Opening with a 3D animated menu, “The Lion King” Special Edition DVD seeks to outdo all competitors. Loaded with extra features, this classic tale of one lion’s destiny to be king of Pride Rock is digitally presented in both the original theatrical version and a special-edition adaptation including updated animation and a new song. The tune, “Morning Report,” created especially for this Platinum Edition, was a waste of time on the part of Disney, which already had an amazing film to present.
- Mira Levitan
The first disc includes the film along with several games and a terrible “Circle of Life” music video performed by various Disney Channel cast members. Disc two is loaded with behind-the-scenes footage, a boring virtual safari ride and detailed information about the Broadway musical. Kids will especially enjoy the documentary of real animal life in the African safari portion.
The easy-to-use menu also allows the viewer to travel the globe discovering how other countries welcomed the Disney masterpiece. An amusing segment of “Hakuna-Matata” is even performed in several different languages.
While the collection offered by Disney is impressive, many features are unnecessary – proving the real masterpiece is the award-winning film itself.
Movie: 4.5 stars.
Picture/Sound: 3.5 stars.
Features: 4 stars.