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‘The Lion King’

The Lion King. 1994. Walt Disney Pictures. Courtesy of Disney Entertainment & The Walt Disney Company.

A hit since its reopening in 2022, the Cinema Arts Centre’s Cinema for Kids series has continued to draw crowds for its weekly screenings of beloved family films. These affordable showings have been a hit, with recent screenings of family classics such as The GooniesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe NeverEnding Story, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory drawing crowds exceeding 100 people.

This Spring, Cinema for Kids will feature screenings of treasured classics such as The Princess Bride, Steven Spielberg’s E.T.The Muppets Take ManhattanLilo & Stitch, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Mighty Ducks. The Cinema will also screen Disney’s The Lion King for Father’s Day, and Disney’s Brave for Mother’s Day.

With its Cinema for Kids series, the Cinema Arts Centre hopes to expose a new generation of movie-goers to some of the great animated and family films that were beloved by previous generations and to provide parents with the opportunity to see some of their favorite films back in theaters with their kids. Attendees are encouraged to share suggestions of films they want to see screened.

Upcoming Screenings:

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Sunday, April 9th at 12PM

An American Tail (1986)

Sunday, April 16th at 12PM

Shrek (2001)

Sunday, April 23rd at 12PM

The Princess Bride (1987)

Sunday, April 30th at 12PM

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Sunday, May 7th at 12PM

Brave (2012)

Mother’s Day Screening!

Sunday, May 14th at 12PM

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Sunday, May 21st at 12PM

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Sunday, May 28th at 12PM

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Sunday, June 4th at 12PM

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Sunday, June 11th at 12PM

The Lion King (1994)

Sunday, June 18th at 12PM

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Sunday, June 25th at 12PM

Location:

Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY 11743

Fees:

$12 Public | $7 Cinema Arts Centre Members | $5 for Kids 12 and Under

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington. To purchase tickets, visit  www.cinemaartscentre.org

A scene from 'The Lion King.' Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

By Jeffrey Sanzel

Disney has reached into its vault to create live-action versions of 101 Dalmatians, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Jungle Book and, most recently, the disappointing Dumbo and the mediocre Aladdin. Its newest release is the The Lion King, a remake of the 1994 animated classic, presented as a photorealistic computer-animated feature. The end result is stunning but unsettling.  

The original Lion King was a revelation. It dealt with difficult subjects and never pandered; it was wholly entertaining, truly sincere, and played to all ages. With loose shades of Hamlet, there was humor and humanity. It spawned the highly theatrical Tony Award-winning musical that has run for over two decades.

A scene from ‘The Lion King.’ Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

With few script embellishments from the original, the latest offering is just a new approach to animation. It is visually glorious, with every shot and every frame a breathtaking work of art. It is as realistic as if they were filming wildlife in its natural habitat. 

And therein is heart of the problem. In creating creatures that truly appear real — and they do — there is little to no expression. As animals do not communicate with their faces, it often feels static and detached in the dialogue sections. Much of the film seems like a nature documentary with voice-overs. The flip side is that the violence is brutally convincing with moments that are genuinely frightening. The hyenas are particularly alarming — and when they attempt to alleviate this with comic lines, they come across as psychotic.  

Directed by Jon Favreau, the film follows the original very closely (though clocks in a full 20 minutes longer). The opening is as beautiful and powerful as the original with the assemblage of animals coming to the presentation of young Simba, crown prince of the lions. The death of the patriarch is every bit as heart-wrenching if not more. The lion cubs could not be cuter. There are one or two very funny surprises; an amusing nod to Beauty and the Beast is welcome in one of the darker stretches.

In addition to the brilliant cinematography, the vocal artistry is first rate. J.D. McCrary and Donald Glover as the young and grown Simbas, respectively, bring honesty to their shared role. 

Billy Eichner is hilarious as the meerkat Timon, with a nice assist from an underplaying Seth Rogen as the warthog Pumbaa. 

John Oliver is comically uptight as the bird Zazu while John Kani brings genuine gravitas to the shaman-like Rafiki. Alfre Woodard is appropriately warm and strong as matriarch Sarabi and the great James Earl Jones, the only hold-over from 1994, returns as Mufasa and delivers a performance equal to his original. 

Especially strong, finding both danger and dimension, is Chiwetel Ejiofor as the treasonous Scar; what is interesting is that of all the characters, his face somehow manages to communicate the most expression.

The delightful music of the first film is here: It once again features the Oscar-winning work of Hans Zimmer, Tim Rice and Sir Elton John.

Because of the realistic and often savage violence, it seems that it might be too frightening for young audiences. So while engaging and inventive, ultimately, Disney’s The Lion King leaves the viewer with a certain disconnect and questioning not so much as why it was made but for whom.

Rated PG, The Lion King is now playing in local theaters.