The Lion King represents to me the pinnacle of classic 2D Disney animation. It is a gorgeously animated and scored film telling a biblical style epic set amongst the animal kingdom on the African savannah. Scanning the messages of Disney animated films today, the film's full-hearted embrace of a very traditional morality feels refreshing and quite radical. It's a beloved Disney film that is well deserving of its reputation. I didn't always feel that way however. I was eleven years old when The Lion King released in theaters and it was a massive cultural moment. It came with great expectations as it was following in the footsteps of several massive Disney releases: 1989's The Little Mermaid , 1991's Beauty and the Beast , and 1992's Aladdin . Adding to expectations was the bold choice of using the film's opening "Circle of Life" sequence as its trailer. It was such a confident and effective sequence that you could sense Disney knew it had the good