Saturday, October 25, 2008

Expanding Your Disney Movies List

By Fabian Toulouse

Disney Studios has produced some of the most memorable movies of all time. Almost everyone can point to one or two Disney movies that they remember vividly from their childhood. While Disney was a pioneer in the industry, their commercial success with new movies lagged a little bit in the 1980's. In the late 1980's and the 1990's Disney shook up their company and revived its animation success. This period was known as the Disney Renaissance. Disney released several movies during this time period that were critically and commercially successful. All but one of the movies was nominated for an Academy Award. During this time period, the most successful movie of all of them was The Lion King.

The most successful animated feature of all time, The Lion King was released to an enthusiastic audience in 1994. Although it was later beat out by the computer animated Finding Nemo, it remains the highest grossing traditionally animated movie ever with sales of over $300 million. It has even spawned several smaller budget sequels including The Lion King II and The Lion King 1 1/2. It features several Academy nominated musical numbers composed and performed by Elton John.

The Lion King is based on a touching story about the life of a lion named Simba. Other characters involved in the movie are his father Mufasa, a monkey named Rafiki and his sidekicks Timon and Pumba. The movie has several moments of comedy and weaves them into a serious drama along the way. The story begins with the birth of the prince of the Pride Land, Simba. His father, Mufasa, is the king of the land. Mufasa's brother, Scar, is jealous of Simba and plots to eliminate him so that he is next in line to the throne. Scar tries to have him killed by his associates, the hyenas.

Later in the movie, Scar actually kills his brother Mufasa. This actually leaves Simba as the king of the prideland. However, since he is still very young, he fears that Scar will attempt to kill him as well. He flees the country and is met by a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba. His friends help boost his morale and he eventually goes back to the Pride Land to reclaim his rightful place on the throne. The movie culminates in a dramatic battle between Simba and Scar. He then rekindles his previous love with Nala and they have a cub of their own.

Over the years, the Lion King has endured as a Disney classic. A new generation has grown to love the characters and it has remained one of the best selling DVD's in the Disney Vault. If you'd like to see the amazing story of The Lion King, or if you'd like to add new features to your Disney movies list, you should look into the Disney Movie Club. The movie club will actually give you the convenience of watching these Disney classics from the comfort of your own home. You can sit back, relax and enjoy the magic of the animation of Disney. - 15634

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