Shadowland.

[DGFone]

The biggest problem with Shadowland is that while it works with the Broadway production (where everyone already saw the movie), it's a big spoiler alert if it was in The Lion King. As great of a song it is, to see and know that Nala left the Pride Lands in search of help would mean that when she discovers Simba in the jungle, the audience is already expecting it - after all, they know Simba is alive, and they just saw Nala run off. The surprise and shock (Que Timon's jaw dropping) that we felt when we first learn that the lioness who wanted to eat Pumbaa was in fact Nala would not have bee there if The Lion King had Shadowlands in it.

So while I do love Shadowlands, it has no place in the actual movie. It is best left in the Broadway production where it is used.

[Regulus]

It fills a big gaping hole in the plot, at the expense of giving a slight spoiler for the next scene. Which, if you'd been paying attention, or if you had any idea what the movie is about to begin with, would expect something similar anyway.

Case in point: it's as much of a spoiler as having the movie open with The Circle of Life. CoL foreshadows Simba eventually taking Mufasa's place as king, and shadowland foreshadows Nala finding Simba.

[DGFone]

[quote="Regulus"]It fills a big gaping hole in the plot, at the expense of giving a slight spoiler for the next scene. Which, if you'd been paying attention, or if you had any idea what the movie is about to begin with, would expect something similar anyway.

Case in point: it's as much of a spoiler as having the movie open with The Circle of Life. CoL foreshadows Simba eventually taking Mufasa's place as king, and shadowland foreshadows Nala finding Simba.[/quote]

If you would pay attention, you would know that Simba would indeed need to take his place in the Circle of Life and take over Mufasa. Nowhere does it imply that it's Nala who was/will be the one to go and find Simba and be the catalyst in helping Simba learn about his responsibilities.

And it might seem like a little spoiler to you now, now that you know that it's Nala who found Simba, and that it's only natural for her to be the one to find him, but try to imagine as though it's your very first time watching The Lion King. Not quite "a slight spoiler" now is it?

I think that it's a good reason that Shadowlands was left out of The Lion King, and the movie producers/directors agree with me on this case. I don't have any proof on me, but I sort of recall seeing or reading somewhere where they debated this very question. - This is why we have the "Coconuts" scene. It shows the Pride Lands as broken and in desperate need of help, and how much Simba is needed, but it doesn't show Nala running off - therefore not spoiling the big reunion.

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

[quote="DGFone"]The biggest problem with Shadowland is that while it works with the Broadway production (where everyone already saw the movie), it's a big spoiler alert if it was in The Lion King. As great of a song it is, to see and know that Nala left the Pride Lands in search of help would mean that when she discovers Simba in the jungle, the audience is already expecting it - after all, they know Simba is alive, and they just saw Nala run off. The surprise and shock (Que Timon's jaw dropping) that we felt when we first learn that the lioness who wanted to eat Pumbaa was in fact Nala would not have bee there if The Lion King had Shadowlands in it.

So while I do love Shadowlands, it has no place in the actual movie. It is best left in the Broadway production where it is used.[/quote]


But the audience would know it was Nala regardless because of the color of her pelt.

[DGFone]

[quote="TheBlackCatCrossing"]
But the audience would know it was Nala regardless because of the color of her pelt.[/quote]

Do remember that A: the last time the audience saw Nala, she was a cub, and B (most important): they are not nutz TLK fans like we are. They will not recognize a character like that just because of fur color, not after such a drastic change. The only reason we know who Simba is after he grew up was because we saw his grow on that log during Hakuna Matata - we did not see Nala change as well.

[Kitva Hyperlink]

its amazzing.

[Meskhenet]

I agree with KKVK4 it is amazing! Too bad it never made to the movie. Zazu's morning report didn't deserve The Morning Report. To me, it was to cheezy, and it sounded like he was complaining rather than giving a "morning report".

[TheBlackCatCrossing]

[quote="DGFone"][quote="TheBlackCatCrossing"]
But the audience would know it was Nala regardless because of the color of her pelt.[/quote]

Do remember that A: the last time the audience saw Nala, she was a cub, and B (most important): they are not nutz TLK fans like we are. They will not recognize a character like that just because of fur color, not after such a drastic change. The only reason we know who Simba is after he grew up was because we saw his grow on that log during Hakuna Matata - we did not see Nala change as well.[/quote]

Okay, i will give you that but how about this:


What if the 'surprise' was not the 'surprise' but seeing how the characters would reunite? Maybe it wasn't as common then (I'm losing now!), but how many stories/films/shows explore the concept of two individual characters and then have them come together for the big dramatic finish? Would it have less impact if we saw them reunite and we thought 'NO you two! STOP! It's your friend!'

[DGFone]

^ I am glad that The Lion King is not a movie in the romance genre. Yes, in those movies we see the two characters get together, break up, and get together again, and we expect it, but it's also what we come for when we watch those movies.

The Lion King is not a romance movie. It's much, much much much more than that. And therefore it doesn't, and shouldn't, follow the standards of the romance genre. The directors wanted us to feel like Timon when Simba and Nala reunited, and I personally agree with that.

I mean, hey, we got Shadowlands in the Broadway musical. So now we have both. Can we just settle with that?

[Meskhenet]

Have you heard the French, and Spanish version? they're amazing!