The Lion King Summary Essay, Research Paper
The Lion King
The film I decided to summarize is The Lion King by Walt Disney. It is an animated
film as are all Disney movies. The movie opens with the themes song The Circle Of Life playing as the camera show Mufasa, king of the lions holding his newborn son Simba. The whole community of animals is here at Pride Rock to witness young Simba because he is the future king. Everyone in the kingdom is happy about the birth of the new prince except for one lion. That lion is Scar. Scar is Mufasas brother and was next in line to be king before Simba took his place. Scar is angry and jealous of young Simba.
Young Simba is a very happy lion. He plays all the time with his best friend, a lioness named Nala. Simba is watched by the bird Zazu, and when Zazu tells Simba that one day he will be king, Simba is more then happy bursting into the song I Just Can t Wait To Be King . Scar meanwhile has other plans for Simba. One day Scar sends Simba to play in the elephant graveyard and Scar also sends his minions , they hyenas there. The hyenas try to kill Simba but Mufasa shows up and saves Simba. When Scar learns of this he becomes angered even more and sings Be Prepared in reference to his plan to kill Simba.
Scar has the plan set. He lures Simba to the gorge and gets him to wait there, while the hyenas cause a stampede of the wilderbeast. Scar knows that Simba has no chance of surviving the stampede. Simba is on his way to doom when Mufasa comes to his aid again. Mufasa gets Simba out of harms way but in the process finds himself hanging off a cliff. Scar sees this and rushes to the cliff but not to save Mufasa but to make sure he dies. Scar then tells Simba that he should leave because Mufasas death was his fault and the kingdom will be angry with him.. Simba departs Pride Rock very solemnly.
Simba finds his own place to live far away. He then meets Timon (a wisecracking merecat) and Pumba (a goofy warthog). Timon and Pumba become his best friends. They teach Simba to live with no worries. The three of them sing Hakuna Matata . As time passes Timon and Pumba raise Simba, they become his family. Simba is a full grown lion now, much resembling his father.
Meanwhile, Pride Rock is in shambles. There is no food and there are hyenas everywhere. Scar and the hyenas have ruined the once great Pride Rock.. Scar makes it the lionesses job to go out and find food. One day while out hunting for food a fully grown Nala ventures to near Simbas home. The two recognize eachother fully grown. Nala tells Simba that everyone thought he was dead. She informs him of the kingdoms state and tells him that he should return and take his place as king. Simba refuses because he feels he s been gone too long. Also in the back of his mind he still feels guilty and responsible for Mufasas death. Nala is angered and storms off. Simba goes off to think and while hes thinking he calls to his father for help. Mufasa appears to Sima in the clouds. Mufasa tells Simba that he must take his place in the circle of life and go take the throne like he was born to. Rafiki, the wise old babbon who knew Simba was alive all along comes to Simba to encourage him to go back and to show him he is fit to be king. Rafiki shows Simba his reflection in the water and Simba sees the lion he has become, he sees his father in him and at that moment he realizes he should be king.
Simba goes and finds Nala. They fall in love and sing Can You Feel The Love Tonight , Timon and Pumba realize they are losing there friend to love and sing there version too. Simba returns to the kingdom on his own and sees how bad it is. Nala comes back with Timon and Pumba. When Simba gets to Pride Rock he sees Scar and Cerabi (Simbas mother) are fighting over why there is no food. Scar strikes Cerabi. At this moment Simba makes himself known with a ferocious roar. Scar initially thinks Simba is Mufasa and is scared, Scar begins to suck up to Simba. Simba turns to his mother and tells her that its him and she and the other lionesses are happy.
When Scar realizes its Simba and not Mufasa he tries to manipulate Simba. Scar tells Simba to tell the lionesses who is responsible for Mufasas death, knowing Simba will say himself. Simba says its him and everyone is shocked. Scar and the hyenas begin to torment Simba calling him a murderer and backing him off a cliff. Scar then hovers over Simba , as Simba hangs, just as Scar hovered over Mufasa while he was hanging. Scar leans over and whispers to Simba that he is really the one who killed Mufasa. Simba flies into a rage and jumps off the cliff calling Scar the murderer. The two fight, as the lionessed take Simbas side and the hyenas back up Scar. Simba gets the best of Scar and ends up turning the hyenas against him. Simba throws Scar off the cliff where the hyenas await to devour him.