Movie Review: The Lion King (2019)

Disney’s latest film to join the ranks of the live-action remakes is the 1994 animated hit The Lion King. After twenty-five years, the juggernaut studio has made an attempt to bring this film to a new generation with stunning visual effects that push the boundaries of animation and CGI. John Favreau (The Jungle Book, 2016) directed the live-action remake of this classic. While previous re-imaginations like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin added to their respective stories, Favreau comes just shy of meaningful contribution to the story of Simba and his pride.

If you recall the opening scene from the original, expect the same sequence of shots, but with less color and animals that could’ve been ripped straight from your local zoo. The problem with this movie expresses itself within the first five minutes, and it never goes away for the duration of the film. The original movie featured bold colorful backgrounds, and an even more colorful cast of characters. Here, Favreau asks his audience to embrace these animals who look and act exactly like their real-life counterparts, while simultaneously convincing the audience that these animals also sing, speak, and serve as part of a monarchy ruled by lions.

Throughout the roughly two-hour movie, I found myself reflecting on the original animated film and what about it made it so great. Perhaps it was the fact that Simba and company actually emoted. Or perhaps it was the colorful landscapes and gorgeous scenery. The problem with this live-action movie is that it tries too hard to be what everyone knows and loves, while only slightly departing from the original material, adding in a few lines here and taking some away there. In a sense, the live-action remake doesn’t hit the right beats at the right times. It lingers in places it shouldn’t, and glosses over some of the original’s better moments.

When Disney announced the voice cast for the remake, the general reception was positive. Many fans were excited to see the roles Simba and Nala voiced by the likes of Donald Glover and Beyoncé. I, myself, wasn’t too keen on the switch ups, especially when the movie maintained James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Upon seeing the movie, it became clear that nothing could live up to the animated version. Even James Earl Jones began to sound like a much more monotone, aloof Mufasa. Often, many of the actors made attempts at mimicking the original cast, in which case, I wondered why not bring back as many of the original actors as possible? Nathan Lane as the original Timon profoundly impacted my childhood and love for the actor, compared to Billy Eichner’s rather interesting take on the character. Throughout the film, the best performances consistently came from Florence Kasumba (Shenzi) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), whereas Donald Glover, John Oliver, and Seth Rogen seemed to struggle in their performances. Much like Jones, Donald Glover (Adult Simba) serves as a faint echo of the character from the original 1994 film, coming across as though Favreau had used audio from the preliminary read through in the final cut. John Oliver, in particular, seemed to draw heavily from Rowan Atkinson, the actor who preceded him in the role of Zazu, confusing me further as to whether or not the movie was attempting to be different or a blatant copy of the original film.

The Lion King as a film is breathtakingly brought to life with some stunning sequences featuring mind blowing realism. In particular, the final battle between Scar and Simba stuck out to me as something truly special. As someone who was profoundly invested in the original 1994 film for much of my childhood and even into adulthood, I find that John Favreau’s remake proves that sometimes the original is simply better. The bottom line for many viewers, myself included, is that real animals simply cannot emote. They can’t speak or sing, either. This is something that distracts heavily from the film on the screen and reminds you of the original. If anything, this modern remake is great for the new young generation who hasn’t yet been exposed to the masterpiece that is The Lion King (1994).

Rating: 4/10