'The Lion King' Remake Proves That the Original Is Still King

The Lion King is the latest offering from Disney's line of remakes. This photo-realistic computer animated film is directed by Jon Favreau, who previously directed Disney's 2016 adaptation of The Jungle Book. While one could argue that the 1967 animated The Jungle Book was surpassed by that version, they might be a bit disappointed by how this remake of The Lion King does not really improve upon the 1994 classic. Much of the first half lacks the energy of the original. The back half has some good additions here and there, but it's not enough to make this interpretation great overall. For a movie that is a half hour longer than the one it's based on, it's astonishing how little newness it feels like it has.

Realism

Like his take on The Jungle Book, Jon Favreau depicts the animals and the setting as they would appear in real life. And while they are beautiful in real life, the film loses something in the eyes of those who are so used to the vibrant colors of the original. The animal's mouth movements match the words that they speak, but they are not allowed to do other actions that are more human. The first noticeable instance of this is when Mufasa does not hug Rafiki during "Circle of Life." While it can be fun to see realistic movements, such as Timon running on all fours as a meerkat would, such cartoonish things like pretty much everything that happens in the original, "Be Prepared" are gone.

Since the film does not go the extra mile of giving the animals facial movements, the emotion comes from the vocal performances. In the shortened "Be Prepared," viewers can get a good sense of just how evil and determined Scar is based on how he sings. Other vocal deliveries work, but some fall a bit short. In particular, some of James Earl Jones' lines as Mufasa do not feel as powerful. This may be an intentional choice of trying to project the lines a bit differently, so that it is not Mufasa sounding exactly the same as he did in the original. But after Simba finds Mufasa dead, his voice makes it clear that he is full of sorrow, thus selling that pivotal moment, even though the rest of the runtime that preceded it did not quite have the energy of the original.

And, in a certain sequence, there seems to be a need to show every little thing that happens in nature. When a bit of Simba's fur is blown by the wind, it is moved through the wild by animals, even getting eaten by a giraffe. But it does not end there; the next shot shows a dung beetle moving a piece of poop containing that bit of fur before the poop breaks and an ant takes the fur to Rafiki. For real. This feels like... a bit much.

Changes That Work

With a more grounded take comes different approaches to how certain characters are handled. It makes more sense that Zazu would not be imprisoned since he can fly. One can appreciate that he is given more to do in this film, such as when he acts as a distraction to help Nala escape Pride Rock in an added scene. And it makes sense that Nala would already be on her way back to Pride Rock after talking to Simba in the jungle.

Sarabi's defiance of Scar also elevates the character, as she tells the lionesses to be patient, and wait for the time to take down Scar. However, with this in mind, one cannot help but wonder whether the lionesses could have taken on Scar and all the hyenas, even without Simba's presence. The film also tries its hand at female empowerment by making Shenzi the leader of the hyenas, which, in the original, did not seem to have a leader among themselves. This really feels like an inspired choice for the remake. Banzai and Ed are replaced by Kamari and Azizi, who provide a style of comedy that is not just slapstick.

Speaking of comedy, Timon and Pumbaa work really well here, leaning on the fourth wall, and bringing in new little bits here and there. No longer the sole inhabitants of their home, they have other animal neighbors, whose reactions to Simba are fun to see. The hula outfit and the apple may be gone, but we get to hear a few seconds of Timon singing another familiar Disney song. Plus, he and Pumbaa sing a cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" that is much better than their a capella version from the original.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is mostly the same as the original, with minor tweaks here and there. "Be Prepared" feels the most different, but it is not as good as the original version. Even with the epic moments of the original recreated, the music somehow does not do as good of a job of making the moments feel epic. The "Circle of Life" opening does not feel as powerful. Simba's ascension to the role of king does not feel as powerful. The new way that Zazu and Pumbaa sing might also take some getting used to.

A new song that was added is "Spirit" by Beyonce. It might feel out of place when one listens to it only on the soundtrack, but it works within the context of the film, at the moment when Simba and Nala run together back toward Pride Rock. Elton John also returns for a new credit song titled "Never Too Late," which might feel odd since it's much more upbeat than his version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" that closed the original. Fans of other Lion King media might also recognize "He Lives in You," which perhaps would have been interesting to work into the story of this remake somehow.

Verdict

While this remake of The Lion King might be visually impressive and emotional in some places, it lacks some of what made the 2D version stand out more. If the original is a 10 (or somewhere close to it), then this remake gets the following score:

7/10—Good, but just barely. It translates the original, but does not always elevate the material. People might enjoy it enough, but the 2D version would be the better choice.