The Lion King (1994)
Family, Animation, Drama, Adventure • 1h 29m
Overview
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
Directors: Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Niketa Calame-Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Madge Sinclair, Zoe Leader, Frank Welker, Cathy Cavadini, Judi Durand, Daamen J. Krall, David McCharen, Mary Linda Phillips, Phil Proctor, David J. Randolph, Brian Tochi, Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff, Jason Weaver
Director: Orson Welles
MoC 4K Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are similar
Director: Orson Welles
MoC 4K Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are similar
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John Ford
Director: John Ford
1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)
1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release
1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)
1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: James Cameron
Disney 4K Blu-ray's artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time
Old WEB-DL or HDTV rip for non AI version
Director: James Cameron
Disney 4K Blu-ray's artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time
Old WEB-DL or HDTV rip for non AI version
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Disney 4K Blu-ray for the 4K Theatrical Cut or 2002 Vista Series DVD for the Director's Cut, alleycat's DC restoration better
Theatrical Cut: Disney 4K Blu-ray caps
Director's Cut: 2002 Vista Series DVD, alleycat's DC restoration better
Closest to original: 1994 Hollywood Pictures LaserDisc, other LDs are probably the same
Blu-rays only have 5.1 upmixes but probably fine
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Disney 4K Blu-ray for the 4K Theatrical Cut or 2002 Vista Series DVD for the Director's Cut, alleycat's DC restoration better
Theatrical Cut: Disney 4K Blu-ray caps
Director's Cut: 2002 Vista Series DVD, alleycat's DC restoration better
Closest to original: 1994 Hollywood Pictures LaserDisc, other LDs are probably the same
Blu-rays only have 5.1 upmixes but probably fine
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
3D: Disney International 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
Director: Tim Burton
Director: Tim Burton
Director: David Fincher
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray for a purist version
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray for a purist version or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray from the original 1999 telecine transfer
Disney 4K Blu-ray, while a good release by itself, is very revisionist albeit made by Fincher. It has a huge amount of tinkering, a different grade, and at times uncanny with the sharpening. Caps of just how revisionist the new master is.
Cinema DTS - all Blu-ray tracks have significant limiting.
Disney 4K Blu-ray has some alterations, otherwise similar to the Fox Blu-ray
A blog article going over the home video history of Fight Club: https://notonbluray.com/blog/fight-club-compared-blu-ray-vs-itunes-vs-d-vhs-vs-dvd-vs-laserdisc/
Director: David Fincher
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray for a purist version
Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray for a purist version or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray from the original 1999 telecine transfer
Disney 4K Blu-ray, while a good release by itself, is very revisionist albeit made by Fincher. It has a huge amount of tinkering, a different grade, and at times uncanny with the sharpening. Caps of just how revisionist the new master is.
Cinema DTS - all Blu-ray tracks have significant limiting.
Disney 4K Blu-ray has some alterations, otherwise similar to the Fox Blu-ray
A blog article going over the home video history of Fight Club: https://notonbluray.com/blog/fight-club-compared-blu-ray-vs-itunes-vs-d-vhs-vs-dvd-vs-laserdisc/
Director: Robert Stevenson
Director: Robert Stevenson
Director: Ridley Scott
Director: Ridley Scott
Directors: David G. Derrick Jr. & Jason Hand & Dana Ledoux Miller
Disney+ also has this movie in 3D Streaming for the Apple Vision Pro
Directors: David G. Derrick Jr. & Jason Hand & Dana Ledoux Miller
Disney+ also has this movie in 3D Streaming for the Apple Vision Pro
More Family on Blu-ray
Director: Ken Hughes
MGM Blu-ray's stereo track.
MGM's 7.1 track is a remix with a few flaws and much worse fidelity. Capelight's stereo and 7.1 track are both from the remix.
The movie was originally premiered as a roadshow release, with a a 70mm 6-Track Stereo mix. This mix, unfortunately has not been released on home video.
The closest thing to that mix, is the stereo track included on the 2010 Blu-ray. It sounds great, with high fidelity and little filtering. It's lossy, but that doesn't matter very much.
Both the DVD 5.1 and the Blu-ray 7.1 tracks (identical on both discs) are a new remix, rather than a repackaging of the original mix. The 7.1 track sounds quite muffled, though not evenly so. The Capelight Blu-ray's lossless stereo track uses the same remix, but with higher fidelity than the surround tracks, sounding significantly less muffled. Compared to the original, this remix sounds wider and more "cleaned up". The remix contains a handful of errors, for example the intermission cue fades out, rather than ending correctly.
Comparison samples
Director: Ken Hughes
MGM Blu-ray's stereo track.
MGM's 7.1 track is a remix with a few flaws and much worse fidelity. Capelight's stereo and 7.1 track are both from the remix.
The movie was originally premiered as a roadshow release, with a a 70mm 6-Track Stereo mix. This mix, unfortunately has not been released on home video.
The closest thing to that mix, is the stereo track included on the 2010 Blu-ray. It sounds great, with high fidelity and little filtering. It's lossy, but that doesn't matter very much.
Both the DVD 5.1 and the Blu-ray 7.1 tracks (identical on both discs) are a new remix, rather than a repackaging of the original mix. The 7.1 track sounds quite muffled, though not evenly so. The Capelight Blu-ray's lossless stereo track uses the same remix, but with higher fidelity than the surround tracks, sounding significantly less muffled. Compared to the original, this remix sounds wider and more "cleaned up". The remix contains a handful of errors, for example the intermission cue fades out, rather than ending correctly.
Comparison samples
Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Arrow 4K Blu-ray see caps
Info: Arrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.
Original: Arrow 4K Blu-ray vs New Line LaserDisc
Arrow 4K Blu-ray see caps
Info: Arrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.
Original: Arrow 4K Blu-ray vs New Line LaserDisc
Arrow 4K Blu-ray see caps
Dolby Stereo: Arrow 4K Blu-ray or New Line LaserDisc for line absent on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases
Info: Arrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.
Arrow 4K Blu-ray see caps
Dolby Stereo: Arrow 4K Blu-ray or New Line LaserDisc for line absent on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases
Info: Arrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.
Director: Bob Clark
Director: Bob Clark
Edit History
2/14/2026
Best Video Release
From
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
From
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
2/11/2026
Best English-Friendly Release
From
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney 4K Blu-ray
To
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney 4K Blu-ray
From
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney 4K Blu-ray
To
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney 4K Blu-ray
Best Video Release
From
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
To
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
From
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
To
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
Best Audio Release
From
2/3/2026
2/2/2026
Format
Added
UHD Blu-ray
Added
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly Release
Added
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney 4K Blu-ray
Added
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney 4K Blu-ray
Best Video Release
Added
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
Added
Original Theatrical Version: 35mm scans or 1995 Disney Deluxe Edition CAV LaserDisc box set
Later Versions: Disney DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Blu-ray are altered
Best Audio Release
Blu-ray.com
Added
https://www.blu-ray.com/The-Lion-King/18638/#Releases
Added
https://www.blu-ray.com/The-Lion-King/18638/#Releases
caps-a-holic
Added
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12640&d2=12639&c=4959
Added
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12640&d2=12639&c=4959
