The Lion King is the third Disney live-action adaptation of 2019 that takes a beloved classic from childhood and turns it into a cash grab playing on nostalgia. While the movie offers impressive visuals, the changes are not always positive.
Rather than simply reanimating the film, the producers focus on incorporating realism in the remake of The Lion King. It was impressive to watch scenes from the original be recreated on the African plains, yet the visualizations are not done well when it comes to the characters. There is a lack of expression from the animals. I believe that young Simba suffers the most from having no emotions like playfulness, sadness, or fear being conveyed to audiences.
The vocals of the movie also did not help in making the film feel true to the original. The film seemed as though it was simply trying to throw as many celebrity names into the casting as possible to entice fans to watch the movie. While it was hilarious to hear John Oliver from Last Week Tonight as Zazu delivering the daily news and commentary between Scar and the other characters, other actors like Seth Rogan (as Pumbaa) and Beyoncé (as adult Nala) are unable to capture the same emotions as the voice actors in the original.
The remake seemed to offer very little improvement over the original animated movie. 2019’s The Lion King was close to a scene-by-scene retelling of the original with some scenes removed, shortened, or expanded upon. For example, Mufasa’s death is slightly modified from the original. There is a recreation of the stampede scene where Mufasa saves Simba. As a change from the original, the canyon is harder to climb and Scar hits the face of Mufasa when trying to “save him.”
One of the most memorable scenes to me from the original was Simba seeing the ghost of Mufasa in the sky. In the original, it was powerful to see Mufasa’s figure in the sky speaking to Simba, but in the remake, clouds emerge and Mufasa speaks to Simba without being seen. I understand that the film was trying to take on a more “realistic” approach, but it lacks the magic and reduces the thought-provoking connotations attached to the original, including growing up, loss, betrayal, and belonging.
Unlike the classic lyrics, “Hakuna Matata / Ain’t no passing craze,” I hope that the live-action adaptations for Disney films are just a passing craze. The Lion King remake does not have the same charm as the original. The reason why the recent Dumbo remake worked was because the film was changed to focus on the relationships between new human characters rather than a scene-by-scene recreation. While the recent The Lion King is basically a cash grab, the film has been profitable, thus enticing the company to produce more remakes. If you have an interest in seeing the film, I recommend waiting for a streamable copy or simply rewatching the original animated film.
