In The Mind Of: Scar (SPOILERS)

Long Live The King...

Since my first Retro-Review was Disney's The Lion King, I felt it natural to have my first spotlight of In The Mind Of  be Scar, the main antagonist of the film who all at once is my favorite character from the film, my favorite Disney villain, and one of my all time favorite villains/characters in general. 

As I have mentioned in my Retro-Review, there is something about Scar that I find so intriguing and I became immediately invested in him as his actions drive the first half of the film. To elaborate further, it is easy to sympathize with Scar since he basically is an older version of young Simba, as all he has dreamed of being is king of the Pridelands, and now to see that taken away from him is quite unfortunate, to say the least. Of course, none of this is being said to downplay Scar's actions, which prove him to be one of the most downright vile and sinister villains Disney has ever devised. At heart, Scar is a petty, foul-tempered, entitled bastard with no love or loyalty to anyone but himself and who will outright crush all who oppose him. No better is this exemplified than when he murders Mufasa and tricks Simba into believing that he was responsible for it before exiling him and sending the Hyenas to kill him. From there, Scar takes a backseat in the movie and has faced criticism for losing his menace and credibility as a villain. In his defense, he only appears in one scene before the final battle, has already achieved his goals, and all of his whining and complaining is actually perfectly in-character for him seeing as all that being king did was show how utterly pathetic and self-serving he really is. By the end, Scar gets his much deserved comeuppance, but he sure gives Simba the fight of his life, so while he doesn't have much to do and is out of focus for much of the second half (which is one reason why I consider it to be the weakest part,) I don't see why there were any issues with Scar himself. 

Overall, Scar is a marvelous villain and a big part of why I love The Lion King so much. He was ambitious, sly, and perfectly capable of getting away with his schemes. Cap this all off with a slick character design, terrific voicework by Jeremy Irons, and a kickass villain song (which is sang superbly by Irons and Jim Cummings,) and Scar will be revered by me in a way other Disney villains haven't and I know he is one that will live on in infamy. LONG LIVE THE KING!

Retro-Reviews: The Lion King (SPOILERS)

We are all connected in the great Circle of Life...

To kickstart Retro-Reviews, I have decided to revisit my all time favorite Disney movie and quite possibly my all time favorite movie period. That is The Lion King, and it is quite hard to imagine anyone who hasn't heard of this classic. Well, to get down to it, let's go over the pros and cons of The Lion King: 

UPS

1. The music and animation. Both make for such a beautifully depicted environment, and when you put both together, you are in for a treat. Just watch the opening sequence and tell me your jaw doesn't drop in awe.
2. The characters are a well-rounded lot. Simba is an excellent protagonist to follow with a fantastic character arc accompanying him; Timon and Pumbaa make for a great comic relief duo while also having multiple facets to their characters that help them be more three-dimensional; Rafiki is probably my second favorite of them all (more on my favorite in a bit) for being such a wild and wacky character yet still holding incredible amounts of wisdom that help Simba find his way again; and Mufasa is of course an integral part to the story who is an interesting character on his own, with his death being one of the most emotionally devastating moments in all of film history. Other characters like Nala, Zazu, and the Hyenas are an endearing lot as well, and to round the group out is none other than...
3. SCAR! A big part of what makes this movie so special to me is that it holds one of my favorite villains of all time, let alone my favorite Disney villain. There is something about Scar that is so intriguing to me, and he really makes the most of his screentime as he is able to hit audiences hard by of course killing Mufasa. Scar is such a favorite of mine that I could go on and on talking about him, and maybe I will do just that ;)
4. The fact that the producers took a familiar story beat and gave it a twist. It would be easy for them to simply have Simba be this chosen one-esque character who is cast out by Scar and now works to get back what is rightfully his and get justice for Mufasa's death. While that pretty much is the case, we also have Simba endure conflict with himself due to his belief that he was responsible for Mufasa's death, and that right there is what makes the story so intriguing. We are not only rooting for Simba to defeat Scar, but we are also rooting for him to overcome his own personal demons, and by the time he retakes his throne and lets out his triumphant roar, all I could do is stand up and cheer at this incredibly earned victory. 
5. This, to me, is Disney at top form. This movie has a great story, wonderful characters, a strong hero, a marvelous villain, the right balance of tone, vibrant animation, and joyous music...basically everything that makes Disney stand out to so many. This is something that the whole family can enjoy, as it has all the fun and heart expected for this kind of movie while not shying away from going to dark and emotional places. I tip my hat to this movie for the risks that it took and know it will live on for generations of time because of this. 

DOWNS

1. The chunk of the movie that focuses on adult Simba after he meets Timon and Pumbaa and before he meets Rafiki and gets his much-needed reality check is easily the weakest part of the film, seeing as it puts Scar out of focus, establishes a romance between Simba and Nala that is barely fleshed out, and essentially boils down to being filler before the final battle. That being said, it is still has some solid moments and isn't enough to drag the whole movie down. 

OVERALL

The Lion King will always be near and dear to my heart. I don't think I will hold such a strong affinity for a movie as I do with this one. Now as for the live-action remake, I will remain cautiously optimistic, but what I have read about it has sure given me hope that it will be just fine, even if it may never exceed the original.

And that is it for my first Retro-Review, guys. Tune in for more posts along the way and till then, take care :)

Alpha (SPOILERS)

Howl...

It may not be well-known to many, but out of all the movies that I was anticipating post-Infinity War, one that stood out at the top was, I will admit, a very unusual choice. Obviously, that movie was Alpha, and what I could basically boil my anticipation down to was a love for dogs and how touching I found the first trailer. While the marketing for this movie did it no favors, let me give my definitive answer about how I feel about this movie: I absolutely, positively LOVED IT! It was everything I could want it to be, and I dare say that this may be my absolute favorite movie of the year so far (yes, even more than Infinity War.) Now let's get into why:

UPS

1. The cinematography is stunning. The attention to detail in every single shot is spectacular and is just a glorious sight to behold. I really felt like I was transported back to this time period as the visuals were so authentic in their realism.
2. Acting-wise, this movie is on top form. Each actor puts in a stellar performance and really makes the most of what they are given. If I had to pick a standout, it would have to be Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, who does so well portraying a proud tribal leader who remains headstrong for his people, yet at the end of the day proves he is a father first, which is where the real meat of his performance shines through. 
3. Like the first trailer proved, this is a touching tale. It is easy to invest in the bond that grows between Keda and the wolf, promptly named "Alpha," and the movie does a great job making you care about them and hope for the best as they endure a long and treacherous journey. All of this capped off by the ending, which has a truly unexpected and downright delightful twist that I dare not spoil. 

DOWNS

I couldn't find anything of note to consider a major flaw in this movie.

OVERALL

Alpha is hands down the best movie I have seen this year so far, and that is saying a lot. I think it was just what I needed and I am so grateful to have experienced it.

And that is it for this post, guys. Tune in for more along the way :)