There may be some bias as Disney was a big part of my childhood, and I'm still a fan to this day. Social Lion is not one of their classics but it is a great short and somewhat under-appreciated. Younger children are likely to find that the story and humour goes over their heads(judging from first time experience) and I wasn't sure what to make of the Natives at the beginning in terms of look and behaviour, but older children and adults will find a huge amount to enjoy. The animation style is really interesting with a mix of the lush 40s style for the colours and the character design of the lion and a more minimalistic style for the backgrounds, while the music is full of character, it enhances what's happening very well and even expressions, gestures and sound effects have a music cue of their own. The story was a clever one to begin with and the quirky execution of it is even cleverer, Social Lion is very satirical of American social society and it does so with sharp wit and sly irony. The best of it being in the Lion's Club. The characters are fun and engaging, especially the titular character, while the narration is of the kind that entertains and to a lesser extent teaches without being over-explanatory. Paul Frees' voice work is spot on. To conclude, a great short, unusual but very cleverly done. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Review of Social Lion
