The Lion King is one of Disney’s most celebrated films and is currently the highest grossing 2D animation of all time. That’s pretty good for a film that’s 17 years old. This October, Disney will release for the first time ever a special “Diamond Edition” of The Lion King on Blu-ray and in 3D. To celebrate this, they’re also bringing back Simba, Scar, Mufasa, and everyone else for a limited 3D theatrical run. Does the film still hold up after all these years, or is it time to crown a new king of the jungle?

If you’re over the age of 10, there’s a good chance you’ve seen The Lion King before as it’s a classic childhood staple. The film revolves around Simba, a young lion cub who is the son of the king, Mufasa. His surly uncle Scar feels that he should be king however, and devises a plan to overthrow Mufasa and drive Simba away. With the help of the local hyenas, Scar manages to accomplish this and assume the throne. Now an outcast, Simba must realize his true potential and accept his rightful place as king of Pride Rock.

With many films these days deciding to make the transfer to 3D in the hopes of boosting sales, this move should come as no surprise. When it comes to Disney though, no one handles their property better so you know they are going to take the utmost care when it comes to transferring this 1994 film to 3D.

If you have yet to hop on the 3D bandwagon, The Lion King is the perfect film to show you what the technology is capable of. It looks absolutely stunning. The colors are more vivid then ever before and the animations look as smooth as they did when the film first came out in theaters all those years ago.

Content-wise, everything remains the same so you don’t have to worry about ruining your childhood with some updated story or extended scenes. It’s exactly the same Lion King you remember growing up, only with a fresh coat of paint. Imagine if you had your favorite toy as a child still in its original wrapping and compared it to one that had been played with for years. The Lion King in 3D is that original wrapped toy, ready to be unleashed on a new generation of Disney fans.

The Lion King is only going to be in theaters for a limited two week engagement so you better hurry and see it before it disappears. Sure, you can purchase the 3D Blu-ray when it comes out in a few weeks but it won’t be the same as seeing it on the big screen. 3D has been called unnecessary, a gimmick, and plenty of other things, but The Lion King shows that when it’s done right, it looks phenomenal. Even after all these years, the film still remains king.

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