(opening Friday), Aslan is a mighty impressive creature: He's voiced by Liam Neeson, grows literally larger with each movie - and is a symbolic stand-in for Christ.</p><p> But Aslan is far from the first king of the jungle to dominate the movies.</p><p> Lions have been roaring their way across the silver screen since the earliest silent film travelogues in deepest Africa.</p><p> Hollywood loves royalty almost as much as it loves violence - and lions embody both of these qualities (no wonder MGM uses a lion as its logo).</p><p> Here are some of the noble creature's most memorable movie moments.aspian may be a prince of Narnia, but Aslan is king.</p><p> In'The Ghronides of tlarnia: Pdnce Gaspiad' A BORN FREE (1966) lfs good to be tte king: Elsa the Lioness became arguably the most famous lion in history when a book and movie about her life reentering the wild became massive worldwide successes.</p><p> The movie spawned a sequel, a TV show and even a hit song, The actors in the film became fierce animal rights activists.</p><p> But heaW lies the crcwn: Elsa died of a rare blood disease.</p><p> However, her cubs or their descendants are believed to still be roaming the Serengeti.lfs grood to be the ling: Bert Lahr snaps and growls with silly abandon when the Scarecrow Tin Man and a little girl cross his path in Oz. "Put'em up!" he purrs.</p><p> But heavy lies the cnrwn: Dorothy (Judy Garland) soon finds out why he's dubbed the Cowardly Lion.</p><p> Just a little pat on the nose sends him away crying. lf only he could find some courage.</p><p> THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS (1996) lfs good to be the king: Two ferocious lions snack on the crews brought into East Africa to build a railway bridge around the turn of the century, Based on a true story in which the lions gorged on more than 130 workers.</p><p> But heavy fies the crown: Time for a diet? Engineer Val Kilmer decides enough is enough and calls in great white hunter Michael Douglas.</p><p> The lions - dubbed "the chost" and "the Darkness" - know the gig is up when movie stars arrive.</p><p> TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932) lt's good to be the king: Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) is bloody and exhausted from winning over Jane and fighting off the white man when he must wrestle and kill not one. but two vicious liilns.</p><p> But heavy lies tlte qown: PETA is nowhere in sight.</p><p> Tarzan puts on a choke hold and then stabs the lions to death.</p><p> A third lion comes in for the kill on the weary ape-man, but an elephant rescues our hero at the last moment.A THE WTZARD OF OZ (1939) A THE LION KING (1994) lfs good b be the king: All the animals pay homage to King Mufasa who lords over the jungle with wisdom, courage and the stirring voice of James Earl Jones.</p><p> The bifth of his son Simba is practically a national holiday.</p><p> But heilry les fte down: That green-eyed monster, jealousy, is even more powerful than the king.</p><p> Scar (Jeremy lrons) lures Mufasato his death and convinces Simba it's the boy's faulL which sends the kid into self-imposed exile.</p><p> GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (1997) It's good b be the ling: With the great white hunter (Thomas Haden Church) running away in fear, a lion has the tasty morsel Ursula (Leslie Mann) all to himself.</p><p> But heaW lies the qown: That is, until George (Brendan Fraser) shows up, pile-driving the lion in classic wrestling fashion.</p><p> How humiliating, especially since ifs all a put-on to irnoress the tourists.</p><p> BIG TOP PEE.WEE (1988) lfs gtood to be the hng: When the circus comes to town, a lion escapes and lies in wait at Pee-wee's (Paul Reubens) house.</p><p> When he walks in, the lion - in classic cartoon fashion - pictures Pee-wee as a giant steak. "Nice kitty," says a skittish Pee-wee as he backs away.</p><p> But heany lies the cruvn: "Who's a fluffy kitty?" giggles Pee-wee moments later, after taming the lion - and making a new friend - with his nerdy charm.</p><p> Too bad the lion tamer and his nasty whip are soon on the scene.</p><p> Michael Giftz
