From the very first note of "Circle of Life," "The Lion King 3D" suddenly transports you back to your first, two-dimensional experience of the Disney classic. As ever, the tale is an all-encompassing experience of delight, a bit of sadness, some great songs and a happy ending.
Disney has gone back to the vault and re-released "The Lion King" (1994), the fifth highest-grossing animated film of all time and one of Disney's seminal movies, for a limited time in 3D. This gives viewers the enjoyable experience of watching this classic on the big screen — a first for many kids and adults who have never previously had the pleasure of watching "The Lion King" in theaters.
The digitally remastered classic follows Simba, the future lion king of Pride Rock, on his journey to adulthood. The film's nostalgia factor holds at least as much allure for 20-something theatergoers as does its 3D presentation. Kids at heart will have to resist singing along to the film's classic and catchy musical numbers — it may be cute when a five-year-old does it, but fellow audience members will probably have a hard time appreciating a college student's rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
Part of what gave the original film so much life was its all-star cast: Matthew Broderick (Simba), James Earl Jones (Mufasa), Jeremy Irons (Scar), Nathan Lane (Timon) and Whoopi Goldberg (Shenzi). These film giants still pack the punch they did over 15 years ago, and now that the movie is in 3D, their storytelling comes to life in a whole new way.
Although in recent years the 3D craze has resulted in some cinema experiences we'd rather forget — did "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" (2011) really require 3D treatment? — the 3D reinterpretation of "The Lion King" adds, not detracts, from the movie experience.
If you find yourself missing the golden years of your youth this weekend, spend some money on a ticket and a pair of reused 3D glasses to take a trip back to your ‘90s glory days with "The Lion King."
