The Lion King

First, I need to say that I love all Disney movies, but The Lion King was the movie that honestly changed my life as a 7 year old. Up to that point, no movie ever hit me as hard as this movie. I remember my neighbor taking me to see this movie at the theater. From the opening scene, I had the chills. The animation impressed me. The music was perfect. I laughed. I cried my eyes out. I felt inspired. I wanted to watch it over and over again after I saw it.

Let's hand it to Disney for writing such a damn depressing movie with such a nice, positive twist on all the depressing aspects (unlike The Fox & The Hound which was the most horrifyingly depressing movie I have ever seen that leaves you with your heart torn to shreds). While most of the Disney movies of the 80's and 90's were fantastic, this movie is still the one that really stands out for me and it breaks my heart that Disney doesn't make movies like it used to. Disney doesn't make movies like The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast, etc anymore. It's just sad. I'm not even talking about the animation so much as I'm talking about a plot that is still great even YEARS after it was first released.

This movie introduced me to the world of Hans Zimmer's music who is definitely my favorite composer. After I saw The Lion King the first time, I would sit at the piano and try to play "This Land" by ear because at 7 years old, it was the most beautiful song I had ever heard. Part of it had to do with the fact that it is the song that goes along with the infamous scenes when Mufasa tells Simba that the stars are kings who will always watch over him as well as the scene where Mufusa's ghost visits Simba. That scene was too much for me as a kid. I bawled my little eyes out. It still gives me the chills. If you're insane and have never watched the Lion King, here are the scenes I'm talking about: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw45nBcWNbQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZfeR-QE5io

I was so obsessed with this movie. My mom bought The Lion King on the first day it was released on VHS. I'm not kidding. Every day I would watch it, rewind it and watch it again over and over. I was so inspired by the movie that I decided it was important for me to write out the script in pencil on computer paper. I was only 7, but I would listen to a sentence, pause the movie, write it down and rewind to make sure I had it down correctly. I did this every day for quite some time...that is until I wore out the pause button on our remote as well as the VCR. To this day, my family still laughs about how my Lion King obsession was the reason the VCR broke. 

From watching it over and over again, I memorized the movie and could quote the entire thing. I still can. When people can't sleep, they count sheep or something like that. I close my eyes and watch The Lion King in my head because I know it that well.

My family was totally broke, but I had EVERYTHING Lion King growing up... toys, stuffed animals, books, coloring books, magazines, etc.   

I had this stuffed animal. If you squeezed him, he made a purring sound. 

My friends would tease me and call him the farting Simba. 

I was NOT amused.

I had a huge collection of Lion King Toys.

My Mufasa toy from Burger King was my absolute favorite! 

I got this Pride Rock playset for Xmas. I screamed when I got it. 

It was so cool. You could pump water through it and lock toys in the rib cave.

I didn't let anyone touch it. I was so afraid it would break.

Aren't you jealous yet? ;) 

Just kidding.

Everything I did revolved around The Lion King. It makes me laugh a bit how much I loved this movie and still do. What can I say? The movie kicks ass.

Did any of you enjoy The Lion King as much as I did?