I participated in the Lion King and Born in China In-Home Walt Disney World Press Event.
Thanks to Disney for hosting us. Our opinions are our own.
The Lion King is one of the best animations of all time! This heartwarming film has the perfect blend of music, characters and story that has made this animation legendary. The universal theme of good vs evil is inspiring and relatable to viewers. Wow! It’s been a whopping 23 years since the film was first released and it has definitely stood the test of time. “The King returns”, in the Walt Disney Lion King Signature Collection on Blu-ray! It is loaded with bonus extras that feature amazing behind-the-scene footage including “The Recording Sessions.”
Co-directors Rob Minkoff and Roger Allens introduce the footage with a warning that the footage isn’t the quality we’re used to seeing but I feel the low-quality adds to the charm of this feature. The footage captured during the recordings was used by the animators as a reference to add mannerisms of the actors into their characters. It’s so cool that we get to watch them now! Voice actors behind the film include Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Robert Guillaune and more. The famous meerkat and warthog duo are also featured with Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella voicing their hysterical lines. My daughter and I were captivated by the footage but my favorite clips from The Recording Sessions are Jeremey Irons performing Scar’s theme “Be Prepared”. It was awesome! Also, seeing James Earl Jones lay down his lines for Mufasa (although I do have to admit that I hear Darth Vader!). I actually got choked up watching this extra!!
Other bonus features include The Lion King: Song Selection. Now you can sing-a-long to your favorites tunes at home. Archive footage shows the origins of the iconic scenes with filmmakers acting out storyboard sessions. Another feature is the blooper real. This was my daughter’s favorite. She got a kick out of some of the “mistakes” that were caught on tape. Particularly Mufasa/James Earl Jones prepping his roar and a major “oops” made by the wise, Fafiki. Oops! We had to watch that one a few times. My daughter was in stitches!
The Lion King signature collection is now available on Blu-ray, DVD + digital. Enter to win a copy here!
