edit, alternating between finished animation, storyboards and pencil roughs.)

Actualy, the "Pocahontas" teaser trailer is the complete "Colors of the Wind" sequence, no pencil animation added. It was on "The Lion King" VHS, and it was on the "Pocahontas" LD too.

As for "The Lion King", the DVD seems to rock! The extras seem to be better than the "Beauty and the Beast" edition (though I loved them too) and I am looking forward to the "Enhanced Home Theater" mix. I'm also very happy that this time the picture isn't botched by artifacts, like "Beast". But it's a bit of disapointment that some of the bonus from the LD is missing. Comparing the list of extras from the LD to the DVD review, it seems the DVD is missing:
-The making of "The Lion King" - television special
-Sequence breakdowns and storyboard introductions
**Storyboards sequence 1: "Circle of Life"
**Storyboards sequence 4,2: "I Just Can't Wait To Be King"
**Storyboards sequence 10: "The Stamped/ Mufasa's Death"
**Storyboards sequence 16: "The Reflecting Pool/ Mufasa's Ghost"
**Storyboard sequence 19: "The Fight"
-Early concept: "Be Prepared" (Reprise)
-Early concept: Simba decides to return
-Early concept: The fight
-Theatrical trailers

And I thought Don Hahn said they included everything they wanted to...

[robkn]

Do you know it for sure or doe you have the dvd already?
the lionking dvd must have trailers or not?

greetings robkn

[Matty-Mouse]

Comparing the list of extras from the LD to the DVD review, it seems the DVD is missing:
-The making of "The Lion King" - television special
-Sequence breakdowns and storyboard introductions
**Storyboards sequence 1: "Circle of Life"
**Storyboards sequence 4,2: "I Just Can't Wait To Be King"
**Storyboards sequence 10: "The Stamped/ Mufasa's Death"
**Storyboards sequence 16: "The Reflecting Pool/ Mufasa's Ghost"
**Storyboard sequence 19: "The Fight"
-Early concept: "Be Prepared" (Reprise)
-Early concept: Simba decides to return
-Early concept: The fight
-Theatrical trailers

And I thought Don Hahn said they included everything they wanted to...

I'm a little disapointted myself to see how much is missing, all of that stuff looks great. I wish they'd take out most of the stuff relating to the boardway musicial, its a good musicial and all but I want this DVD for the film and the extra's relating to the film. Maybe I'm alone in thinking this.

[Joe Carioca]

Do you know it for sure or doe you have the dvd already?
the lionking dvd must have trailers or not?

greetings robkn

No, I don't have the DVD already, but as far as I've read, it seems these bonuses won't be on the DVD... It's a shame, but that's true.

Greetings!