Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in The Lion King

This thought probably didn’t occur to most kids back in 1994. But they’re all grown up now. And with the 2019 film thrusting “The Lion King” back into the spotlight, the question of whether Timon and Pumbaa were gay is on many minds. Were they dating on the down-low? Paula Abdul said that “Opposites Attract,” and these two were definitely that. One was small and cheeky and the other was large and cheeky in a different way! And yet they got along brilliantly, loved one another, and lived their lives using the same problem-free philosophy. If they weren’t dating, we really think they should’ve been!

One of the things Disney tried to do when they remade “The Lion King” in 2019 was cast more representative voices. And they succeeded, as roughly 80% of the main cast was voiced by Black actors. That’s a stark improvement compared to the 1994 film, where that number was approximately 35%. That’s all well and good, but we can’t help but wonder where the African accents are. The film is set on the continent, after all. Yes, Beyonce is a Queen, we love Donald Glover and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Keegan-Michael Key is hilarious. But none of them sound quite like characters living in Africa!

Do you know what an obligate carnivore is? These animals - which include lions - subsist by eating meat, since their bodies don’t get the nutrients they need through the consumption of plants. Of course, Simba is a lion. Yet there isn’t a whole lot of meat in his diet after he meets Timon and Pumbaa. As you may remember, he survives largely on grubs! And these are his formative years, where we watch him grow into an adult. So clearly, the meals were somehow effective. We didn’t question this as kids, because we didn’t know any better. Granted, the term “obligate carnivore” may be relatively new to us as adults too. But his diet definitely has us scratching our heads a little now!

This is one that’s certainly hard to miss as an adult. As Scar sings “Be Prepared” - a tune about eliminating his brother and gaining control of the kingdom - his hyena army is seen goose-stepping. The moment is eerily similar to the Nuremberg rallies of the 1930s. And apparently, this wasn’t a coincidence. Production designer Chris Sanders reportedly said that the scene’s animation began from one story staffer’s imagery of Scar as the German dictator. They then took that idea, and used the propaganda film “Triumph of the Will” as inspiration for the sequence.

When Mufasa’s spirit appears, he reminds Simba of who he is, and helps him understand his role within the kingdom. In other words, it’s a hugely important moment; one that most children probably take at face value. But when we rewatch the movie now, we can’t help but wonder: why didn’t Mufasa appear sooner? Why didn’t he tell Simba what Scar did instead of letting him carry that guilt around for all those years? At the very least, he could’ve shown up before things deteriorated at Pride Rock! We’re sure he had his reasons, but his methods were a little questionable. Also, we can’t help but feel he passed up a prime opportunity to quote Darth Vader here [SB: “No, I am your father.”]

When Nala and Simba reunite, Timon quickly understands what’s happening. In fact, he clues into the whole situation before everyone else! When we were kids, we watched these childhood friends reconnect and smiled at the innocence of young love. But as “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” plays over the pair’s romantic montage, it’s clear that not every moment is as pure as we initially thought. Namely, there’s a very specific look that Nala lays on Simba. It’s a stare that conveys more than words ever could. Of course, the moment is poised to go right over kids' heads. But we all know exactly what she’s trying to say!

Disney films introduced many children to the concept of grief. From Bambi’s mother to Simba’s father, these losses deeply impacted our childhoods. So it makes sense that during the wildebeests stampede, kids are focused on Mufasa’s tragic passing. But now that we’re all grown up, we have to wonder if the whole thing makes any sense. Could three hyenas really cause such chaos? We understand the wildebeests were scared of them, but would they not have been more terrified of a lion? What’s more, shouldn’t they have recognized the King once he arrived? The other animals in the film seem to be acutely aware of the social order, so it’s definitely something to think about.

It’s safe to say most people don’t study Shakespeare until high school. So we doubt kids watching “The Lion King” in 1994 were familiar with “Hamlet.” But their parents likely recognized the similarities between the two stories. As the play begins, the King - Hamlet’s father - has already been killed. The culprit is none other than his power-hungry brother Claudius, who now sits on the throne. Of course, there’s also Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the funny secondary characters who help the new ruler. Did we mention Hamlet sees the spirit of his dead dad? And that he ultimately returns home to take on his uncle and seek justice? We bet this all sounds pretty familiar!

Have you ever noticed how things go downhill fast after Scar takes over the kingdom? The once lush and bright Pride Lands become dry, dark, and desolate. We understand that the hyenas’ newfound power has some negative consequences on the landscape. But you don’t have to be a scientist to see that the film’s visual 180 doesn’t quite make sense from an ecological perspective. And the way things seem to magically go back to normal when Simba assumes the throne is even less logical. As if his becoming King has a special healing effect on the land. We love the dude, but come on!

Were Simba and Nala relatives? According to Dr. Craig Packer, director of the Lion Research Center at the University of Minnesota, the answer is likely yes. But don’t blame us, we’re just the messengers! Your instinct might be to assume they’re connected through their fathers. But as Dr. Packer told Polygon, it’s not unusual for there to be three males in a pride. In other words, Nala’s father doesn’t have to be either Scar or Mufasa. But unfortunately, there’s more. He also explained that blood relations run deep between the females in a single pride. In other words, Nala and Simba’s moms are most likely family. And we all know what that means...