Movie Review: The Lion King (2019)

Movie Review: The Lion King (2019)                                                                       1-17-20

Before I begin my review, I’d like to point out that this movie is animated and not live-action.

The Lion King is about a lion cub named Simba (LD McCrary as a cub, Donald Glover as an adult), who is destined to be king of the savannah. However, his evil uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) wants to be king, so he kills King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) during a wildebeest stampede and blames Simba on it. Simba runs away and meets a meerkat and warthog named Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogan), who teach him how to live a care-free life. However, Simba later discovers that he must fight Scar and reclaim his place as king.

Sound familiar? Well, that’s because Jon Favreau’s The Lion King is basically a shot-for-shot remake of the original 1994 classic. Yes, the computer animation is breathtaking, but the characters aren’t as expressive as their 2D counterparts. I know that in real life, most animals don’t have the muscles in their mouths necessary to smile or frown, but they still could have cocked their heads or wiggled their eyebrows.

Do you have any idea what Simba is feeling in this scene? I certainly don't.

Also, the songs feel unnecessary in this film: It’s just awkward seeing realistic animals singing.

Simba, Nala, and some other animals singing 'I Just Can't Wait To Be King'.

Like the remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin before it, this Lion King also had a lot of the humor drained out of the original film. The best moments of the movie are with Timon and Pumbaa, though that isn’t enough to save the movie.

Timon and Pumbaa singing 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d rather watch The Lion King 1 1/2 over this! Yes, it’s a cash-grabbing direct-to-video sequel, but at least it knows it can’t live up to its predecessor! The movie knows it’s self-referential, and it uses every opportunity to sneak in some funny jokes.

In conclusion, stick with the original Lion King. This one may have earned over a billion and a half dollars at the box-office, but it just doesn’t compare to the original 1994 film. If you want to watch a good CGI movie set in Africa, watch 2013’s Khumba, which I will review in April.

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

PS. If you are reading this, Disney, please make sure Mulan stays true to the original movie while still feeling different. Try to make sure it sits comfortably on the same shelf as the remakes of Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Pete's Dragon.