‘The Lion King’ is a 3-D Triumph

By MADELINE MCDONALD

People of Mary Washington: here is a chance to snatch back your childhood from the utter depression caused by the final “Harry Potter” movie. May I present, “The Lion King” In 3-D!

I know, I know. It sounds hokey, like a silly scam from Disney keen on snatching up your precious few dollars. But seriously, when are you ever going to see this again on the big screen? This is the movie that brought you the “Hakuna Matata” and taught you about “The Circle of Life.” It’s a real treat to check it out, just for the childhood nostalgia. If you go with friends, you can quietly sing along to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” cheer when you realize that dreadful “Morning Report” song, an additional to the 2002 IMAX release of the film, has been omitted, and hold each other and weep as (spoiler alert) Simba watches Mufasa get trampled to death by that wildebeest stampede.

If you’re worried about the 3-D overpowering the film or making it into something it’s not, trust me, that doesn’t happen. Instead of being overwhelming, the 3-D effects enhance the film.

You notice details you didn’t see before, little bits of scenery you probably couldn’t appreciate simply because they didn’t really pop in 2-D. The animals marching to Pride Rock during “The Circle of Life” are truly gorgeous, especially the white birds that fly across the screen, and the elephant graveyard becomes especially creepy because everything suddenly seems so huge.

I’d say the only problem I had with the 3-D was that it wasn’t enough. The film could have done with more 3-D. I wanted to see Mufasa’s face popping out of that movie screen when he comes back from the dead to tell Simba to take back the throne, but alas, that doesn’t happen. All the swirling clouds look extra pretty and supernatural, and that’s cool, but not enough.

Another thing that turned out to be a little problematic were all the young children attending the movie. There were lots of little kids and babies in that theater, and they certainly made some noise. It quieted down as the movie went on, but man, was it annoying to have a baby screaming while I was trying to appreciate the sweet, final moment of happiness between Simba and his dad when Mufasa tells him about the great kings of the past watching him from the sky. So, if children are annoying to you, maybe it would be a good idea to just watch the 2-D version in your dorm or to go at a time when there will be less children around, like during the school day.

Perhaps the only thing keeping you from seeing this movie is a car. “Lion King 3-D” is only playing in two movie theaters near Fredericksburg: Marquee South-Point Cinemas (off of Route 1) and Regal Aquia 10 (up I-95 in Stafford). From what I can gather, the Fred does not go to either of these venues, so you will need to bribe a friend with a car or, if you’re really willing to spend money, take a taxi to go see this movie.

“The Lion King 3-D” was released last Friday, and it’s only going to be out for two weeks, so the days are numbered.

Image courtesy of bcnn4youth.com