For my own personal experiences with The Lion King, I was assuredly struck as a child by the beauty of its visuals and, at an older age, the profundity imbued in its intimate, evocative moments. However, in retrospect, it was noticeably less memorable or impactful to me than some other movies of my childhood, such as The Brave Little Toaster, the short animated version of The Red Shoes, or Don Bluth’s films, that all arguably demonstrated greater darkness and somberness in their themes and underlying tone. Even from a relatively young age, without realizing it, I guess I weirdly preferred these sorts of heavier narratives. Therefore, I think the most significant issue I had with The Lion King was the silliness of Timon and Pumbaa, as I don’t particularly remember loving them or finding their style of humor incredibly funny. Consequently, my memory and predisposition led me to assume that these sequences of levity and irreverence were somewhat disruptive or incongruous with the established plot arc and tone. However, after recently spending a bit of time thinking about their purpose and thematic significance, I feel I can better ascertain the true necessity of their somewhat childish philosophy. On the basis of my perfunctory analysis, I saw only the more evident rationale for their inclusion in the movie, which seemed to be the roles of comic relief capable of tempering the sharpness of the depressive elements prevalent throughout the film’s duration.
In a way, though, the distracting vivaciousness and joviality provided by Timon and Pumbaa to lift the spirits of the movie’s young audience is analogous to the allaying effect their antics have on Simba. Since Simba is too young and emotionally immature to confront the devastating gravity of what he recently witnessed or reconcile the corrosive guilt and ignominy of his actions, Timon and Pumbaa’s playfulness is precisely what he needs at this fragile period in his life. Simba consequently protracting this lackadaisical, “Hakuna Matata” philosophy into adulthood and attempting to apply its precepts during his encounter with Nala could be demonstrating how potentially insalubrious it is to become so entrenched in this comforting, escapist mentality that you never grow emotionally and learn to properly face life’s various tribulations. I suppose I just never noticed what was possibly the intended message of having characters like Timon and Pumbaa raise Simba and shape his perspective on life and his place in the Kingdom’s hierarchy, which is completely antithetical to the lessons of Rafiki and Mufasa respectively.
I do still think the exploration of these relationships between Simba and the paramount parental or guiding figures in his life could have been a bit better or more clearly conveyed in the film. Personally, I might have preferred if the crass humor was toned down a little and, after Simba is reacquainted with the words and philosophy of his father and Rafiki, he decides to leave with Nala for Pride Rock, first sharing a poignant goodbye with Timon and Pumbaa. The stunningly touching scene in Inside Out where Joy is set free by Bing Bong perfectly encapsulates the sort of parting I would have envisioned for Simba and his childhood guardians. Bing Bong is essentially symbolic for youthfulness and immaturity, and though he was a friend to Riley during times when she needed him the most, his permanent disappearance allows for the forward momentum of Joy’s journey and reflects Riley’s nascent steps towards growing up physically and emotionally. Simba deciding to separate from Timon and Pumbaa, who have long since served their purpose in sheltering a young cub’s shattered mind, would also represent the ability to be unshackled from puerile proclivities and to finally handle the challenge of adult responsibilities. The scene where Rafiki states, “The king has returned”, and Simba is shown running away from the jungle towards his home and the seat of his power would, in this slightly different context, symbolically depict the alteration of his focus and his subsequent movement from a comforting place of avoidance and dissonance to his eventual goal of maturity and confrontation with his past.
In general, I find the most successful and memorable films for children to be emotionally accessible and comprehensible in their deceptive simplicity to a young age demographic, yet, when viewed through the lens of an adult, the true profundity and message of the story finally become perceptible.