It was a tough personal decision for our family to watch, but the story of son and father is so beautiful. It was also comforting. The bottom line: it is definitely worth watching

Me with my niece Ariya and nephew Amar

Like many families, ours also anxiously anticipated the latest release of Disney’s The Lion King. The story of a lion king, betrayal by his own family and the lessons left to a son to take over the royal destiny bestowed on his family on the plains of Africa.

We had all seen prior movies, even went to plays not only on Broadway but also in London. It is fair to say The Lion King is among one of the absolute favorites in our family. Little did we know, when the movie would come out, we would lose a fearless leader in our family. Ironically, my beloved brother-in-law’s birth sign is a Leo, a lion.

I shared in an earlier blog the story of my sister and her husband Dr. Hasan Khan. They shared a love so beautiful. Hasan died this past June after losing a short battle with lung cancer. He never smoked a day in his life.

My beloved brother-in-law Dr. Hasan Khan passed away this June months shy of his 57th birthday
He’s pictured here with his three kids Adam, Jennah and Iman
He was not a smoker but lost a battle with lung cancer

Knowing the story line, we still decided to take all the kids to the movie. My sister chose not to go. Shala said it would be too painful. I have to say my heart was racing and my thoughts drifting to Hasan throughout the two hour film. I could not stop the tears rolling down my face when little cub Simba, looked up to his father, King Mufasa, and said “We will always be together, right dad?” I loved the King’s answer, he said his presence would always surround his son.

If any of my readers are suffering a loss and worrying about going to the movie, I can say there are no regrets. The message is beautiful. It truly reflects the circle of life. We walked out of the theater, not with a heavy heart but one filled with comfort.

On a purely entertainment level, The Lion King was fabulous. The cinematography, the voices of the characters and the special effects were spectacular. We had a chance to watch it in 3D, and it was definitely worth those special effects too.

I give this movie a 10! Below is the link to the official trailer. I love hearing from my readers. Let me know what you think.

MOVIE REVIEW: “The Lion King”