Seventeen years after “The Lion King” touched the hearts of audiences across the country, makers of the animated-film introduced its 3D version for the very first time Friday.
Reviews are coming in for the legendary animated movie, and the question on everybody’s mine is: Will 3D be better than the original version?
First, for those who inexplicably never saw “Lion King,” here’s a recap:
It is about a young lion cub coming of age and experiencing life, love and friendship as he searches for his place in the “Circle of Life.” Throughout his journey Simba faces tragedy and betrayal, as he matures into the Lion King.
Aside from revisiting the emotional roller coaster the film creates, moviegoers also might head back to the theaters to groove to the Academy Award winning music.
The movie, released in the summer of ’94, received four Academy Award nominations—taking home two awards for Original Score and Original Song.
“The Lion King” grossed $328 million domestically with a projected budget of $45 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Worldwide totals for the film come out to $788 million.
The new version is expected to bring in some big bucks this weekend as excitement for the post-production 3D movie continues to grow. As of Friday afternoon, “The Lion King” received an 89 percent rating from critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
“Under the aegis of Pixar/Disney Animation guru John Lasseter and ‘stereographic supervisor’’ Robert Neuman, no expense has been spared in making ‘The Lion King’ the best-looking post-production 3-D job to date,” says Ty Burr of the Boston Globe. “The company gets points for trying. But it’s still a post-production 3-D job, and it still doesn’t look quite right.
But don’t worry die-hard Lion King fans, most reviews are favorable, though some said they prefer 2D over 3D.
“Hakuna Matata.”
