Lion King 狮子王 英文影评.doc

Lion King 狮子王 Hamlet meets The Jungle Book - thats what The Lion King is - adding, of course, a few special touches all its own. Disneys 32nd animated feature film is its darkest since The Black Cauldron, and, in many ways, a departure from the light-heartedness of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. There are moments of fun and humor, to be sure, but the undercurrent is of a far more serious, adult nature. The Lion King is primarily about guilt and redemption. Simba, a young lion cub and heir to his fathers throne, is led to believe that he was the cause of the kings death. The trauma caused by this is so great that Simba goes into exile, attempting to find peace-of-mind through anonymity in the company of a warthog and a meerkat. But its never that easy to escape the past. The Hamlet parallels are all there for the discerning adult to note. Mufasa, king of the lions, is killed by a treacherous brother who subsequently takes over the rule of the kingdom. Simba, the beloved son, is wracked by guilt and impotence until the ghost of his father gives him instruction on what actions he should take. Death, something not really touched on in the last three animated Disney tales, is very much at the forefront of The Lion King. In a scene that could disturb younger viewers, Mufasas demise is shown. It is a chilling moment that is reminiscent of a certain incident in Bambi. The film also contains a fair share of violence, including a rather graphic battle between two lions. Parents should carefully consider before automatically taking a child of, say, under seven years of age, to this movie. After three animated motion pictures centered upon the love of two people from different worlds, The Lion Kings focus is different. This time around, the love story (between Simba and the lioness Nala) is a subplot. The film is most concerned with its young heros coming-of-age, and the responsibilities that arrive with adulthood - including the need to confront guilt and its associated fear. Scar, Simbas treacherous uncle, is the latest in a long line of Disney antagonists. Gone is the buffoonery that has marked the recent trio of Ursula, Gaston, and Jafar. Scar is a sinister figure, given to acid remarks and cunning villainy. The cold-hearted manner in which he causes Mufasas death lets us know that this is not a lion to be trifled with. An all-star cast was selected to supply The Lion Kings voices. Jeremy Irons, with his dry British accent, is a critical element of Scars personality. James Earl Jones lends his booming bass to Mufasa, truly a lord of the jungle. Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin play a pair of laughing hyenas, Rowan Atkinson uses his vocal talents for a sour-tongued bird, and Moira Kellys Nala is the sole significant female character. Matthew Broderick, with his rather nondescript voice, is the adult Simba, with Jonathan Taylor Thomas as the cub. The animation, as expected from any Disney film, is superior. As usual, as much attention is given to small background details as to foreground principals. Lighting and color are used to highlight the shifting tone of the picture (the sunny warmth of Mufasas kingdom to the dreary barrenness of Scars), and the animators have never lost sight that their subjects are not human. Since 1989s The Little Mermaid, the musical element of any Disney animated picture has been nearly as important as the visual one (the three previous movies have garnered a total of twelve Grammy awards). With the songwriting team of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (replaced following his death by Tim Rice) in charge, the soundtracks for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin have become huge commercial successes. For The Lion King, Menken is absent. The songs here are by Elton John and Tim Rice, with the score coming from composer Hans Zimmer. Two of the five John/Rice songs are rather unimpressive (I Just Cant Wait to Be King and Hakuna Matata), one is decent (Be Prepared), and two are quite good (Circle of Life and Can You Feel the Love Tonight). Circle of Life, the opening number, is a visual extravaganza that may be the most astounding sequence ever in any animated film. Can You Feel the Love Tonight is The Lion Kings love song, although it leaves you wondering if either Matthew Broderick or Moira Kelly can sing, since the song vocals of Simba and Nala are supplied by Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky, respectively. The soundtrack weakness of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin - a dull score - has been rectified in The Lion King. Hans Zimmer, using a style similar to the one he employed for The Power of One, brings an African flavor to his music, and incorporates the five songs seamlessly. With each new animated release, Disney seems to be expanding its already-broad horizons a littl