Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Lion King 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 16, 2018

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.

For a full film review, please see the original Blu-ray.com review of the 2011 Diamond Edition here.

The Lion King 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

The Lion King 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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 Second Screen
• Pride of The Lion King
• The Lion King: A Memoir - Don Hahn
• Interactive Art Gallery
• Disney's Virtual Vault: Note that some of the smaller pieces that comprised the supplement on the original disc are included digitally, but not all of them.

Carryover on-disc supplements from the Diamond Edition release:

• Audio Commentary: Co-Directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff and Producer Don Hahn.
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes: With Introductions by Co-Directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Scenes include Zazu Flatters Mufasa, 'King of the Wild', Scar Wants Nala As His Queen, Simba and Nala Reunited and Zazu Flatters Scar.
• The Morning Report: Extended Scene
• Bloopers & Outtakes
• Song Selection: Karaoke versions of "Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," "Be Prepared," "Hakuna Matata," and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
• Sing-Along Mode

Supplements new to this release, included on the Blu-ray disc:

• Visualizing a Villain (1080p, 2:53): Part Music video, part performance art, part painting, and framed as a trailer for the Blu-ray, this piece offers an innovative look at Scar as the movie's villain to the music of "Be Prepared."
• The Recording Sessions (1080p, 4:46): Co-Directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff discuss how the voice actors record dialogue prior to animation. It also offers a picture-in-picture juxtaposition of various scenes showing the actors recording dialogue against scenes from the film.
• Inside the Story Room (1080p, 23:42 total runtime): A peak inside storyboard pitches for five scenes from the movie with introductions by Co-Directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Scenes included are Circle of Life, Simba and Nala, Simba Takes Nala Out to Play, Hakuna Matata, and Rafiki and the Reflecting Pool.
• Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation (1080p, 7:08): A longer piece of the conversation between Producer Tom Schumacher, Nathan Lane, and Matthew Broderick that was filmed for the documentary Pride of 'The Lion King'. Nathan and Matthew discuss their childhood memories of Disney films, getting cast in their iconic roles, the original plot of the film, the recording process, and their friendship that developed afterwards.

The following supplements are included on the digital version. All of the new supplements on the Blu-ray are included, as are many of the extras from previous Blu-ray releases. Below, the extras are grouped by section and listed by supplement.

• Beyond the Story: Visualizing a Villain (2:53).
• Behind the Scenes: Computer Animation (4:28), The Lion King: A Memoir - Don Hahn (19:32), Circle of Life (6:01), Simba & Nala (3:42), The Making of the Morning Report (3:08), The Recording Sessions (4:45), Hakuna Matata (5:45), Simba Takes Nala Out to Play (2:25), Rafiki and the Reflecting Pool (5:55).
• Bonus Scenes: Bug Football (0:51), Bloopers & Outtakes (3:44), Simba and Nala Reunited (3:43), Zazu Flatters Mufasa (0:41), Zazu Flatters Scar (1:06), "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" (1:44), "Hakuna Matata" (Timon's Verse) (2:24), Scar Wants Nala as His Queen (5:45), "King of the Wild" (2:42).
• Cast & Crew: Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation (7:08), Digital Premiere: The Animators Reunion (7:56).
• Music & More: Landmark Song Writing (3:13), Musical Inspiration (3:49), "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" Music Video with Sir Elton John (4:00), Full Circle (1:46), "Hakuna Matata" Multi-Language Reel (4:10), "Circle of Life" Music Video with Sir Elton John (4:52), Scoring Emotion (2:57), Orchestral Color (4:27), The Morning Report: Extended Scene (2:30), Music: African Influence (3:48).

The Lion King 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.