GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Our Box Office Mom reviews "The Lion King" with help from some young critics.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 popcorn buckets
Release Date: July 19, 2019
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 6+
Sexual Content: Mild
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
Long live the king! King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi (Alfre Woodard) of the pridelands have a baby cub they name Simba. As the king and queen present Simba to the other animals as their future king, Uncle Scar, former heir to the throne, becomes very jealous. Scar encourages Simba to venture into hyena territory, which is very dangerous territory. {Spoiler Alert} Sadly, Mufasa is killed while saving Simba from a stampede of raging beasts. Scar accuses Simba of killing Mufasa and encourages him to run away. Of course Scar has his own agenda of becoming king with Simba out of the picture. Simba ventures on and befriends a meerkat and warthog who ultimately help him figure out how to grow up...and take back the throne and become the king! The Lion King is the computer-animated remake of Disney's beloved 1994 classic...The Lion King!
Talking Points:
There are great lessons and messages in this film. An example is the film highlights the theme of humility. King Mufasa explains to his son that a true king searches for what he can give. He also says a king doesn't own the land, it's his to protect.
Sexual Content: Mild
- Two young adult lions fall in love and hug and rub one another. This is very sweet.
Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate
- There are some intense fight scenes where animals attack one another.
- Even though the storyline is the same as the original film, the live action animation intensifies the violence.
- {Spoiler Alert} Simba's dad dies as he's trampled by a stampede of beasts. This is an extremely sad scene.
- During a climatic battle scene there is a fire that spreads throughout the land.
- Scar has blood on his fur while eating an animal.
Crude or Profane Language: Mild
- We hear “stupid,” “farted” and “chubby."
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes
- I interviewed two three year old girls that loved the movie. They said they weren't scared at all. Their favorite characters are Scar and Simba.
Overall this is a wonderful film for the whole family. Parents need to be aware of the moderate violent content that may scare young kids.
For more of Jackie's reviews, visit www.BoxOfficeMom.com
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