While much has been criticized about animated films in style and quality due to cost-saving measures taken since the hand-painted days of yore, DISNEY's theatrical release of "THE LION KING" in 1994 marked major changes.  Sure, the "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" was released prior and showcased a brilliant blend of storytelling, animation and music. But, "THE LION KING" continued to prove all of those other important elements were coming back, and expanded even further with some remarkable innovations in its animation. "THE LION KING" marked the first time(as far as this reviewer recalls)wherein "rack-focus" shots were devised, or improvised for animation!!!! It's a brilliant shot, but then, so much of "THE LION KING" is brilliant!

King Mufasa and his Queen Sarabi have been born a lion cub, Simba. Of course, the parents couldn't be happier, but Mufasa's evil brother, Scar(Jeremy Irons) conjures up a plot take the role of leader he knows will be passed down to Simba, by killing the King with hyenas. When the dastardly deed is done, he's convinced Simba that he is actually to blame for the death, whereby the cub wanders off from heartbreak to certain doom. Luckily, Simba stumbles upon Timon and Pumba, a meercat and warthog. This unlikely duo provide safety for Simba, as well as many great laughs, along with learning experiences. As Simba matures, he knows that it's his duty to venture back to his birthplace and take back the kingdom stolen from him.

As with "BAMBI," there are some truly gut-wrenching moments within "THE LION KING," and parents should see the film to decide how young is too young for this film. But, it's hard to imagine and 8 year old or higher not falling in love with the film, or being unable to deal with its sad moments.

As great as "THE LION KING" is, there are about 25 minutes that feel a bit sluggish, towards the middle of the film. However, the 3rd act kicks everything into high gear, and the film ends on a perfect note, making the "terrific" majority of the film compensate for the minimal slow parts.

BUENA VISTA/DISNEY has released the Blu-ray3d version of the film within a set, including the 2d blu-ray, dvd and a digital copy.  The 2d blu-ray is flawless! The correct 1.78:1 aspect ratio has been provided for this AVC MPEG-4 encoded 1080p blu-ray, as well as for the blu-ray3d counterpart. Color are vibrant in both versions, with a boldness that jumps off the screen! WOW! The colors are just stunning in every shot. Detail is also amazing, whether it's the CG imagery, the hand-painted background or animation, everything looks perfect! Regardless of the color at hand in any given moment, it's impossible to imagine the image looking better!

So, can "3d" make any difference for the better? It's an important question, especially when realizing how many films are converted to "3d" as an afterthought, to generate more money. For some films, eg. the recent "CLASH OF THE TITANS" remake, there's no benefit whatsoever. However, having viewed the blu-ray3d version of "THE LION KING," this reviewer, even with still lingering questions as to the potential life-span of the format, has been reinvigorated about its advantages!

As great as the 2d blu-ray looks, the 3d version is even better! In fact, the impact of the 3d conversion makes virtually the entire film feel like it was created just for the format!!!

Because the compositions for the film have been devised with such stunning creativity, the advantages of the enhanced depth offered with 3d, go a long way in demonstrating why "post-conversion 3d" can actually work well, when the original compositions are terrific. For those able to recall the film's beautiful opening sequence, the 3d imagery makes the spectacular even more-so! The depth of the plains is managed in a way that would make John Ford blush! When the Wildebeest stampede occurs in 2D, it's breath-taking, but when viewing  it now in 3d, it's hard to imagine seeing it any other way! The Wildebeest stampede in 3d should turn more viewers into fans of the format than any scene from AVATAR in 3d! It's that incredible to watch! Just as impressive, the brightness of the image, along with the rich colors, separates "THE LION KING 3d" from most "blu-ray3d" offerings. This image doesn't suffer from a darker image, whereas virtually all other blu-ray3d releases have!  Instead, the image is so impressive, even contrast stands out as being impressive. Blacks are actually inky, so the startling detail of this 3d presentation is never diminished in even the darkest of scenes. BRAVO!

BUENA VISTA/DISNEY has provided a DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix.  Of course, the score from Hans Zimmer and memorable songs from Elton John shine in a way they haven't before. But, this lossy mix immerses the viewer in a way few other mixes can! Even the most subtle of effects feels astonishing, as presented here. Whether it's the deep bass coinciding with the stampede scene, or discrete/panning effects of mosquitos, everything about it places the viewer in the center of what's happening on screen in a powerful manner, but coming across as natural throughout. It's going to be hard for newer film mixes to compete with what's been done for this 17 year old film!

An abundance of extras is offered!

An audio commentary with a producer and co-directors is much more entertaining, without succumbing to dryness than one would expect. An easy, often amusing listen!

Two featurettes(in HD) offer perspectives on the film's development and production.

Deleted and alternate scenes(in HD) are sure to delight and while they were rightly excluded, they still offer more entertainment value than most deleted scenes.

BD-LIVE extras, as well as bloopers and more are also offered.