Lion King: Discussion Questions and Review

To Know Before You Watch: 

Movie: The Lion King
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 6 and up ( there was a 5 or 6 year old sitting behind us and she didn’t get too scared however she did get a little bored and restless at points )
Running Time: 2 hours
Release Date: July 19th, 2019
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
Themes: Responsibility, self identity, friendship, family, bravery
Warnings: This movie does have the loss of a parent, betrayal, and some scary images. It is the same sorts of scenes as the original but much more realistic. 
Quick Summary: Our team was divided on how much they loved this movie- but we still all loved it! A great new addition to the live action Disney remakes. Introducing a new generation to Simba’s quest for redemption and love. It’s the circle of life. Keep reading to see our Lion King Discussion Questions.

Lion King Discussion Questions: 

1) Who was your favorite character? Is that different than when you watched the cartoon? Adults- is that different than when you were a kid? 
2) Timone and Pumba try to live a care-free life, but they realize that having friends means caring about others. Who are your friends that you care about? 
3) Simba wanted to be brave like his dad and never be scared, however he found out that bravery does not mean you aren’t scared. Have you ever been brave even when you’re scared? What did this movie teach you about bravery?
4) What was the funniest part to you? 
5) *Spolier for those who have never seen the original* Scar lied to Simba and it caused everyone to get hurt. Why do you think telling the truth is important?

Reviews:

 –Characters: 
The rider: Zazu! my least favorite character from when I was a kid was actually my favorite this time! I was very impressed with the interpretation of the character. 

The princess: my favorite character was probably Mufasa! He showed his family love, kindness, grace, and acceptance. He showed strength in love and in power. He is everything I want to be in life! Although I also really loved pumba. He always makes me laugh so hard with his humor and personality. I also kinda wanna be him when I grow up.

–Story and plotline: 
The princess: I love the lion king. I was very impressed with the CGI and the voice acting. I was, however, very disappointed with how little they changed. With only one original song (that was in the background not sung by the characters), no original scenes, and very few additions other than one drawn out scene and the jokes were mixed up a bit, the changes were minimal at most. I was sad that they didn’t do more with the movie, however, all that to say, the original is an incredible movie and I was thrilled to watch a “live-action” version and will watch it many times again. The jokes, old and new, made me laugh out loud, the deaths and pain made me cry even harder, and the story moved me just as much as the first time I saw the Lion king. 

The rider: the movie stayed close enough to the original storyline but added enough new elements to keep it fresh and fun to me! There were some scenes that were longer than necessary though. 

–Film Quality: 
The rider: The CGI has been getting a lot of flack but I thought it was excellent. There are great and beautiful cinematic shots showcasing the CGI and pulling you into their world.

The princess: the CGI was amazing. You could tell that the animators studied these animals and made this as realistic as humanly possible. I could not tell the animals were not real other than the whole talking thing. The grass, the dust, and the hairs on the animals all moved with the wind according to how they would in nature. This was an incredible cinematic masterpiece.  

–Other: 
Rider: the way Mufasa taught Simba with love and encouragement, even when he made mistakes, is a beautiful example of what fatherly love should be and a great reminder to us all. Also, this movie shows that living a carefree life isn’t always what it seems and that caring about others can be the most fulfilling part of ones life. Finally, one of my favorite lessons from this movie is that your past mistakes do not define who you are. 

Princess: over my lifetime I have learned many things, but am always drawn back to the fact that love, friendship, and doing the right thing will never steer you wrong. Although his life was filled with hardships and pain, Simba continued to love and care about those around him, always being a good friend. He was finally drawn back to his family by the knowledge that doing what is right, even though it isn’t always or even usually easy, is the best choice. Simba is a beautiful reminder that running from pain and fear will never work, and that a fathers love will have a forever effect. 

What to Check Out Next:

–If you enjoyed our Lion King discussion questions–
Take a look at our other Disney summer movie reviews!

Toy Story 4
Aladdin

The Golden Globe 2019 Nominations for Best Animated Movie: 
Missing Link *Winner*, 
Frozen 2, 
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

-Rent the new movie here on Amazon, get the original cartoon here, the original soundtrack, or the new soundtrack.   

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog uses affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.