The Lion King is the high point of the Disney Renaissance and one of the most formally accomplished films in the studio’s history. It takes a Hamlet-derived story of royal betrayal and exile, adds Hans Zimmer’s extraordinary score, Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs, and a commitment to emotional authenticity that was not previously part of Disney’s vocabulary.

Simba, the young lion prince, witnesses his father Mufasa’s murder at the hands of his uncle Scar and flees into exile, believing himself responsible. The wildebeest stampede sequence required pioneering computer animation that still impresses. The death of Mufasa, handled with directness rather than evasion, remains one of the most affecting scenes in animated cinema.

Jeremy Irons as Scar is among the great animated villain performances: all silken menace and theatrical contempt. James Earl Jones as Mufasa lends the film genuine authority.

The film ends with Simba claiming the throne. But what stays with you is the middle: the exile, the guilt, the return. Shakespeare knew what he was doing. So did Disney.