24. The Lion King- 1994

Rating: 🏆 most excellent

Scar is second born, second in line to the throne, and he’s sick of being second best. In order to usurp the throne Scar kills his brother, king Mufasa, and forces his nephew Simba to flee for his life. But when young Simba grows up and learns of his uncle’s tyrannical rule he is faced with a choice, live in ignorant bliss with his besties, or return and fight for his kingdom.

I think a strong case could be made that The Lion King is a perfect movie. Simba’s hero’s journey is compelling and full of drama. He is born into a beautiful life in a masterfully crafted first act that draws the audience into Simba’s world and creates empathy for the young prince and his larger-than-life father, Mufasa. Scar, the detestable villain, is introduced organically and his presence is just as impactful as the adorable protagonist. There is no doubt that Scar is evil, but he’s not just evil for evil’s sake, his behavior and jealousy is fleshed out and the result is a wonderfully complex antagonist. While we are obviously rooting for Scar’s demise, his jealousy and sentiment of injustice are understandable. Is killing his brother in cold blood and banishing his nephew to a near certain death a little extreme? Yeah. But can you see why he is angry that his dream job is going to be given to a baby over him? Also yes.

The heartbeat of this movie that propels the plot forward is the music. The pairing of the incomparable Hans Zimmer for the score and Sir Elton John and Tim Rice for the soundtrack leaves us with an auditory experience that is literally life changing. Let’s be real, find a millennial that hasn’t at some point in time belted out The Circle of Life at the top of their lungs… I’ll wait… The Lion King is a must-watch (again, and again) and it’s now streaming on Disney+.