This is the poster from the movie which was released in cinemas in 1994.
As the sun rises in the savannah somewhere in Africa, the many animals that live there are in a hurry to get somewhere! They are all rushing to reach Pride Rock where a new born cub is being shown to the jungle, a mighty lion named Mufasa stands upon the rock as a wise old monkey called Rafiki makes his way to the front, the monkey and the lion hug and we see a mother lion and her cub this cub is not an ordinary lion, he is to be the next Lion King! The monkey blesses the cub and holds him up to the rest of the animals. The animals all bow down before him.
In the next scene we see a mouse, and another lion called Scar catches it and taunts it, then a hornbill called Zazu - the king�s advisor pops his beak into the cave and asks �Didn�t your mother teach you not to play with your food!?� Zazu informs him that Mufasa - the king, is going to be very angry with him as he wasn�t at the presentation of Simba and Scar decides that he would be a better meal and grabs him instead. Mufasa turns up just on time to tell Scar to �drop him� and he does. Scar and Mufasa discuss why he wasn�t at the presentation, and one thing leads to another and Mufasa asks him for a challenge, but Scar refuses claiming that he has the brains and Mufasa has the brute strength.
In the next scene we see Rafiki, he draws a picture of Simba on his tree.
Next, evidently some time has passed, as now Simba is a little older, it is early in the morning and he is trying to wake his dad up so that they can go play, when they both awake they go for a walk and Mufasa shows him the kingdom - everything the light touches, but as for the shadowy places he should never go there. Mufasa then goes on to explain about the circle of life and how everything is in a delicate balance. Zazu then flies into the scene and starts rambling on about the morning report, but Mufasa thinks it will be more interesting to do some pouncing practise, and asks Zazu turns round. Simba then shocks Zazu by doing an excellent pounce. Then comes the news that there are some hyenas in the Pridelands and Mufasa has to go.
Simba goes to his Uncle Scar�s place and gloats that one day he will be king, Scar resents this fact and would love to get rid of him, he accidentally on purpose lets slip that the shadowy place is an elephant graveyard.
Simba thinks that this is so cool, and goes to fetch his best friend Nala. Nala is having a bath, and he asks her to come with him somewhere really cool, so as not to arise suspicion he tells her that they are going to the waterhole. Their mothers agree to let them go, but only if Zazu goes with them (groan). As they are walking to �the waterhole�, Zazu informs them that they are betrothed, Simba and Nala don�t like the idea of this, they think it would be too weird because they are friends. They need to get rid of Zazu if they want to have some real fun, so they think up a plan. Simba sings �I Just Can�t Wait To Be King�, we see some spectacular animation as the whole jungle comes together to rid Simba and Nala of pesky Zazu!
Simba and Nala play a little play game where they pin each other - Nala always winning of course! They end up finding themselves in the elephant graveyard. The pair wonder if the brains are still in an elephant skull, and of course there�s only one way to find out - to look. The next thing you know the hyenas out - laughing (of course) they inform that they�re trespassing on the hyenas land, and whilst they discuss what to do with them - they run off. They catch Zazu and put him in the �birdie boiler�. Simba tells them that they should pick on someone their own size, and the hyenas chase him and Nala into a dead end. Simba tries his hardest to roar at them, but it is nothing more than a meow! Mufasa comes and saves them however and nobody gets hurt!
When the group return home, Mufasa and Simba have a very sincere conversation, where Mufasa tells Simba how very disappointed he is in him, and worse - he put Nala in danger. Simba tells Mufasa that he was only trying to brave like his dad, but Mufasa tells him, that even kings get scared. They have a play fight after this, and Simba asks his dad if they will always be together. Mufasa tells him that the stars are the great kings of the past, and that one day he will be up there with them.
Next we join the hyenas again. They talk about how lousy Mufasa is, Ed and Banzai fight. They proclaim how much they hate lions - then Scar appears, and they quickly say that they�re not all that bad. Shenzi says that she only has to hear the name �Mufasa� and she shudders! Scar informs them that they are going to kill the king - and Simba too. The hyenas think that this is a great idea, and say �Who needs a king� to which he quickly replies to - �Idiots! I will be king! - Stick with me and you�ll never go hungry again!� Next we see hundreds of hyenas and the end of the song - �Be Prepared�
Next we see Simba and Scar, they are in a gorge - Scar tells Simba that his father has prepared a surprise - �to die for�. They Hyenas set off a herd of wildebeest stampeding down this very gorge. Scar goes to tell Mufasa, and he, Zazu and Scar rush to help. Mufasa finds Simba on a branch. He catches him, and then he drops him again, and then catches him and places him on a ledge, but the stampede carry him away. Mufasa jumps out of the herd onto the side of the rock where Scar is, he asks for his help, but all Scar does is grab his paws and says �long live the king� and throws him onto the ground below. This kills Mufasa. Simba finds him, and tries to wake him up, but it is no use, Scar comes along and says �what have you done?� and �what will your mother think?� he tells him to run away - and never come back. When he runs off Scar tells the hyenas to kill him but they are unsuccessful.
Next we see Scar telling the rest of the lions about the terrible tragedy. He says however that now there is a dawning of a new era, where hyena and lion unite. Even Rafiki gives up hope now.
Simba lying on the floor, collapsed in the heat is the next scene. A load of Buzzards have come down to feed, thinking he is dead. The new characters Timon and Pumbaa run at the buzzards and chase them away. Pumbaa thinks he is still alive, and Timon lifts his paw of his face, and nearly has a heart attack! : �Jeese, it�s a lion!� but Pumbaa reassures him that �it�s on a little lion� and asks if they can keep him. Timon isn�t keen - after all �lions eat guys like us� but Pumbaa says that he will be on their side when he grows up. Timon twists this round to make it sound like it was his idea. The pair take him away.
When he comes round he thanks the guys but goes to walk off. Pumbaa tells him that he�s gotta �put your behind in your past!� and forget it. They tell him �Hakuna Matata� - which means no worries. We soon see that Timon and Pumbaa are going to be really good friends for Simba. They all sing the song �Hakuna Matata�
Timon and Pumbaa show Simba their home - it is absolutely beautiful and Pumbaa exclaims - �home is where your rump rests!� It�s not long before Simba wants some food. Timon and Pumbaa eat grubs, so Simba grows up to eating them, as well they are after all �slimy yet satisfying�. Simba grows up into a good young lion.
Next we return to the desolate Pride Rock where Scar is making Zazu sing songs. Zazu remarks that Mufasa would never have made him do this. Scar gets extremely angry, as no one should ever mention his name. The hyenas come in and start complaining that there is no food - Scar just replies that it�s the lionesses� job to go hunting.
Pumbaa, Timon and Simba discuss what the �sparkly dots� are up in the sky. Timon thinks that they are fireflies stuck up there. Pumbaa thinks that they are big balls of gas burning millions of miles away and Simba thinks that they are the great kings of the past - like his father told him. The others laugh at this, but Simba is fairly offended by this. He jumps on some grass away from the others. He knocks some dust into the air which carries all the way to Rafiki, who now knows that he is still alive!
Timon and Pumbaa are singing �The Lion Sleeps Tonight� when Pumbaa goes off to find a particularly delicious looking grub. A ferocious looking lioness chases him. Simba comes in to save them, but the lioness pins him. Simba says �Nala?�. The lioness moves away and asks him how he knows her. Simba says �It�s me, Simba!� They hug and Timon�s jaw drops. Simba explains to Timon and Pumbaa that Nala is his best friend. Nala says �Wait till everyone finds out!�, she explains how everyone thinks that he is dead, and how Simba is the king! Simba replies that he is not the king. Simba and Nala go off alone.
The song �Can You Feel The Love Tonight� is sung. They play fight like when they were cubs. Nala gives Simba the �come hither� look later on and they rub noses. She tells him that they need him at home, because Scar let the hyenas take over, there�s no food, there�s no water. Simba refuses to go back and Nala walks off. Rafiki now appears on the scene singing �Asante Sana squashed banana!� Simba asks him who he is, but Rafiki replies - �The question is who are you?� he carries on singing Asante Sana... Simba asks him what it means and he tells him that it means �Your a baboon and I�m not!� Simba tells him that he is a bit confused, but Rafiki thinks that he is the confused one, he doesn�t even know who he is. Simba tells him that he supposes that he knows then - and Rafiki says �Sure do - You�re Mufasa�s boy!�. Rafiki runs off. Simba is shocked that he knows who he is and runs off to find him.
Simba asks him if he knew his father Rafiki says �Correction - I know your father� Simba tells him that he died, but Rafiki says �No - Wrong again!� and runs off! Simba chases him and Rafiki tells him that he can show him his father. Rafiki once again runs off. Simba follows him. Rafiki shows him his own reflection. Simba is disappointed and tells him that it is only his reflection - but he says �He lives in you�
Mufasa then appears in the sky. He tells Simba that he has forgotten who is and to remember. Rafiki and Simba talk and Rafiki tells him that change is good. He hits him really hard on the head with his stick. Simba asks him why he did it - and he says �Doesn�t matter, it�s in the past�, but Simba says �It still hurts!�. Rafiki is very wise and tells him that sometimes the past can hurt, but you should learn from your mistakes. Rafiki goes to hit him again, but he ducks - and proves that Simba can learn! Simba sets off back to Pride Rock.
In the next scene we see Timon and Pumbaa are asleep. Nala comes up to them and asks them is they�ve seen Simba. Rafiki tells them that he has returned. When Simba reaches Pride Rock, he sees what Nala was saying, it is totally destitute and there are no animals apart from the lions and hyenas anywhere to be seen. Timon can�t quite believe that they�re coming back for this. As the dark clouds move over, we see hyenas everywhere and the group discuss a plan. Live bait is the plan. Timon dresses in drag and does the hula to draw the attentions of the hyenas away from Simba. Nala rallies the lionesses.
Scar calls Sarabi, and Simba watches. Scar complains that there is no food, they have an argument and he knocks Sarabi to the floor. Simba appears after this. Scar is surprised to see him alive, Simba tells him that he�s the king, not Scar. Scar tells Simba that the hyena�s think that Scar�s king. Simba says that he is the rightful king and he should step down - or fight. The pair fight and Mufasa is off the end of a cliff. Scar says � �Now where have I seen this before?� A fire starts below and Scar admits that he killed Mufasa. This spurs Simba to jump back up and makes him tell the group the truth. The lionesses go for scar and the hyenas go for Simba. Rafiki helps to fight off the hyenas.
The hyenas chase Timon into the cave, and Pumbaa comes behind. The hyenas call Pumbaa �Mister Pig!� this makes Pumbaa mad!!! They all have a massive fight inside the cave and Timon and Pumbaa (and Zazu) come out victorious.
Outside there is an intense forest fire raging. Simba tells Scar that he�s a murderer, but Scar tries to defend himself by saying that it�s the hyenas who are the real enemy. Simba tells Scar that he should run away, just like he told Simba when his dad died. Scar responds to this by throwing hot ashes in Simba�s eyes. The pair have a duel. When Scar comes to jump on Simba to finish him off, he counter flips him onto the ground below. It doesn�t kill him, but the hyenas start on him after what he said about them being the enemy. They rip him to shreds. A rain comes and extinguishes the fires.
Simba being victorious ascends to the top of Pride Rock and lets out a huge roar to let everyone know that he is now the king. All the lionesses roar in response.
In the final scene, the Pride Lands are back to the old way, with lots of animals and greenery. Timon, Pumba, Simba and Nala stand atop Pride Rock as Rafiki brings out a new born lion cub, and holds her out for all the animals to see and the Circle of Life starts once more!
Click here to find out more info about the Lion King!� DAVIES PRODUCTIONS
