<P> Scar has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics, some of whom praised him as a better character than Simba . Author Peter M. Nichols wrote in his book New York Times Essential Library: Children's Movies: A Critic's Guide to the Best Films Available on Video and DVD that Scar "is the most interesting character in the film," describing Simba and Mufasa "bores in comparison ." Janet Maslin of The New York Times called Scar a "delectably wicked" villain . Maslin went on to praise Irons's voice acting, writing that the actor "slithers through the story in grandiose high style, with a green - eyed malevolence that is one of film's chief delights ." Leah Rozen of People described Scar as "a flawless realization of Irons's special talent ." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune lauded Scar as the film's "best character," jokingly describing him as "Irons' Claus von Bulow with fur ." Similarly, ComingSoon.net's Joshua Starnes hailed Scar as "the best part of the film ." Praising both Scar and Irons's acting, Starnes continued, "He switches so quickly and easily from campy to deadly its like a showcase for how to do an over-the - top villain right ." Concluding that "Villains are often the most memorable characters in a Disney animated film," Roger Ebert described Scar "one of the great ones ." James Berardinelli of ReelViews reviewed, "Gone is the buffoonery that has marked the recent trio of Ursula, Gaston, and Jafar," writing, "Scar is a sinister figure, given to acid remarks and cunning villainy ." Berardinelli concluded, "The cold - hearted manner in which he causes Mufasa's death lets us know that this is not a lion to be trifled with ." </P> <P> "Simba is also influenced by his delectably wicked uncle, Scar (Jeremy Irons). Scar arranges Mufasa's disturbing on - screen death in a manner that both banishes Simba to the wilderness and raises questions about whether this film really warranted a G rating...For the grown - ups, there is Mr. Irons, who has been as devilishly well - captured by Disney's graphic artists (Scar's supervising animator: Andreas Deja) as Robin Williams was in Aladdin . Bored, wicked and royally sarcastic, Mr. Irons's Scar slithers through the story in grandiose high style, with a green - eyed malevolence that is one of film's chief delights .' Oh, and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours, hmm?' he purrs to Simba, while purporting to be a mentor to his young nephew . Scar, who also gives a reprise of Mr. Irons's best - known line from Reversal of Fortune, may not be much of a father figure, but he's certainly great fun ." </P> <P> A film that features the voices of several well - known A-list actors, namely Irons as Scar, Matthew Broderick as Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa and Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, The Lion King has since gone on to be acclaimed as "one of the most impressive arrays of voice talents ever utilized in an animated film ." Critics have repeatedly singled out Irons's performance, praising it extensively: Cindy White of IGN called Irons's performance "deliciously smarmy," while Andy Patrizio of IGN wrote that Irons voices Scar "in perfect Shakespearean villain mode ." Rolling Stone's Peter Travers hailed Irons for "deliver (ing) a triumphantly witty vocal performance that ranks with Robin Williams' in Aladdin ." Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle commended Disney for "nail (ing) the voice talents," specifically Irons . The Philadelphia Daily News' Bill Wedo described Irons's voice as "silken," while Graham Young of the Birmingham Mail hailed the actor's performance as "magnificent ." Radio Times' Tom Hutchinson wrote, "Jeremy Irons (is) a vocal standout as the evil uncle Scar ." Annette Basile of Filmink echoed Hutchinson's statement, writing that Scar is "voiced with relish by stand - out Jeremy Irons ." The Guardian's Philip French opined, "Jeremy Irons is excellent as the suavely villainous lion Scar ." David Sterritt of The Christian Science Monitor exalted Irons's acting, describing him as "positively brilliant ." Also hailing the film's cast as "incredible," Desson Howe of The Washington Post highlighted Irons as a "standout ." Praising the film for successfully combining "grand - opera melodrama and low - comedy hi - jinks," the Orlando Sentinel's Jay Boyar concluded that "One reason they work so well together is that even most of the serious sections contain an undercurrent of humor, provided...by the deliciously droll voice - performance of Jeremy Irons as Scar ." Mathew DeKinder of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch felt that Irons successfully "handle (s) all of the dramatic heavy lifting ." </P> <P> Even film critics who generally disliked the film tended to enjoy Scar's characterization and Irons's performance . Terrence Rafferty of The New Yorker wrote, "Among the celebrity voices on the soundtrack, two performances stand out," namely, "Jeremy Irons, as the villainous lion Scar" who "does an elegant, funny George Sanders impersonation ." (Sanders himself had voiced Shere Khan for Disney in their 1967 version of The Jungle Book). Stephen Hunter of The Baltimore Sun described Irons's voice as "plummy - rich with rancid irony ." Television Without Pity's Ethan Alter admitted to enjoying Scar, praising the character as "a fantastic villain and easily the most fully realized of the film's characters, thanks both to Jeremy Irons's marvelously wicked vocal performance and some clever character flourishes on behalf of the animators ." David Denby of New York, who otherwise criticized the film, felt that "Irons...sounds like he's having a better time than he's ever had in movies before ." In a rare lukewarm review, Anthony Quinn of The Independent felt that Irons's performance was too campy: "more Liberace than George Sanders ." </P>

Who does mufasa's voice in lion king