Lion King R1 Review Online (DVDFile)

[2099net]

http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/ ... nking.html

Bad news, not only is the R2 missing the trailers, so is the R1

Also hidden in this section is a parody "Lion King 1-1/2" trailer. But where are the real trailers?

More bad news (but not unexpected)

But first, one caveat: recently retooled for an IMAX theatrical re-release, the team at Disney went back and reanimated certain sections of the film to take advantage of the high resolution afforded by the IMAX format. A new song, "The Morning Report," was also included, upping the film's runtime to 90 minutes. However, for this DVD, Disney has not restored the original theatrical version, per se; you can watch the film either with or without the new tune, but it is still the animation is still of the IMAX'd variety only.

Original Theatrical Version my foot!

Conclusion

So, all told, what's the score? I found these extras a bit lacking. All are very glossy and slick, but the Disney Platinum Edition line is beginning to feel more and more watered-down. It is not just the celebratory nature of the interviews that disappoints (if we are to believe this DVD, no one ever had a fight making The Lion King) but also the lack of depth and detail. These two-disc sets are starting to feel like promotional spots more than documentaries, and nothing here can compare to the three-disc Fantasia box set from a few years back. I hope the next one delivers something a bit more meaty.

[robkn]

I read the review from the lionking I order it but 2099 I have one question for you is it worth to have the lionking for your own or not it is my favouriete movie but I have worries about the lionking dvd tell me is it truth that the extra's and the menu are not so good?
I hear from you
greetings robkn

[Jack]

I knew from the getgo it wouldn't be the original version. Oh well, the new IMAX version doesn't look as jarring as BATB from the trailers, anyway.

The extras in this review are viewed apon in a less favorable light than the review from the UK. I guess I'll just have to wait and see for myself. I suspect its going to be on par with BATB, though (as I do with all the Platinum releases of Disney's more recent flicks.)

[2099net]

robkn

When it comes down to it, all that really matters is the movie. Both the R1 and R2 DVD reviews have highly praised the picture and sound quality of the film.

While many of us here (myself included) complain about some of the supplements, considering the two discs cost the same as other, lesser Disney DVDs (such as Cinderella II and Tarzan and Jane) who can really complain? While we may not like everything that's on the discs, there is still over 3 hours of supplements as well as the audio commentary.

Still, if the trailers are missing from the R1 version as well as the R2 version I will be somewhate disappointed (to put it mildly) but not disappointed enough to cancel my orders.

[Joe Carioca]

Comparing DVD File's review to the DVDtimes.uk one, it seems the DVD File reviewer missed a lot of bonuses. Since he didn't check out the continents sections, he didn't mention some of the extras that are excluse to it. Reading the review from the UK release, it seems that the DVD is much more substantial than the DVD File review makes it seem to be.

[Prince Phillip]

The next section is Tree of Life, which includes the "Circle of Life" music video as performed by the Disney Channel "Circle of Stars" (bleech!), plus a brief 4-minute "Making of the Music Video" featurette. (Please, skip it.) Better is the Sing-Along Track, which allows you direct scene access to the film's songs which you can rock out to, karaoke style, complete with isolated songtrack and subtitles.

We didn't get a making of the Once Upoun a (Another) Dream video!

And sadly no Karaoke function/style either ...

Well I look forward to the video and audio aspects of the movie as they sound great! The bonus features seem to be adequet, for me atleast, but as Aladdin and Mermaid are without a doubt 2 of my all time personal faves, I expect the moon and stars from those PE's.

[Tascar]

My problem with the Platinum editions of Beauty and the Beast and also what seems to be the case with The Lion King, is that the supplementals are not indepth at all and seem directed to a crowd that knows nothing about the animation process. I love it when the Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, and Atlantis DVDs go really indepth and thorough with their coverage of the filmmaking process. And then you look at the Beauty and the Beast DVD, which omits a ton of information. There was almost nothing on the songwriting of the songs in Beauty and the Beast. At the least they could have included the demos and text information from The Music Behind the Magic CDs. But they didn't. The section on the voice actors omits Gaston and other characters that I would honestly think ought to be covered. I feel the same way about the Beauty and the Beast DVD as the DVDFile guy felt with The Lion King DVD. All the supplementals are just self-promotional self-worshipping marketing crap that gives you only a shallow look at the making of what they are professing to be their best films.

If the supplements are as bad for The Lion King as the word seems to be, then Disney has even less reason as they already put out a very good laserdisc collector's edition, which they could have easily simply replicated (at least I would think that be the case considering the huge budget for this DVD release). Instead, not only do they not include a lot of good stuff from the laserdisc (including a few deleted sequences), but it doesn't seem that their new stuff is an improvement in any sort of way.

Of course I agree with some of the other comments that we should be happy that the film itself seems to be a great transfer (other than their lying on the original version being on the disc). However, I think when you consider that this is the shoddy treatment Disney gives to what is arguably one of their most successful and best films ever, it's not surprising that their animation divisions are doing as poorly as they are.

[2099net]

Of course I agree with some of the other comments that we should be happy that the film itself seems to be a great transfer (other than their lying on the original version being on the disc). However, I think when you consider that this is the shoddy treatment Disney gives to what is arguably one of their most successful and best films ever, it's not surprising that their animation divisions are doing as poorly as they are.

Don't get me wrong, I'll moan and complain just as loudly as anyone else about poor supplements for what is supposed to be a disc that is the "best of the best". Mainly because outlets such as this site allow us too without coming across as too dweeb-like.

But I think anyone who is even considering not buying the DVD because some/all of the supplements disappoint them, or they miss what hasn't been included has their priorities wrong.

[Tascar]

But I think anyone who is even considering not buying the DVD because some/all of the supplements disappoint them, or they miss what hasn't been included has their priorities wrong.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I've reserved my copy and I'm not canceling my order because of this. I am still disappointed by the release either way.

[Disneykid]

I'm not surprised at all with that review. TLK seems like a nice DVD, but nothing more. The problem with the PE's is that since Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid are all recent films, Disney has the ability to sit them down roughly 10 years after their theatrical releases and discuss why the film did so well, etc. With older films like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, your choices are only to either use archive footage from the actual production, new interviews with film historians, or both, and that ends up making a better DVD than the former kind. So, basically, I think Aladdin and The Little Mermaid will be the only fluffy PE's left and everything else afterwards (Bambi, Cinderella, etc.) will be much more in-depth like Snow White.

[Prince Phillip]

But I think anyone who is even considering not buying the DVD because some/all of the supplements disappoint them, or they miss what hasn't been included has their priorities wrong.

I don't know if anyone is saying that, although some were saying something to that effect about Sleeping Beauty, but I think one of the things that dissappionts about disney's decisions, atleast for me, is when they throw away, seemingly endless potential. For example their sequels. Now, while every or even most of their movies do not need sequels and shouldn't have them, some have great sequel potential. The one I always refer to for example: The Little Mermaid. When I heard the premiss of this movie, 10 years ago, a mermaid dreamed of life on the land, now her daughter dreams of life in the sea I instintly loved it! and I was in such suspense for it to come out, but then the actual movie clips started showing up in the commercials, and finally the movie came out, and man what a piece of crap dissappiontment. I refuse to look at this movie, in the "If you watch it for what it is it is a bit enjoyable" light. I refuse to settle, when I know what disney is cappable of, look at the first Little Mermaid, I should not have to settle for a crappy knock-off sequel, and I'm sure there were people who worked very hard on it, blah blah blah, and they didn't have a big budget and all, but I simply want the best and I don't think that is too much to ask.

The same is true for these Platinum releases, Ohhhhhhhh Plat-ti-num Ahhhhhhhh... it's suppose to be the crum de la crem, and all we're getting is crem, which is good... but I went the de la crem to go with it, and that's what a lot of the fans want and what they are saying. Are we not going to by the disc cause it has a couple of lame games in place of a meaty packed lon long documentary? No, cause we want to see the film, but at the same time, I know for me atleast, I hate seeing potential wasted.

end.

Oh and for the record I don't want long long documentary that would probably get boring, it was just an example, but meaty packed documentaries are fine by me!

[Choco Bear]

what i dont get about the trailers is that i thought disney wanted to put a brother bear trailer withg the dvd, that was one of the reasons they changed the dates of home on the range and brother bear thats weird

[Starion]

DVDFile.com says that the DVD has a Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround Soundtrack? I thought Disney would only include the English and French tracks. Maybe they changed their minds at the last minute

I see "English/French 2-Disc DVD" on
http://disneyvideos.disney.go.com/movie ... 38703.html

I'm really confused.

[Disneykid]

what i dont get about the trailers is that i thought disney wanted to put a brother bear trailer withg the dvd, that was one of the reasons they changed the dates of home on the range and brother bear thats weird

They did put a Brother Bear trailer with the DVD. The review of the R2 DVD over at the international forum mentions it.

[Luke]

That's really quite pathetic that we're not getting any trailers. What the hell is it with Disney and excluding trailers on 95% of their films lately? I can kind of understand no trailer on a $9.99 SRP Super Mario Bros DVD...but I'd much rather have the Lion King trailers than the Morning Report and The Making of The Morning Report features. Man, for a "Platinum Edition", for the "king of all DVDs", you'd think that they'd have the brains to include the making-of documentary and the trailers. Very disappointing. Oh well, look at the positive side...we're getting the film on DVD, and in only...6 1/2 years since the DVD format launched.

[Choco Bear]

what i dont get about the trailers is that i thought disney wanted to put a brother bear trailer withg the dvd, that was one of the reasons they changed the dates of home on the range and brother bear thats weird

They did put a Brother Bear trailer with the DVD. The review of the R2 DVD over at the international forum mentions it.

oops my bad

[Jake Lipson]

Halfway through reading this review, I was thinking, "Who wrote this?" so I looked up at the top of the page and not suprisingly found that DVDFile editor in chief Peter M. Bracke is behind it. With all due respect to him, his reviews never cease to annoy me and many others on the DVDFile boards. His personal comments aside, I usually expect and find an in-depth review of the audio/video and extras content. Here however I am sorely mistaken.

Firstly, how do we really know that he is correct in saying that the original version is the IMAX cut? In all fairness it probably is, but so was Beauty and the Beast and I don't recall him mentioning that in his review of that set last year. Besides, he is not an uber-obsessed Disney nut so how would he be able to tell the difference between the original and IMAX versions? I'd also like to point out that his review is plauged with errors - including mentioning that The Morning Report was included in the IMAX release. Could he not also be mistaken about the cut of the iflm? Me, I'm holding out a little ray of hope until October 7 when I personally can find out if the "original theatrical cut" is really itself.

Next, as previously mentioned, he did not bother to check and see if the continent submenus contained any additional extras and thus is lacking comment on a lot of worthwhile material.

More later.

[BasilOfBakerStreet427]

Two weird things:no publicity material section,and two English Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks,with nothing different.Weird.

G'Day!

[Jake Lipson]

two English Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks,with nothing different.Weird.

There is indeed something different about the two DD5.1 tracks. The first DD5.1 track is the original 1994 theatrical mix, which was intentionally "tame" in certian scenes (such as the wildebeast stampede) so as to not frighten the core audience of children. The other one, which Disney is most interested in trumpeting, is the new Disney's Enhanced Home Theater (DEHT) mix which was remixed by Terry Porter and specifically mixed to take advantage of the capabilities available in home theater sound setups and beef up some of the sounds. I remember reading a quote from producer Don Hahn saying that with the DEHT track "the wildebeasts sound like they're over your head." This should be an exciting mix, no? Personally, I'll give it a listen with both but - even not having a super sound system - I am very intrigued by the DEHT concept, especially on a film which was tamed in its original track.

Also exciting was a recent Region 2 website article that mentioned Terry Porter is interested in doing a DEHT mix for Aladdin. I hope they do one on the Pocahontas and Simba's Pride SEs, too.

[MickeyMouseboy]

don't hesitate guys i'm getting the disc this tuesday and i will get to the bottom of this!