8.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young lion cub named Simba just can't wait to be king. But the sudden death of his father, Mufasa, and the treacherous actions of his Uncle Scar lead Simba into exile and ultimately on a hero's journey of self-discovery. Adopting the "hakuna matata" philosophy of his comical jungle guardians — a warthog and a meerkat (Pumbaa and Timon) — Simba eventually comes to terms with his destiny and returns home to Pride Rock to help put things right.
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira KellyFamily | 100% |
Adventure | 90% |
Animation | 83% |
Comedy | 41% |
Musical | 39% |
Epic | 22% |
Coming of age | 8% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1
Chinese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional)
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Disney has released one of the most cherished of all its animated films, 'The Lion King,' to the UHD format, the first classic Disney animation to earn that honor. The release features a 2160p/HDR-enhanced video presentation and a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. No new extras are included, but the bundled Blu-ray carries over a rather large assortment of previously released content.
There are few examples of classic animation on the 4K UHD format at the moment -- some Charlie Brown releases are it -- and The Lion King
is unquestionably the most prominent such release yet. With that stature and the dearth of similar releases undoubtedly comes wide-ranging and
wildly
varied
expectations among the UHD user base, with some perhaps expecting a radically enhanced, somehow sharper
or more brilliant, presentation, particularly with so many live action films hailing from the same decade in which The Lion King released
besting their previous Blu-ray counterparts by leaps and bounds. That's not the case here, nor will it likely ever be the case, at least within the
constraints of modern technology (which would then begin to bring into question source integrity and replication of the original content, which is an
entirely different debate). The Lion King's previous Blu-ray releases include, primarily, a wide release 2D presentation, a 3D transfer, and a Signature Collection Blu-ray which recycled the previously issued 1080p video
transfer.
All have rightly been praised for their visual excellence, a few tangential issues notwithstanding. Now, along comes the UHD, released a little over a
year after that aforementioned Signature "Circle of Life" edition, with a 2160p video presentation, upscaled from a 2K digital intermediate, and featuring HDR10 color grading. The
former
does not radically alter the movie's core structural detailing but the latter does offer a shift in the color palette in a way that some may find
rewarding
and
others disappointing, again depending on expectations for the film and the format.
In the broadest sense, The Lion King looks marvelous on UHD. Its bright, bold colors and crystal-clear definition yield a highly impressive
visual
delight. But texturally, the image is not drastically different compared to the Blu-ray. There's suddenly not more information added to the animation,
nor is what is already there more well defined on the macro level. Detailing is largely a parallel move rather than an upward one, revealing perhaps
slightly more
clarity on complex backgrounds like terrain or trees but never really boosting character definition or overall image sharpness in any meaningful way.
The majority of viewers will be hard-pressed to spot improvements in definition, at least on normal home theater size screens; those viewing on
much
larger projection displays may be the most likely to benefit from any incremental improvements. On the other hand, the HDR colors are what really
offset, and elevate, the UHD from the Blu-ray. The image is more solidified with HDR, with firmer, finer colors and more accurate gradations. Animal
colors and markings are the most obvious and immediately evident beneficiaries, enjoying a boost in density, boldness, and saturation. The movie is
rendered a little "darker" but not dimmer. Bright blue skies, for example, present with a more intensely saturated color that is less purely bright but
more naturally grounded. The same goes for green leaves and even earthy terrain and rock formations.
Some of the most beneficial qualities of the HDR coloring aren't just superficial but actually help the movie's tonal narrative presentation too. A
scene
featuring a young Simba and his father Mufasa staring up into the night sky, father telling his son about the ancestors watching over them, enjoys a
greater emotional impact with the dark blue night sky a more inviting, deeper shade that is more complimentary to the scene, toned down but
deepened at the same time, allowing greater focus on the characters and, more importantly, the ideas Mufasa is sharing with his son and what they
mean in the moment and later in the film as well. The same can be said of a scene later in the film when, again in lower light, an older Simba sees
and
hears his father's spirit in the night sky. Another scene that enjoys greater emotional impact is when Simba finds Mufasa's body after the stampede.
The more
intensely defined haze and subdued background better support the scene's impact, again keeping focus on the characters and the emotional
response
by deepening the colors and drawing attention away from, on the Blu-ray, a fairly garish backdrop to a more stable one, the intensely hazy
environment more perfectly foreshadowing Simba's uncertain future, both in the immediate aftermath of his father's death and through the years to
come.
For The Lion King's latest home video release, Disney has included a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Like other recent Disney releases, this one requires an upward volume adjustment from calibrated listening levels. The good news is that the track is otherwise very proficient and highly enjoyable, even if the overhead channels are not delivering a regular stream of discrete top-end effects. Indeed, the upper layer is used sparingly, but effectively, in terms of discrete sound elements. Mufasa's voice emanates from above in a critical scene in which his spirit speaks to an elder Simba in chapter 19. Other one-off effects enjoy some generous top-end usage, such as a belch in chapter 15. Even when the top layer channels are not in use to deliver discrete effects, they are working to blend into the rest of the track. Scar's "Be Prepared" in chapter eight is a scene that seems like an ideal time for some spacial adds to the top that never really materialize with any overhead prominence, even as the Atmos speakers are indeed firing. Still, the track produces a regular barrage of high-yield surround activity. Practically every scene comes to life with triumphantly large music, aggressive action-oriented sound effects, or world ambience. The low end is not subdued, either, producing a fairly strong output that balances nicely with music, powers a stampede (with notable front to back and side to side movement in addition to the bass), or fiercely clashing animals. Bass also better defines scary, intense growls, for example, and it seems to always be at the front of carrying the film's most demanding sonic moments. Dialogue is clear, center positioned, and well prioritized even through some of the more intense moments in the film. While the track does require some more volume to get the most out of it, it doesn't particularly want for much more intensity, surround engagement, balance, or bass.
The Lion King's UHD disc contains no supplemental content, but the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to that released back in August
2017,
does offer a wealth of extras. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included, which grants access to additional extras. For convenience, below is a
recreation of the supplemental review from the 2017 disc.
The following supplements were included in the original Diamond Edition release but are not included on disc:
Disney's UHD release of The Lion King is a very good one, featuring a healthy, enjoyable 4K video presentation that is almost entirely a product of its HDR colors, which not only deepen and better saturate the palette but also help better define a few of the film's most critical scenes and their emotional impacts. The Atmos soundtrack is a pleasure, generally, with an upward turn of the volume knob critical to enjoying it to its fullest. The supplemental package on the included Blu-ray is identical to that previously released on the "Signature" disc. Recommended, primarily on account of the HDR color improvements.
The Signature Collection
1994
Disney100
1994
The Signature Collection
1994
Combo Pack & Collectible Lunch Box
1994
Diamond Edition | Lenticular Slipcover
1994
Diamond Edition
1994
Disney100 Edition with Collectible Pin
1994
Diamond Edition | 15-Month Calendar
1994
Disney100
1994
Diamond Edition | El Rey León | Spanish Edition | DVD Packaging
1994
Diamond Edition
1994
Diamond Edition | El Rey León | Spanish Edition
1994
The Signature Collection / 32-Page Storybook
1994
Diamond Edition | DVD Packaging
1994
The Signature Collection
1994
Empty Case
1994
The Circle of Life Edition | The Signature Collection
1994
Diamond Edition
1994
2019
2004
1998
2008
2009
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
1963
2006
1990
2005
1999
2014
2012
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2010
The Signature Collection
1961
2011
1970
DVD Packaging
2011
The Signature Collection | Ultimate Collector's Edition
1992
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2013
Diamond Edition
1967