Coming so quickly on the heels of the "Dumbo" bluray (our review of which you can read by clicking here: http://www.conversantlife.com/film/dumbo-bluray-review), Disney is back again with “The Lion King” on Diamond Edition BluRay and DVD.  There are several ways to see the film – Digital Copy, DVD, BluRay, and in 3D BluRay.  Here at Conversant Life, we have been generously provided with an advance review copy of the film on BluRay.

If you haven’t seen “The Lion King” then you may need to check your pulse.  It is Disney’s highest grossing animated feature ever (recently being #1 again for its 3D release for the past 2 weeks), has Academy Award winning music featuring the likes of Elton John and Hans Zimmer, and has been fantastically adapted to the stage on Broadway by Julie Taymor (Titus, Across the Universe).  The film has been parodied many times over (generally a sign of respect), and has sequences that are cemented into the collective consciousness of storytellers and film lovers the world over. 

Disney has visualized the collective imagination of so much of our culture.  The way images, fantasy, and sound have been brought together by Disney studios has left an imprint on our consciousness that is unmistakable.  They have sculpted what many of us associate with childhood joy, evoking nostalgia like few others can.  Watching Disney films congruently makes for a fantastic journey through the history of one of the world’s most gifted storytellers.  So, I can’t help but be a little excited whenever their classic films come out of the “vault” looking and sounding as pristine as possible. 

On Tuesday, September 20^th, Disney is releasing “Dumbo” into the digital wild.  Here is why this is exciting: Disney rarely approaches their classics with anything less than sheer reverence for the original source material.  Each film – be it "Sleeping Beauty," "Pinnochio," "Bambi" (etc) – get meticulous visual and aural restorations so the classics can continue to shine in their original state.  The BluRay format is another step towards the ultimate in sonic and visual integrity.