The Lion King- 3D in Theaters

Disney certainly knew what they were doing when they decided to bring back The Lion King to theaters, this time boasting 3D animation for a limited 2 weeks. It was a smart move- I just came back from watching it tonight and the theater was packed, most of whom were teenagers. I mean, the original one came out in 1994. But having it brought back to us made it that much more exciting and epic to go see. The movie was GOOD. Better than I remembered from last watching it five or six years ago, though part of it is the retouched animation and high quality resolution. It's such a classic. All of it- the epic story, the music, the characters... they were brought back with just the added touch of being in 3D. It wasn't eye popping, but it fit nicely and was comfortable to watch. I think most of the awesomeness came from just the movie itself, which is a fantastic movie for all ages.

I'm hard pressed to think of a movie with more vivid and alluring characters. The grandeur of seeing Mufasa on the big screen, the antics of Rafiki, the sheer hilarity that naturally comes with Pumbaa and Timon, the chilling wickedness of Scar... I mean, the stampede scene and Mufasa's fall was just epic. Heart-wrenching, but epic. And just revisiting everything else and enjoying the movie with friends made it special to watch again. I was particularly moved by the songs- partly because my friends were singing along and reciting lines by heart throughout the entire movie, and partly because they were just awesome. The voices are so charismatic. Rafiki and Scar are my two most favorite characters, hands down. Scar's cruelty makes me hate him to death, but I love him as a character and the embodiment of evil. A lot of movies and books are defined by how well the bad guy is portrayed. And Scar's "Be Prepared" song in the movie gave me chills because I always hated that part when I was watching the Lion King as a kid.

Hans Zimmer and Elton John, I applaud thee. The music and voices in the movie are the absolute best. Listening to the soundtrack makes me want to go trek trough the African savanna, find a pomegranate, smear it on a lion cub's forehead and just hold it aloft a giant rock in triumph. Absolutely legendary.