The Lion King

The king has returned.

2019 • 118 min • Adventure · Drama · Family · Animation

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Synopsis

Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

Our family guide

Best from age 7

Movie Knight Score

10838 reviews

40 Reviewers · 5 · 65%
71 Audience · 10833 · 35%

Simba, a young lion prince, must grow up in exile after tragedy strikes his family. With the help of his friends Timon and Pumbaa, he eventually returns to reclaim his rightful place as king. This story explores themes of destiny, responsibility, and finding your own path.

Violence & peril: 4/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

A tragic death of a parent
Perilous stampede sequence
Villainous characters and threats
Some intense chase scenes

What it models well

Courage and resilience
Responsibility and duty
Friendship and loyalty
Finding your place

Talk about it after

Coping with loss and grief
The meaning of responsibility
What makes a true leader
Dealing with guilt and forgiveness

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

Country

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Disney Plus

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Top billed cast

Director: Jon Favreau • Crew: Jeff Nathanson

Trailers & clips

Circle of Life Featurette

More To Be Scene

Bonus Trailer

Trailer - Take Home on DVD 25 November

Academy Conversations: The Lion King

Hamlet or The Lion King? Quiz

The Cast and Creators of The Lion King

"Hakuna Matata" Creators' Cover

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Not at all like the cartoon but not bad either. Let's face it, nothing the could do would or could match the Lion King cartoon original. NOTHING. So I have been a huge fan of Lion King since day one. I knew this would not be as good. There are parts i adore and parts i detest. I hate they left out Scar's song and only had a small clip... So much was left out. It COULD have been better but I really didnt expect it ...
MonsterMartha, TMDB Community

Not recommended
**Its not as bad as Cats or Star Wars 9.** Disappointing and inconsistent. 2019 seems to be the year where the big movies were made to look good, but are in reality vapid and this is no exception. This looks good mostly (except when Simba is a "teenager" and a lack of genitals means that the animals do not look really real), but everything else is below average. Also, the "real-ness" of the animals make so...
sykobanana, TMDB Community

Not recommended
_Vulgar Display of Dour_ _Final rating:★½: - Boring/disappointing. Avoid where possible._
Ruuz, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :) I don’t know how I should start, but I guess I’ll address something that people might ask: yes, it’s a SPOILER-FREE review. Why? Well, the story might follow the same essential plot points, and the characters might have similar narrative paths, but there are so many details that make this movie stand on its own. From tiny little improvements...
msbreviews, TMDB Community

Not recommended
‘The Lion King’ is a catastrophe; a new low in the ever-diminishing returns of Disney’s endless run of remakes. There’s nothing redeeming about it, with every decision either ill-conceived or mishandled to the point of incompetence. In Favreau’s hands, ‘The Lion King’ is rendered thunderously dull, lacking in any tension or complex characterisation, taking a laboriously long time to go nowhere and never once justi...
maketheSWITCH, TMDB Community