This was a foundational text for little me - saw it multiple times theatrically to the point my dad just dropped me off at the Teaneck theater (3 bucks in those days) and watched it by myself for the first time - and back then as it still does today it manages to fill your belly in under 90 minutes with Mythical and even Mystical dimensions while also including Broadway stalwarts like Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella singing about flatulence. It isn't enough to channel Hamlet or other sources (or even other Disney epics), it's simply that the Lion King is a master's class in pacing and tone and economical storytelling. At heart what strikes me is that it's a saga that can mean a lot to children (and I'm sure adults/parents) because it's at core about that scene where Mufasa tells Simba he's disappointed. That is the worst.
Tones are not clashing haphazardly, but flowing from one into another at just the right moments and intervals. You may be lulled into complacency in Hakuna Matata, and then you're reminded times are still dark (how Zazu lived so long is kind of a miracle IMO). It earns its sorrow and painful moments, but only dwells long enough for you to feel its impact. It's a serious film, but there's joy and bright colors when need be and boundless creativity in the set pieces (and my God does Be Prepared play as a lot more sinister after the past several years in this country).
It doesn't need to explain why animals who would normally be prey for ravenous lions hang with them, because it has this dimension where things are precisely, comfortably and when necessary harrowingly metaphorical. The filmmakers and animators and storyboard artists have such a solid base for a story that the character work takes center stage: I love animation that is this expressive and soulful, and the director's know that as much as the lines may convey intentions and feelings, sometimes what isn't said speaks even louder (look at Scar and Simba's faces and eyes for like every second they are on screen, some of the best film acting of the decade).
I'm glad I still love this movie. Of course there are some seams (its obvious to me now where Jim Cummings came in on Prepared to step in when Jeremy Irons broke his voice on the song), and the comic relief isn't as funny as in Aladdin or Great Mouse Detective from that golden age. But it's powerful and it's a strong example of how cinema can elevate problematic politics (how Mufasa explains the Circle of Life is... hmm...)
