by TheLionPrince » February 20th, 2013, 7:10 pm
For my tastes personally, the movie is Simba’s story as we see his life’s journey through his eyes. If we saw more of Scar’s reign, we lose the emotional reaction to the devastated Pride Lands when Simba sees it for the first time after making his prodigal return; this especially applies for first-time viewers. Also, we can tell from Nala's dialogue and the scene in which the hyenas complain to Scar what was happening during Scar's reign beforehand.
[quote]
Shenzi: "Scar, there is no food…no water."
Banzai: "Yeah, it’s dinner time, and we ain’t go stinkin' entrée!:
Scar: "It’s the lionesses’ job to do the hunting!"
Banzai: "Yeah, but they won’t go hunt."[/quote]
[quote]
Simba: "No, I’m not the king! Scar is!"
Nala: "Simba, he let the hyenas take over the Pride Lands!"
Simba: "What?"
Nala: "Everything’s destroyed! There is no food…no water! Simba, if you don't do something soon, everyone's going to starve!"[/quote]
That was just about enough to make my assumption about what was happening during Scar’s reign.