Finally Disney made the wise decision to return this lovable classic to the distribution lists. Available to all, re-master

BY LAURA SHEARER

The story of Simba the lion cub has been remarked upon as one of the greatest Disney narratives of all time. Likened to that of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and widely discussed the world over for its ease of appeal, The Lion King is unlike the average Disney where the Princess gets her well deserved prince and they all live happily ever after. Family betrayal, a plot to overthrow the king, murder, and revenge are unlikely central themes for a children’s tale, but in 1994 The Lion King made history with its first and only animation to date that involves absolutely no human characters.

In Disney’s peak of fine tuned animation that adapted culturally anywhere, The Lion King broke the rule book with its conceptually strange characters from the Serengeti. Culturally specific and universally applicable, how they managed that will always be part of the magic. Mind boggling as it is trying to condemn Disney for flaws, few critics at the time could find any fault, so this time round it’s equally as difficult to seek out anything unfavourable. The Lion King is one of Disney’s most untouchable gems.

Toe tapping musical numbers by Elton John and Tim Rice, accompanied by a score from none other than Hans Zimmer, won the feature two Oscars and two Grammys. The award winning music is matched mirrored by an unforgettable voice cast that power their way through the impeccable timing and characterisation. The visuals are something to marvel at, but all of these elements combined equate to a filmic wonder that will bring tears to your eyes and warmth to your heart.

Take advantage of this re-release, as often as they come with Disney, this is a film particularly worthy of the status and hype. Seeing it on the big screen again, as I did as a child years ago, I was again overwhelmed by just how extraordinary The Lion King is. Truth to be told, The Lion King rightfully deserves the wide eyed wonder, excitement and enjoyment of audiences in line for a second chance delight.

‘The Crimson Wing’ is the second wildlife film from Disney’s new wildlife label ‘Disneynature.’ It presents audiences with something they have never seen before as it follows the birth, life and death of the crimson winged flamingo in Tanzania’s Lake Natron; one of the last undiscovered locations in the world.

BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL

It depicts the perils and triumphs of the flamingo with breathtaking imagery, exquisite cinematography and beautiful music that make it an absolute pleasure to watch. There are tear-jerking moments as well as comical.

This film presents a very disneyfied, poetic version of nature. However it doesn’t shy away from depicting its harsh reality at the same time. It shows footage of vicious attacks on newborn chicks from predators in vivid detail, which in my opinion is quite surprising for Disney, but then again they did kill Mufasa!

Mariella Frostrup’s narration is disappointing and nowhere near as powerful as David Attenborough or Morgan Freeman. If you are a fan of ‘Planet Earth’ and ‘March of the Penguins’ you cannot help but compare.

Read two reviews of ‘Up’ by Kathryn McCann and Catherine Wylie.

Pixar studios have a lot to live up to with this new release after cinematic gems such as ‘Wall-E’ and ‘Monsters, Inc’, but this expectation is more than fulfilled with the release of ‘Up’. Essentially the film follows the adventures of an old grumpy guy, an overweight, over-enthusiastic young boy-scout, a ‘talking’ dog and an exotic bird. However it would be wrong to sum up the movie in this way as it is about so much more than this. The story centres on a widowed pensioner called Carl who decides to grasp his last chance of freedom and adventure by tying balloons to his house and simply flying away, escaping both the mundane reality of his life and those coming to take him to an old people’s home. However, Carl doesn’t bargain that he has a boy-scout stowaway named Russell coming along for the ride. This results in a tale that is both laugh-out-loud and poignant in parts, reminding us through this unlikely coupling that life’s greatest adventures are those achieved through our relationships with others. (Also available in 3-D)

By Kathryn McCann

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‘Up’ encapsulates all that adults know to be sadly true of life, whilst also encouraging us to hark back to our childhoods by imagining the replacement of Air France with balloons in our chimneys. Critics raved about the opening sequence, and I wasn’t disappointed as I watched Carl and Ellie’s relationship progress from wanting a baby to old age. It’s commendable when an animation puts a viewer in the mood for love and marriage. Whilst young children may gloss over the themes of love, companionship and dreams, adults can fully appreciate the genuine closeness shared by the couple and the determination of Carl to make it to Venezuela. I particularly liked the nature of their wish to have their house right on top of Paradise Falls, and also the allusion to globalization in the construction surrounding Carl’s house. I found the dogs to be irritating at times, but overall this film made me feel all gooey inside.

By Catherine Wylie