Despite Julian's introductory comments, the date on this film is definitely post-Lion King, making the similarities between the two all the more glaring. (And I'm pretty sure there's a blatant Dumbo rip-off in there, too.) Still, the source material this film is based on, classic manga from Japanese cartoon giant Osamu Tezuka, precedes that film by a good 20 years, so who's to say who is ripping off whom? In any case, while both are children's movies that unashamedly tug at the heartstrings, Leo edges out King because it simply does a better job, taking a few more chances along the way.

The story here sees the mighty king of the Jungle, Leo, trying to protect his family, including his son Lune, and animal subjects in the face of an onslaught of humans searching for a powerful stone that might solve their energy problems. There's your typical evil, opportunistic men ready to destroy everything in their path just as there is one or two good men who are concerned with the animals' well-being, but the film goes a surprising distance on this simple framework. It takes the story to extereme lengths, venturing far into harsh terrain where the danger inherent in the evil men, both to themselves and the animals, is magnified into chaos.

(Spoiler!) Similarly, Leo's sacrifice to save the human who helped him carries incredible weight in these circumstances. Lune's discovery of his pelt sheltering the human would be some kind of sick joke if it wasn't so emotionally powerful. The final shot of Leo's silhouette made of clouds in the sky should be a cliche, but instead it becomes the final acknowledgement of the mythic undercurrents of the story.

Classic Japanese cartoon character designs, very unlike the streamlined look of modern anime, contributes to the film's broad story and, along with goofy names like Mr. Ham-Egg, adds a generous dose of humour to the proceedings. Leo, on the other hand, has an immense majesty in his simpler, iconic design. Looking nothing like any Japanese cartoon I have ever seen, Lune's dream sequence of his impression of what man's world must look like is phenomenal. It sits somewhere between Robert Crumb and Schoolhouse Rock, a carnival of shapes and colours where every person looks like the one man he has ever met.

Screening Notes : Julian Grant introduced the film by noting that Disney filed suit to stop them from showing the film.

from http://www.interlog.com/~lamedog/film/logs/1998/fasia98/week4.html