6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy EichnerAdventure | 100% |
Family | 66% |
Animation | 49% |
Comedy | 23% |
Musical | 21% |
Coming of age | 4% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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 (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
German: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Italian: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Of all of Disney's live-action re-takes on its most popular animated evergreens -- from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast -- it's The Lion King that must have posed the most technical, narrative, and structural challenges. The film is Director Jon Favreau's second stab at animal-heavy live action adaptations for Disney following his very successful work on The Jungle Book. The Lion King may stand as one of Disney's most cherished animated features, if not its best and most highly regarded in many circles of life, but it may be the least of the studio's revamped live action offerings. And that's not a knock on the film's technical merits -- Favreau has done a remarkable job putting together a movie of so much spectacle and construction challenge -- but it rings hollow, lacking the spirit of its animated predecessor. The material just doesn't fully and seamlessly translate into this style. The film plays as much like a National Geographic wonder as it does a major motion picture, and this is one case where there's just not enough of a grounded perspective to allow free flowing reality to define a story rooted in recognizable life motions but ultimately defined by the fantastical rather than the photorealistic.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
A well-rounded visual delight awaits with Disney's 2160p/HDR UHD release of The Lion King. The film was reportedly photographed at a resolution of 6.5K but finished at 2K,
unsurprising considering the picture's effects-heavy production. The UHD sparkles. It boasts a quality uptick in clarity and plays with a clean, crisp
sheen about it. Sharpness and visible definition is clearly enhanced over the Blu-ray, results obvious from simply watching the presentation and
stopping to conduct direct comparisons. The UHD image renders real and digital elements alike with increased opportunity for visual scrutiny and it
further blurs the line between real and artificial. Animal fur is again a highlight, as it is with the 1080p Blu-ray. The level of clarity and distinction to individual furs and whiskers is
unrivaled with any other similar production. Terrain sees a big boost, with rocks, trees, and grasses enjoying another level of visual robustness and
absolute clarity.
The picture is a dazzling example of real world photography and digitally constructed hybrid excellence, and it's bolstered by the HDR color spectrum.
The
picture is not drastically darker. It is instead very bright and cheerful without sacrificing tonal integrity and depth. These elements are increased on the
UHD over the Blu-ray, with the earthy animal tones and terrains enjoying fairly significant increases in color clarity and depth. Bright lights -- rising
suns, raging fires -- are boosted by the HDR's ability to intensify tones. Natural greens find more resplendent depth and dazzle. Nighttime exteriors are
bold and thematically purposeful. The UHD further reduces the more pervasive noise seen on the Blu-ray. No major source or encode issues of note are
apparent. This is a beautiful UHD presentation from Disney.
The Lion King's Dolby Atmos soundtrack delivers a fairly hearty and robust listen, with some limitations in the form of low volume and compressed dynamics, though the latter is not a serious problem. With the volume cranked up a good bit, listeners will find a fairly satisfying sonic experience. The added overhead channels help to create a greater feel of world immersion and spacial definition, particularly in terms of some of the more aggressive atmospherics. When a now-adult Simba communicates with his father's spirit in chapter sixteen, the voice booms from above and the clapping thunder and rolling reverberations enjoy a discrete top-end placement. The final clash between Simba and Scar additionally delivers some nicely enveloping overhead components, here more in a complimentary rather than discrete role. It is in this scene that the Atmos track finds some of its best low end output. It doesn't come across as too terribly limited in range or output. The chaos is well defined and the subwoofer works to command the respect and attention the scene deserves. A few elements that would seem to promise greater low end response do fall flat, but the total package is not a total disaster. Music is alive and soars with good fidelity and spacious engagement all around the listener. Fronts and rears alike enjoy harmonious, balanced output. Dialogue is clear and delivery is well prioritized. Save for moments when more expansive engagement is warranted, it remains firmly grounded in the front-center channel.
The Lion King's UHD disc contains no extras, but the bundled Blu-ray includes several: featurettes, music videos, a commentary, and more.
Note that the introduction, commentary, and the
Sing Along functionality can only be accessed under the "Play Movie" tab; everything else appears under the "Bonus Features" menu selection. A Movies
Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
Most reactions to The Lion King will probably come down to a simple, "it was OK." There's not a lot here of value, narratively to be sure. The film recycles the classic story with complex 3-D digital models in lieu of the original animation. It makes no major deviations in tone or character, in music or dialogue, in story or structure. It's very well done on the technical front. It's an interesting compliment to the original but it's certainly not a replacement for what is one of the most beloved films in Disney's expansive canon. The studio's UHD delivers breathtaking 2160p/HDR video, a good, though not great, Atmos soundtrack, and a well-rounded but certainly not exhaustive collection of extras. Highly recommended.
The Signature Collection
1994
2019
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Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1942
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2016
2012
Collector's Edition
2013
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1967
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1990
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1961
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2010
1999
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2011