No matter what the assertion from the writers in the DVD/Blu-ray bonus interviews, The Lion King is unquestionably an adaptation of Hamlet. For my money, it's also probably the greatest film in the Disney canon (though I'm awfully partial to Dumbo myself). It also features the best music of any Disney film, which is saying something. Even Hans Zimmer's score actually sounds like music instead of the droning bass notes that he's devolved into creating in recent years.

I hadn't seen The Lion King since some time in 2004 when I watched it on DVD. I gorged on the bonus interviews and such, and I was astounded to learn that it was made by Disney's B team and that they didn't have much faith in the film. The animation is spectacular and it's truly sad to realize we'll never again see the likes of this kind of production. I don't know that a CGI Lion King film would have nearly the same visual appeal as this traditional, hand drawn artwork.

Mufasa's death is still a powerful segment, from the beginning of the stampede through Simba escaping the hyenas. Offhand, I can't think of anything in mainstream animation quite on the same emotional level as that until the opening sequence of Up 15 years later. It's really the only part of the film that seems to take its time. The rest of it blows by at a very brisk, even rapid, pace.

I didn't realize that Rowan Atkinson was the voice of Zazu until I noticed his name in the end credits today. I've seen the movie probably a dozen times or more, mostly back in the VHS era, but I was oblivious to that.

I was also oblivious to a very credible interpretation of the film as being both racist and anti-immigrant in theme. It's a pretty convincing argument, summarized here on Wikipedia. I don't know how quickly I would have bought the anti-immigrant interpretation in 1994 but in 2013 it seems a lot clearer. That also means the film will be 20 years old next year, which in turn means I'm getting really old in a hurry.

Great.

Edit to Add
I forgot to mention, one thing I thought of this time through was the parallel between Simba and Hot Rod in The Transformers: The Movie. It dawned on me in the shot where Simba approaches Mufasa's body that it was a similar moment to Hot Rod approaching the fallen Optimus Prime. Then, of course, the classic character arc of self-discovery in exile before returning to reassert himself as the new leader. Someone should do a mashup video of either footage from The Transformers: The Movie set to "Circle of Life" or footage from The Lion King set to "Dare" (I don't think "The Touch" would work, but maybe).

The Lion King was re-ranked on my Flickchart to #40/1541

When Disney acquired Pixar a decade ago, one of the conditions was that John Lasseter got the power of approval over all Disney animation projects. One of the first directives he gave was to cease the parade of mediocre direct-to-video sequels that the studio had cranked out through the 90s and early 00s. The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is exactly the lazy cash-in that he felt detracted from the prestige of Disney.

I had that perception of it when it was first released, which is why I passed on it at the time. When it came out on DVD in 2004, I had already picked up the collector's DVD gift set of the original film and I was riding high on a Lion King kick. In those days, I had the disposable income to indulge in library-building so I bought the DVD. I was pretty underwhelmed and haven't revisited it since until now.

"Underwhelmed" may have been generous.

The animation is pretty good. It doesn't wow, but it's not blatantly substandard. The music score has character. And at least they were able to bring back most of the voice cast, which does help add some legitimacy and consistency.

That's pretty much all the good I have to say about it. The story is predictable, in part because so much of it is little more than a redress of the first film, almost beat-by-beat. There's nothing original or new to be found here, except for the Outlanders being retroactively created as a contingent of lions loyal to Scar that were banished for conspiring with him. Paying even the slightest attention to the original film begs the question, "Who were these lions and where were they?" Contrivance is not a good basis for an antagonist, and that's the foundation for the conflict on which the story is built.

It doesn't help that the dialog is so perfunctory and uninspired. I mean, we're talking 1950s TV-level banality here. Every line they wrote for villainous Zira made me cringe. I can't tell if Suzanne Pleshette's delivery contributed to that effect, or if she saw how awful the lines were and gave them the reading they begged for.

The one place where the film ought to have had redemption was in its music. Here again, though, is failure. Aside from Nick Glennie-Smith's score, the music is entirely forgettable. There are hints of songs from the first film, which only serve to remind us how much better it was than this.

Fun trivia: "My Lullaby" was co-written by Joss Whedon. It's still mediocre.

I just wish John Lasseter had the power to retroactively nix this one.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was re-ranked on my Flickchart to #1485/1541