Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff’s The Lion King (A-) is a stirring animal version of Hamlet featuring some heavy themes about a “circle of life” with betrayal, death and ascension. The regal undertones and the Elton John tunes don’t always jive, but it’s hard to deny the power, poignancy and genuine beauty of this Disney animation milestone. This film marches with a triumphant beat and eschews the formula of the hits directly before it to fashion and even bigger juggernaut of global wonder.
Tag Archives: Musical
“Nightmare Before Christmas” a Nifty Holiday Treat
Director Henry Selick does the heavy lifting in a Claymation-inspired motion capture musical holiday extravaganza Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (B) based on the Beetlejuice/Edward Scissorhands wunderkind’s whimsical mash-up of a night when a cast of ghouls, goblins and Jack Skellington take over Christmas duties. Buoyed by Oingo Boingo front man Danny Elfman’s playfully sinister ditties and a bleak comedic vibe that shows the darker side of holiday glee, it’s a wickedly enchanting, splendidly demented fable for all seasons. Like much of Burton’s fare, a triumph of production design over storytelling – but, oh, what beautiful visuals!
Disney’s 1992 Animated “Aladdin” a Wish Come True
Co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker have successfully bottled a great formula for comedy thanks to Robin Williams’ contribution as the voice of the Genie in the fabulous and briskly paced animated Aladdin (A). Disney has finally found a voice to match its colorful, vivid animation; Williams’ manic characterization and hilarious anachronisms fill in the lines of an absorbing work of pure fantasy about a rugrat who gets three wishes and woos a princess. Composers Howard Ashman, Alan Menken and Tim Rice get high points with “Friend Like Me,” a great moment of razzmatazz, and “A Whole New World,” which evokes a Superman style flight aboard a magic carpet. It’s everything you could wish for in a family-friendly adventure.