With both Lion King and Sleeping Beauty being newly released on DVD right now, if you can only get one of them, there is no question this is by far the better choice. The impressive animation, the story, the fantastic sound, the extras are all superior in this Lion King package. This still isn't my favorite Disney release (Roger Rabbit will always have that honor), but maybe top 5--certainly top 8.

Lion King Platinum is well worth the investment for your DVD collection. Your family will get many years of enjoyment from it.

A modern classic now a classic DVD! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : In 1994, audiences and critics around the globe saw an animated motion picture that would become one of the highest grossing animated movies ever ( now "Finding Nemo" has took that spot), it was called " The Lion King".

It tells the coming of age story in the African safari where a young Lion cub named "Simba" is about to become king someday but his evil uncle "Scar" kills his father and Simba runs away because he feels damaged by what he's seen. He meets two lovable pals named "Timon" and " Pumbaa" who teaches him the ways of " Hakuna Matata" ( a.k.a. no worries in African) until he's a full grown lion that must avenge his father's death.

A spectacular, action packed and awesome animated motion picture that is full of emotion,laughs, and fun with great animation. The voices are superb such as James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Jonathan Tyler Thomas, Matthew Broderick, Whoopie Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jeremey Irons.

The DVD is superb in every single way, it's loaded with great extras like behind the scenes, a new song that was originally cut out, deleted scenes, games and more! it's a perfect christmas gift for every DVD lover's library.

A True Work of Art and a Top Notch DVD (Rating: 5.00)
Review : The Lion King Platinum Edition DVD was announced over three years ago. Folks, it is well worth the wait. Shame on Disney for putting this work of art on moratorium for all these years. Disney is batting 1.000 on its Platinum Edition Movies.

The Lion King is a wonderful story of how the young cub, Simba is deceived and betrayed by his uncle. Simba runs away from the kingdom to start a new life. He returns as an adult to challenge his uncle for the throne. The animation is both stunning and original. You quickly forget you are watching an animated movie. The characters are well developed and the film moves along at a fast pace.

The picture quality on this THX certified DVD is nothing short of remarkable. I would say the best animated DVD I have seen to date. The color is so vibrant it leaps of the screen. The images are crystal clear. The picture will blow you away.

The sound track is a very well balanced Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Exceptional voice clarity is noticeable right away. The soundtrack itself, is legendary.

I cannot say enough good things about this movie and this DVD. I have my beefs with Disney sometimes, but this DVD takes my breath away. This is how ALL DVD's should be authored. Thank you Disney.....this was done right.

Best movie of all times (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I really love this movie it was so cute and the songs were great I gave my neice this movie when she was born and she watches it all the time and she is 7 years old now Thanks to everyone who created it your the best

Not Disney's Best, But It's Hard Not to Be Won Over (Rating: 4.00)
Review : Disney may have been experiencing a rebound in the movie department over the past few years with ALADDIN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and THE LITTLE MERMAID- all of which were treasures deemed worth adding to childrens' videos collections. But the huge success of THE LION KING still came at Disney like a brick through a window- and, as a matter of fact, for animation in general.

The movie first starts out with the animals of Pride Lands watching the presentation of baby Simba, the child of Pride Lands king Mufasa and wife Sarabi. All of the animals hail the newborn, who is destined to become king someday- except for Simba's uncle Scar, who is angry that Simba took his place in line as the future king. As Simba grows, Mufasa teaches him about Pride Lands and the importance of being a king- advice Simba takes with pride and dignity. But one day, Scar and his fellow nutty hyenas trick Simba into going into a gorge, and then send a herd of wildebeasts down there to kill him. Mufasa rescues Simba, but when trying to rescue himself, Scar stops Mufasa from his attempt and kills him. Scar accuses Simba of the crime, and encourages him to run away to avoid trouble. Simba eventually catches up with Timon and Pumbaa, who live their carefree lives of no worries with their catchphrase "Hakuna Matata." Simba finds this life as a great way to get rid of his troubles, so he stays with them. Meanwhile, under the assumption that Simba is dead, Scar has taken his place as king of Pride Lands, with the hyenas by his side. Pride Lands is now in a destructive state, and there seems to be no sign of hope for better times. But wise baboon Rafiki finds out that Simba is still alive, and eventually catches up to him, encouraging him to return to Pride Lands and take his place as the one true king. Simba eventually agrees, and together with Timon, Pumbaa, and the lionesses, they prepare for a thrilling showdown against Scar and his hyena posse.

Upon first viewing, it is probably hard to see why THE LION KING was so much more popular than its three predecessors, as it followed a similar blueprint that they did. But, in retrospect, one could point out the commercialism stance that Disney probably did not realize they were stepping in. In other words, the movie was created in ways that not only charmed and entertained audiences in their seats, but stuck into their minds for a good time onward. Never since SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS had Disney characters in a movie been so distinctive and so memorable- especially Simba, who is prideful and mischievous as a cub and confused as an adult lion; Nala, who has a few tricks under her paws amidst her charming personality; Mufasa, with his bold stature and understanding of his title; and Scar, with his slyness and determination to be a rightful (relatively speaking) king. Even the three main hyenas of the story- Banzai, Shanzai, and Ed- all have distinctive personalities and can not be easily confused by.

But what probably dazzled people the most is THE LION KING's plot structure. The movie gave fair attention to moments of truth, power and boldness as well as moments of humor and silly wit- and throughout the entire project, both sets are arranged so that audiences can react to the events the right way- they can watch with awe as Simba is being prepared for his presentation, and they can laugh at the silliness of Timon and Pumbaa eating grubs as a regular meal. And this plot structure also gets a big helping hand from the music compositions of Tim Rice and Elton John- their memorable instrumentals and songs work with the mood of the movie at the time they come in. However, this plot structure only works to an extent- it may have appealed to the world, but when examining it in depth, what comes out is a movie that is inconsistent- that is, the mood of the movie does not stay constant, and if you think about it, it is hard to see those two aforementioned contrasting situations on the same boat, even though they are on the same boat (think, in music terms, Elton John's GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD). This characteristic is the main one that keeps THE LION KING from reaching the masterpiece qualities of SNOW WHITE or even THE LITTLE MERAMID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST- and, in my case, a perfect rating from me, although a close call- but it is still hard not to be won over by THE LION KING's wonderful plot, memorable characters, and dazzling music score. Any child- or any Disney fanatic- should watch this movie during his or her lifetime. It should be a wonderful experience.

This is NOT a violent movie for kids (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I'm sorry, but if you found this movie to be too violent for kids over the age of five, then you're robbing your children of a valuable experience. Yes, there is death. Yes, it is not a safe and simple death. But kids CAN handle it. An evil man killed a great man. It's not a theme that kids should enjoy, but it's one that is of particular resonance to us as Americans. This movie is simple, beautiful and moving- seemingly one of Disney's last treasures. While the Broadway show may be even more moving, this movie has the power to move us. I hope you'll see it if you haven't. I hope you'll let your kids watch it if you haven't. And I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have. Humbly submitted, -Matt Calcara, Overland Park, KS

Excellent DVD! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This 1994 Disney animated masterpiece is arguably one of the greatest movies they have ever made.

Teh story is of a lion cub who is driven into exile by his traitorous uncle after his father is killed but as an adult lion, he now has to return to Pride Rock and take back the throne from his evil uncle and take his rightful place as the king. This movie is just awesome.

The DVD edition has tons of new features such as two version, that's right, TWO versions of this film. One is the original theatrical edition and the other is the IMAX version with previously unreleased footage incorporated into the film. There are also some fun commentary and a hilarious deleted draft called "Bug Football" that is so funny. I could honestly do without "Morning Report" as it is rather dull and too short to really have an impact.

An excellent movie benifitted from an excellent DVD! Like another reviewer said: Buy this DVD today and throw out your old VHS tapes!!