A yes, if you never bought the orignial soundtrack and just got into the music and movie with the rerelease of the DVD. It's a great buy as you get the new song you will have heard as well as all the original songs that fill this movie.

A no, if you like millions of people own the original soundtrack and aren't that crazy about a very short song of the "Morning Report" and can't get all excited about a CD having 3 versions of the same song on it.

It still is a great overall soundtrack though. It has "Circle of Life", "I Can't Wait to Be King" "Hakuna Matata" and all the other songs you will remember from the movie. It has the insturmentals and the Elton John versions of the main songs from the movie. The only special thing though is the addition of two songs and one of them being short and isn't even that thrilling.

So the choice is yours. If you already own this it isn't worth buying again. You can hear the Morning Report in the DVD version and not feel like this is a must have either way. If you have never had this before definitely get this as you may as well get extra songs to listen to if you are going to get the soundtrack anyway.

It is very disapointing that Disney didn't go more out here to truly make this a special edition for Lion King fans. Like maybe putting the edited out part that Timon had in Hakuna Matata that we find in deleted scenes on the DVD, or the Timon version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" Just something to really add something new and "SPECIAL" to this CD. It comes off more as a cheap ploy to milk more money on things people have by making them want to buy it again and all I can say is get this if you don't have the original soundtrack already but otherwise don't bother as it just doesn't offer enough that is differnet or truly special.


Lion King Reigns!   September 9, 2000
 9 out of 12 found this review helpful

"Lion King" is a different kind of classics. It is not so much like Snow White or Cinderella. Tim Rice, 1992 Academy Awarding-winning lyricist, is joined by Grammy Award-winning songwriter and performer Elton John, and composer Hans Zimmer for the production of the soundtrack that adds magic and polished touch to the tear-jerking animated picture of 1994.

Philosophical but jubilant "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata" become the kids' all-time favorite sing-along songs. Elton John, the king of soft rock, whose debut Disney motion picture theme "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" has inevitably captured (amd melted) so many souls!

Never a soundtrack ever provokes and adds such emotional touch to the picture so much like "Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" does. Disney storytelling music has simply met the musical power of the men behind the scene.


Great, but still could have been better   November 12, 2000
 9 out of 12 found this review helpful

This is a great CD overall. All five songs by Elton John from the movie are wonderful, varied, and memorable. Circle of Life is a serious chant that mixes great harmony with wonderful chorus. I Just Can't Wait to Be King almost sounds like a ripoff of Under the Sea (Little Mermaid) but is still very fun and happy. Be Prepared is almost sung in the talk-sing style popularized in The Music Man, and actually comes out very well. Hakuna Mitata is a great comedy song, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight is a nice ballade. While the songs are all Disney-esque, they are good, unless you really hate that style.

The next four tracks are the gem of the CD - the score tracks by Hans Zimmer. All four are similar to each other, and could easily have be one track without much problem. It's some of Zimmer's best work. The score features a chorus singing African chants (made up I beleive) with great percussion and it's overall great music. I can't praise this music enough. Unfortunatly, at only about 17 minutes, it's all WAY too short. They could have easily fit another 30 minutes on the CD if they wanted to, and there is certainly alot of score from the movie they could have used.

The final three tracks are pop versions of Circle of Life, I Just Can't Wait..., and Can You Feel... They are good for what they are, but I would have personally prefered more score to them. They certainly aren't bad, and are enjoyable enough that they don't distract from the rest of the CD.


I LOVE LION KING!   July 13, 1999
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Lion King is a great movie with great music! First there's the full-of-spirit "Circle of Life", performed by the wonderful Carmen Twillie and Lebo M., and another version performed by Elton John, as well. Then there's the lively "I Just Can't Wait To Be King", performed by Jason Weaver, Rowan Atkinson as Zazu and Laura Williams as Nala. "Be Prepared" is the song that warns us about Simba's evil uncle's plans of becoming king. "Hakuna Matata" will always be a classic,with Timon and Pumbaa telling about how to live a worry-free life. And the lovely "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" as a perfect love song, also performed beautifully by Elton John. It's a great soundtrack for fans of the movie or beautiful music!


Beautiful music from an amazing movie. . . .   April 1, 2000
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I loved this soundtrack. The music from "The Lion King" movie is really wonderful. The music is very easy to memorize and it just stays in your head forever because it is very catchy. "The Lion King" itself was a brillent masterpiece, and so is this soundtrack. If you liked the movie (or loved it) then you will fall in love with the soundtrack. It is exactly like the movie-there's no change to it. And Elton John's voice and Tim Rice's music comes from the very deepest heart and soul. They fill these songs with emotion, and you will remember every part of the movie for years to come just by listening to this soundtrack. Elton John and Tim Rice work brillently together-this is probably their best work ever created!