9 Incredible Action Sequences From Non-Action Movies

Wildebeest Stampede – The Lion King

For a studio with such a squeaky clean collection of family titles, Disney has a few petrifying sequences in its vault that are bound to make parents want to fast-forward. One of the most remarkable (and terrifying) of those is the wildebeest stampede from The Lion King. All I can say to younger kids and families who have never seen the sequence is, I guess, be prepared.

The motivation behind the scene is exceptionally dark: Scar is hungry for power, and enlists the help of a pack of dangerous predators to run into a deserted gorge, putting the heir to the throne, Simba, in peril. Scar also plans to get the current jungle king, Mufasa, to attempt to save his son – in a move that would likely kill both of the lions and ensure Scar gets the crown. Hans Zimmer’s stirring, mournful, Oscar-winning score perfectly mirrors the feelings of fear and panic. The betrayal at the end of the scene feels Shakespearean in scope, suitable due to how the plot is a loose re-telling of Hamlet.

It would seem impossible for a major studio to create a scene of such a scale without CGI. While The Lion King was one of Disney’s last traditionally animated titles, many of the artists working behind the scenes used CGI for certain moments. It would require an immense ton of work hours to draw each individual wildebeest by hand, so Disney created a template for the wild animals to move in ways the animators set by mouse, not by pen. The program created to ensure this scene could not look cheap was advanced, ensuring that the action sequence took more than three years to make.

The sequence is also bookended by startling, sharp zooms into and then out from Simba’s face, with piercing howls on the soundtrack. Even if it is one of Disney’s most devastating moments, it is also a dazzling three-minute feat of animation.