movies/tv Is "The Lion King" Overrated?

[Jokuc 8,174]

I respectfully disagree. The main characters are both lions with similar names, but that's about it.

 

 

These characters don't just look alike, they have similar names AND have the same kind of personalities. There are tons of videos about Kimba vs The Lion King where you'll find the many similarities.

 

So no, that's not just about it. You probably just didn't notice many of these things since they're not all happening during the same episode.

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

 

These characters doesn't just look alike, they have similar names AND have the same kind of personalities. There are tons of videos about Kimba vs The Lion King where you'll find the many similarities.

 

So no, that's not just about it. You probably just didn't notice many of these things since they're not all happening during the same episode.

 

The only one that doesn't strike me as being a pure coincidence is the lion appearing in the clouds. And maybe the lion standing on the cliff, too.

 

Aside from that, you have to remember that most movies have similarities with each other, that's why websites like TV Tropes exist. This is even more true when you have an animated family-friendly African-themed movie and you're comparing it to an animated family-friendly African-themed TV series.

[Jokuc 8,174]

Aside from that, you have to remember that most movies have similarities with each other, that's why websites like TV Tropes exist. This is even more true when you have an animated family-friendly African-themed movie and you're comparing it to an animated family-friendly African-themed TV series.

 

Just one example is that Kimba's dad gets killed and the evil lion you see there called "Claw" becomes king and Kimba has to fight him at the lion cliff with fire and hyenas.

 

On top of that, it was known that Walt Disney was a fan of Osamu Tezuka.............The creator of Kimba the white lion. Disney began the production for the lion king just a few months after he died. After getting accused for stealing from Kimba, Disney apparently said that they hadn't ever heard about that show, even though they obviously had. The voice actor for Simba even said in an interview that he thought the lion king was going to be some sort of remake and according to the huffington post, the former executive of Disney even called Simba "Kimba" by accident in two different interviews (though that one could just be a mispronunciation of course).

 

Oh and I know it's common for stuff to have similarities but sometimes it's just too obvious. Take the matrix for example, for years they claimed it was just a coincidence that they had so many stuff similar to Ghost in the Shell until someone finally admitted that they borrowed some ideas.

 

Then again, it's kind of hard to decide when something becomes a ripoff since ideas must come from somewhere. I don't really mind all this about the lion king, what bothers me is that Disney didn't give them credit for anything. It's the same with songs, I don't mind when people make songs with tunes from older songs as long as they give them credit for it

[FlootahBabby 265]

Just one example is that Kimba's dad gets killed and the evil lion you see there called "Claw" becomes king and Kimba has to fight him at the lion cliff with fire and hyenas.

 

On top of that, it was known that Walt Disney was a fan of Osamu Tezuka.............The creator of Kimba the white lion. Disney began the production for the lion king just a few months after he died. After getting accused for stealing from Kimba, Disney apparently said that they hadn't ever heard about that show, even though they obviously had. The voice actor for Simba even said in an interview that he thought the lion king was going to be some sort of remake and according to the huffington post, the former executive of Disney even called Simba "Kimba" by accident in two different interviews (though that one could just be a mispronunciation of course).

 

Oh and I know it's common for stuff to have similarities but sometimes it's just too obvious. Take the matrix for example, for years they claimed it was just a coincidence that they had so many stuff similar to Ghost in the Shell until someone finally admitted that they borrowed some ideas.

Aside from the beef you 2 are having, I'm really glad to find more bronies aware of Kimba! It should be viewed by more people! Not because it should be compared, it's just a great anime overall! But nothing will ever beat Cory in the House. :3

[DND 2,355]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOHjktwvqdE

 

I love the Lion King, I grew up with it. But I do think more credit and props should be centered to Kimba: the White Lion.

[Jokuc 8,174]

Aside from the beef you 2 are having, I'm really glad to find more bronies aware of Kimba! It should be viewed by more people! Not because it should be compared, it's just a great anime overall! But nothing will ever beat Cory in the House. :3

To be completely honest, even though I'm kind of arguing for Kimba now, I'm not really that big of a fan of the show. Not that it's bad or anything, it's just not my cup of tea. I'd watch the lion king over a couple kimba eps any day. The Lion King is a beautiful movie. The best disney movie of all imo.

[Ruddboy Olaf 10,628]

I loved it as a kid,but when I watch it now,all I can think of how boring it is. Even Scar doesn't save the movie from putting me to sleep. So,yes,I think it's overrated.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Mystery

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

I never really got into Disney movies, I was more a fan of movies like Shrek.

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

I love the Lion King, it made my childhood and was the first Disney movie I ever saw, I saw it again later when it was re-released in 3-D and it was just as amazing then as it was when I first saw it. I don't think it's overrated at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2015 by MLPFanatic34

[PacificGreen 1,163]

It was a good movie. I'm not sure about overrated, since I haven't seen it in a long time. In fact, last time I watched it was in Spanish class. Oh, those leones hispanohablantes.

 

"Papá… papá… tienes que levantarte… hay que ir a casa... por favor papá."

-Simba upon seeing his dead father.

 

Too bad Disney these days, apart from certain exceptions, does nothing but crappy suff

 

As a Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6 fan, I respectfully disagree with this.

Edited August 31, 2015 by PacificGreen

[Xeltor23 704]

It was a good movie. I'm not sure about overrated, since I haven't seen it in a long time. In fact, last time I watched it was in Spanish class. Oh, those leones hispanohablantes.

 

"Papá… papá… tienes que levantarte… hay que ir a casa... por favor papá."

-Simba upon seeing his dead father.

 

 

As a Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6 fan, I respectfully disagree with this.

As I said, there is exceptions

[Jeric 46,856]

The moral is a little jumbled, but the film still holds up extremely well.

 

Also calling this a rip off of Kimba is akin to saying In & Out is a rip off of Herman's Head. Plot, character motivations, tone, rising and falling action, etc are far enough from Kimba to even dispute the notion it was inspired by it. That is nothing to say that this is a company that is lucrative for redfining previously existing IP's with appropriate attribution.

 

Could some of the project's story boarders claim to be influenced by Kimba ... yep. Most art is inspired by others who have come before. Does that mean the company and director were? Nope.

 

Old argument is old. I've been debating this since I saw it in the theaters in 1993.

[Mesme Rize 15,685]

God, does 60% of all Lion King discussions have to go into a discussion, if it's a ripoff of Kimba the white Lion? I don't really care to be honest. If we want to talk about ripoffs, we can talk about a hundred other movies, that are more obvious ripoffs and still get more praise then the Lion King (Hello there District 9)

 

It's still my favorite Disney movie out there, because everything about this movie is memorable. The scenes, the characters, the songs, etc. It's a movie that you can watch with everyone and alot of people will tell you that they had a good time after the movie was over.

 

BTW, Simba is cute.

 

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

(Hello there District 9)

Are you referencing The Hunger Games?

[Mesme Rize 15,685]

Are you referencing The Hunger Games?

 

No, i talk about the movie District 9, that came out in 2009. XD

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I'm going to go ahead and ignore the Kimba thing because this kind of thing happens in Hollywood and the rest of the creative field all the time. I myself was developing a story idea of my own when I found out there was an anime that not only had similar iconography and a similar story, but also used some of the names that I used. Sometimes, you never know if someone else had the same idea, and other times you may be copying something else you've read or seen without knowing it (hence why media staff is not allowed to read fanworks and why so many creators take a stance against it).

 

Every time a work garners acclaim there is bound to be someone who will call it "overrated". There are critics and other filmmakers that are bored by Citizen Kane. I myself have called Airplane! (dated) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (plot and characterization) overrated. What varies, however, is how much merit the reasoning has. If it's just because "I didn't like the songs" or "I was bored by it", it's not overrated. It just didn't appeal to you. Unless you can see a real hindrance to the movie itself, just accept that it didn't appeal to you.

 

On the other hand, the concern about the movie's message has merit. The Critic's argument that it might be about avoiding responsibility, however, is a sound concern. It is a touchy issue, though. What would they have done if they did consider Simba guilty? Would they have given him another chance or would they have dishonored him? Would they have sided with Scar?

 

From what it sounds like, it does seem a bit too convenient that Scar taunts Simba with the fact that he did it, and the concern is over how Simba targeted Scar before he tried to set things right with the everyone else. It does make sense, but it's a complex issue with a lot a variables involved.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Vested Interest

[SquipyCheetah 449]

Being perfectly honest, I do not think the Lion King is overrated and I think it deserves every bit of love it gets. All three movies are great to me and remain some of my favourites to this day, all the way back from when I was a kid. I grew up with the characters and the songs. Everything about it, I just love it.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,705]

I have watched this movie more times than I could ever remember and I can safely say that it is not overrated, not to me. I consider it one of Disney's best works. The animation is absolutely stunning, the songs are all great in my opinion (even Can You Feel Love because of how beautiful that whole scene was) and the story has light-heartedness and dark elements together. The ending is also epic. I pretty much consider the entire film to be a Disney epic. 

[Rawzy 1,302]

Sorry if some people may take this offensive but..I honestly don't see why people are craving over this movie...to me it's just like every other cartoon movie.

I guess it does have that nostalgic early 21st century feel to it though...but what do I know xD I can barely remember watching this movie. The most annoying thing for me, is when I see people in real life who are quoting memes...yes I said memes....from the movie when they probably havnt actually seen the movie or barely remember it.

[Snake 516]

Am I the only one here who never had a lasting impact from the movie? Yeah, I saw it as a child, but movies like Lilo & Stitch stood out so much more to me and overall just seem more worthwhile. Of course this is all just my opinion, but The Lion King was just one of those movies you watched and never stuck with you. There were plenty of other "classic" movies that were 1000x better and have stayed with me through my life. The Lion King just wasn't one of them.
(Disclaimer: This is my opinion, im not saying its a bad movie. Its cute. Just not my favorite.)

Edited September 1, 2015 by Snake

[Caliboom 219]

I don't really think is overrated.

 

I don't really see people talk about it nowadays, and I think nobody really cares about it now.

[Jokuc 8,174]

calling this a rip off of Kimba is akin to saying In & Out is a rip off of Herman's Head. Plot, character motivations, tone, rising and falling action, etc are far enough from Kimba to even dispute the notion it was inspired by it. That is nothing to say that this is a company that is lucrative for redfining previously existing IP's with appropriate attribution.

 

Could some of the project's story boarders claim to be influenced by Kimba ... yep. Most art is inspired by others who have come before. Does that mean the company and director were? Nope.

 

Old argument is old. I've been debating this since I saw it in the theaters in 1993.

Yes, the tone is certainly different and the film doesn't have the same sequence of events. "Simba, protector of the jungle" doesn't sound right at all as a description. However to me, it feels like they've taken Kimba and removed all the things they're not interested in while squeezing it down to a movie. A few final touches were made and bam, you got yourself the lion king. I'm sorry but I really have to disagree with you.

 

Obvious ripoff is obvious. And you know, debating it doesn't make the work more original.

 

God, does 60% of all Lion King discussions have to go into a discussion, if it's a ripoff of Kimba the white Lion? I don't really care to be honest. If we want to talk about ripoffs, we can talk about a hundred other movies, that are more obvious ripoffs and still get more praise then the Lion King (Hello there District 9)

 

It's still my favorite Disney movie out there, because everything about this movie is memorable. The scenes, the characters, the songs, etc. It's a movie that you can watch with everyone and alot of people will tell you that they had a good time after the movie was over.

 

BTW, Simba is cute.

Apparently. And no, we can't talk about other ripoffs, this thread is about the lion king, and the fact that the title is "Is "The Lion King" Overrated?" makes this discussion even more relevant. You can talk about other ripoffs if you'd like in other threads but the reason why just some certain movies are recognized as ripoffs is because people have seen the original works of those. There are many films out there that have taken ideas or even whole stories from other films but some of them just doesn't get caught cause most people of the current generation won't recognize it anyway.

 

But yeah I agree, it's without a doubt one of the best Disney films anyway.

 

BTW, Kimba is cuter :3

[KiteDarkness 5]

Just one example is that Kimba's dad gets killed and the evil lion you see there called "Claw" becomes king and Kimba has to fight him at the lion cliff with fire and hyenas.

 

On top of that, it was known that Walt Disney was a fan of Osamu Tezuka.............The creator of Kimba the white lion. Disney began the production for the lion king just a few months after he died. After getting accused for stealing from Kimba, Disney apparently said that they hadn't ever heard about that show, even though they obviously had. The voice actor for Simba even said in an interview that he thought the lion king was going to be some sort of remake and according to the huffington post, the former executive of Disney even called Simba "Kimba" by accident in two different interviews (though that one could just be a mispronunciation of course).

 

Oh and I know it's common for stuff to have similarities but sometimes it's just too obvious. Take the matrix for example, for years they claimed it was just a coincidence that they had so many stuff similar to Ghost in the Shell until someone finally admitted that they borrowed some ideas.

 

Then again, it's kind of hard to decide when something becomes a ripoff since ideas must come from somewhere. I don't really mind all this about the lion king, what bothers me is that Disney didn't give them credit for anything. It's the same with songs, I don't mind when people make songs with tunes from older songs as long as they give them credit for it

 

Kimba's father was murdered by humans, not Claw/Bubu. And while there was one dramatic battle involving rain and the like(although, there was no fire), that can be attributed to the standard dramatic cliche of how lot of final showdowns take place. Ever notice how a handful deal of Disney classics involve rain, lightning, and so forth in their final confrontations? What TLK did wasn't isolated, and Kimba's battle with Claw was also derivative of that tired cliche.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Master

[Jokuc 8,174]

Kimba's father was murdered by humans, not Claw/Bubu.

I know. I never said that Kimba's father was killed by him. I didn't even say who did. I said:

 

Just one example is that Kimba's dad gets killed and the evil lion you see there called "Claw" becomes king

 

Scar's color scheme actually just being a reoccurring combo

Ture, but when both characters are the same animal, have the same color scheme and have a deformed left eye, you're starting to wonder if someone has Kimba as their favorite show.

 

Anyway, obviously they aren't the same but there are enough similarities for me to be convinced. A quote from the director saying he didn't know about Kimba makes no difference. That could all be bs. Everyone denies that they took stuff or even knew about the works they borrow from. Suzanne Collins didn't know about Battle Royale? Yeayeayeah, my ass.

 

But whatever, you have your opinion and I have mine. It'll most likely not change either.

[KiteDarkness 5]

Ture, but when both characters are the same animal, have the same color scheme and have a deformed left eye, you're starting to wonder if someone has Kimba as their favorite show.

 

Them being the same animal is negligible, though. Scar is intended to be the Uncle Claudius-esque figure in the quasi-Hamlet scenario, so of course he has to be a lion. In a story revolving around lions, obviously you're going to have antagonists who are of the same species. Also, Scar's wound is probably a carry over from when he was a baboon in earlier drafts. Prior to being changed into a lion and an evil family member, Scar was the leader of a baboons who was waging war with the pride. It is highly like that mark was always a thing even before he became a lion akin to Claw.

 

A quote from the director saying he didn't know about Kimba makes no difference. That could all be bs. Everyone denies that they took stuff or even knew about the works they borrow from. Suzanne Collins didn't know about Battle Royale? Yeayeayeah, my ass.

 

 

I'm sorry, but you're misconstruing the point of me posting that quote. The point wasn't to outright shut down the possibility of them taking some inspiration from Kimba(as indicated by my message "Also, on the off chance that Kimba actually did play a key role in the early production of the film, Roger Allers did have this to say"), but to show how at least one of the creators threw a bone and acknowledged the franchise, offered his respect to Tezuka productions, and noting any potential influence it may have had.