Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (1995) watch online HD

What is essentially a place to cool off at EPCOT turns out to actually be a decent film. This short film is a mixture of animation and some great animal footage to teach the overall message that we need to treat the Earth better. Who better to teach us this lesson than Simba, Timon and Pumbaa.

Timon and Pumbaa decide they want to build a new resort complex for the jungle so they dam up the river that travels down the mountain to all the creatures. Simba sees a problem in this and tells them about what will happen if they start hurting the environment, which basically shows what humans have done to the Earth, and then what we've done to reverse the effects.

One thing that keeps this movie from being too preachy and negative is the positive aspect of what human's have done to reverse the effects that we've done that this tells. It shows how bad some areas are and it shows grime and crud all over, but then talks about recycling and cleaning up the environment. Basically instead of a preachy guilt trip, this movie just says to clean up the environment when you can and try to treat the Earth with respect. It's a good message to go away with.

Overall, this is a good use of 12 minutes. If you love Timon and Pumbaa, then you'll probably enjoy listening to their humorous commentary over Simba's environmental message, or if you like nature videos, this has some really nice nature shots. If you're going to EPCOT for the first time, or just have never seen this, check it out.

My rating: *** out of ****. 12 mins.

I saw this film at EPCOT in Walt Disney World. It is a short, animated film about just what it's named: the environment. It's well done and good for teaching children using beloved Disney Characters (which I think was the goal of EPCOT). I don't want to give away the small plot, but it mainly makes you feel horrible for living in today's society. The audience learns A LOT about trash and pollution and all that in the film and really teaches them about how to work for a better future. It was a very touching film that I think everyone, especially in America, should see.