The Lion King

The greatest adventure of all is finding our place in the Circle of Life.

1994 • 89 min • Animation · Family · Drama

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Synopsis

Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

19935 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
83 Audience · 19933 · 49%

Young lion prince Simba dreams of ruling the Pride Lands, but his villainous uncle Scar plots to seize the throne. After a tragedy, Simba flees, leaving his home in chaos. He must eventually return to confront his past and reclaim his destiny.

Violence & peril: 5/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

A parent dies onscreen
Some intense chase scenes
Villain is quite menacing
Hyenas can be frightening

What it models well

Courage and responsibility
Family and loyalty
Finding your place
Dealing with grief

Talk about it after

Coping with loss and change
The importance of family and friends
Facing your fears
Environmental balance

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Lion King. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff • Crew: Linda Woolverton, Jonathan Roberts, Irene Mecchi, Rick Maki, Burny Mattinson, Barry Johnson, Lorna Cook, Thom Enriquez, Andrew Gaskill, Gary Trousdale, Jim Capobianco, Kevin Harkey, Jørgen Klubien, Chris Sanders, Tom Sito, Larry Leker, Joe Ranft, Ed Gombert, Francis Glebas, Mark Kausler

Trailers & clips

Scar Character Breakdown - Notes on a Scene

Simba and Nala Reunite

Meet Simba

Wisdom From Pride Rock

Behind the Scenes

The Lion King - 1994 Re-Release Theatrical Trailer (35mm 4K)

Teaser Trailer #1

2002 IMAX Trailer

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Certainly not one of Disney's better animations from a technical perspective - the artwork lacks the vibrancy and detail of many of their earlier stories; but the combined efforts of Sir Tim Rice, Elton John and Hans Zimmer make this an enjoyable fantasy adventure. It is told in two parts - the first sees a son "Simba" born to the king "Mufasa"; a curious little fella who, alongside his friend "Nala" is inquisitiv...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
If you enjoy reading my reviews, please follow my blog :) First of all, this is (obviously) a SPOILER review. I mean, who hasn’t seen this movie yet? If by some extraordinary circumstances you’re one of those unlucky souls, stop. Spend the next hour and a half watching this animated masterpiece and come back here. I will still avoid mentioning key details because I’m just used to it, and The Lion King has so ma...
msbreviews, TMDB Community