How Good-looking Is The Dvd Restoration Of Disney's Popular Animated Film? Take A Look At The Serviceable But Dull Film Clips Incorporated In The Plethora Of Extras And Compare Them To The Vivid Gorgeousness Of The Film Presentation. This "special Edition" Also Adds A 90-second Song ("morning Report") That Originated In The Lavish Stage Musical. To Disney's Credit, The Original Theatrical Version Is Also Included, Both Restored And Featuring Two 5.1 Soundtracks: Dolby Digital And A New Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, Which Does Sound Brighter. As With The Disney Platinum Line, Everything Is Thrown Into The Discs, Except An Outsider's Voice (the Rah-rahs Of Disney Grow Tiresome At Times). The Excellent Commentary From The Directors And Producer, Originally On The Laser Disc, Is Hidden Under The Audio Set-up Menu.

The Second Disc Is Organized By 20-minute-ish "journeys" Tackling The Elements Of Story, Music, Et Cetera, Including Good Background On The Awkward Shakespearean Origins At Disney Where It Was Referred As "bamlet." The Most Interesting Journey Follows The Landmark Stage Production, And The Kids Should Be Transfixed By Shots Of The Real African Wildlife In The Animal Journey. Three Deleted Segments Are Real Curios, Including An Opening Lyric For "hakuna Matata." Most Set-top Dvd Games Are Usually Pretty Thin (dvd-rom Is Where It's At), But The Safari Game Is An Exception--the Kids Should Love The Roaring Animals (in 5.1 Surround, No Less). One Serious Demerit Goes To The Needless And Complicated Second Navigation System That Is Listed By Continent, But Just Shows The Same Features Reordered. --doug Thomas

Anybody who struts around with Simba's hard-won authority deserves this royal DVD read-along from Disney. Kids can recoil at Uncle Scar's dastardly deeds en español and discover that "hakuna matata" sounds pretty much the same in Spanish, French, Italian, or German. And should the dynamic storytelling fail to thrill your 4- to 12-year-old fan, a flurry of other interactive options await. Toggle to "Songs" for sing-along renditions of movie hits, including "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," and on to "Music Videos," where Elton John roars soundtrack favorites "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and Jimmy Cliff and Lebo M groove to "Hakuna Matata." The "Vocabulary" feature allows for see-and-say mastery of a list of wildlife, while the "Game" section allows players to match paw and hoof prints to the proper beast and reassemble the scattered skeletal remains of an elephant. Original cast voices are featured, and grownups will be pleased by the package's reading component. --Tammy La Gorce