The Lion King (2019)

 

Everyone has one of these new Disney remakes that they’re really looking forward to, mine was The Lion King.

I’ll be honest, it’s my favorite Disney movie. I’ll also be honest that despite me wanting to give this movie a chance, i had expectations. That’s not anything i’m ashamed of either, if you’re going to remake the classics you had better bring your A-Game, or you had better add something that was missing from the original.

Lately these new Disney remakes haven’t been measuring up at all, i didn’t review Aladdin as it quite simply wasn’t inspiring enough to do so. I was definately worried that The Lion King would also inspire that same apathy in me, it hasn’t, but for reasons that were likely not intended.

 

THE GOOD

I knew from the trailers that the film would look and sound fantastic, and it doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Truly it has some of the best animation that i’ve seen on screen, and i’m still wondering if it was all done on computer.

Hans Zimmer does the best thing he’s done in some years by copy pasting his previous work into the new version, the score to this film is just wonderful.

 

THE BAD

James Earl Jones is 88 years old, and boy does he ever sound it here in LK2019. He honestly sounds like he’s doing his lines in between his naps, and that really really hurts the characterization of Mufasa here. As the Mufasa in 1994’s Lion King exuded a huge sense of energy, power, and charisma; truly the character was at the apex of his reign and life when it was dashed away.

However, Jones’ low energy readings, and Favreau’s insistance in keeping the camera distant during Mufasa’s action scenes rob so much energy out the character that i didn’t miss him at all once he died. In fact everyone’s character suffers; Scar has been completely stripped of his campiness. Gone is the slinking, scheming, and grinning version provided so wonderfully by Jeremy Irons; and in its place is a decidedly menacing, brooding, and altogether weaker version supplied by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Look i’m all for menacing villains, on imagery alone this Scar is fine. But they don’t spend any time doing anything interesting with the change, in fact they go to great lengths to rob Scar’s menace of any teeth. An interesting moonlight/sunlight motif isn’t used to full affect, attempts at providing motivation to his attitude are half hearted and ineffectual, he doesn’t one punch Nirobe, and his fight with Simba isn’t an even one; leaving his darkness as just a paper tiger.

The pacing in this movie is terrible by the way, this movie is 20 minutes longer than the previous one but i’m at a complete loss to describe why’s that the case; there’s nothing of substance added to any of this, no real new songs, no added motivations, no scenes of any real importance. Emotional beats are short changed with lightning quick pace: notably when Scar convinces Simba that he killed Mufasa, the scene lacks any impact; as the scene just doesn’t sit long enough on the emotional beats.

The expressiveness is completely missing in the animation despite its visual splendor, Favreau’s choice in remaining as realistic as possible robs the emotive abilities of the characters i was seeing on screen. Gone is the look of shock and horror on Mufasa’s face as he realises what Scar intends to do, gone is the sadness in Simba’s face as he tries to wake his dad, and completely gone is the aforementioned scene stealing campiness of Scar.

It is head scratching that Favreau would copy and paste the iconic opening montage into his film, but fail miserably in copying the grandeur of the film’s most iconic, and impactful scene:

 

 

The scene is emotionally neutered replacing the awe inspiring imagery and honest admonishment of Simba by Mufasa, with an uninspired CGI light show, and wishy washy “i’m proud to be your father” crap that doesn’t convincingly light a fire under a lazy Simba’s ass.

Lastly the musical sequences are lifeless and boring, Be Prepared is the worst off of them all, but the film doesn’t create or maintain any sort of cheery atmosphere; and that’s most prevalent in the musical numbers.

 

THE UGLY

As is becoming normal in these high budgeted Disney remakes of their back catalogue; as apart from new imagery The Lion King (2019) adds nothing of any real substance to the previous version of the story. In fact it disturbingly takes away a lot of the former film’s best qualities, as the characterisations are weaker, the imagery isn’t as expressive, and the songs aren’t as fun.

In fact the whole experience is quite dour, which isn’t the right mood for a movie about a bunch of talking cats. If this is what we’re giving to a new generation of kids (who were packed into the theatre by their undoubtedly nostalgic parents), then frankly they’re getting short changed.

I say stick with the original, hell Simba’s Pride is better.

 

OUT OF FIVE