Item: The Lion King
Rating: 8
Author: Matt Rooney

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Plot: A remake of the iconic 1994 animated film, THE LION KING breathes new life into the story of Simba, a young lion cub who is exiled from his home after the death of his father Mufasa at the hands of his uncle, Scar. As time goes on Simba must learn to remember who he is so that he may save the ones he loves and claim his rightful place as king.

Review: Considering Disney’s animated movie THE LION KING is the first non-human thing I can remember loving, going in to see the very, very expensive-looking remake made for a special mixture of giddy excitement and caution I don’t ever expect to experience again. While the reasons for its existence are no great mystery (new generation, new audience, new money), there was still the inescapable wondering of how director Jon Favreau and his team would be able to recreate the epic scope, artistic mastery and emotional resonance of one of the most popular and beloved movies in its field. After leaving the theater I still can’t quite explain how they managed to pull it off, but indeed, they achieved the impossible by taking a journey I and millions of others have gone on dozens of times and made it feel fresh and wondrous all over again, and in no short order thanks to an impressive voice cast, iconic music and visual effects that will leave jaws firmly dropped.

The original film is one with no small supply of iconic scenes and moments burned into the minds of viewers, and it becomes readily clear Favreau and Co. would be sticking as closely to that material as possible — lest they feel certain wrath, perhaps. Opening on that visual of the African plains steeped in the orange glow of the rising sun, all before the instantly recognizable music cue roars to life, the entire opening of animals flocking to the monolithic Pride Rock is beat for beat, near shot for shot recreated from the original movie. While the rest of the movie isn't quite as direct as that, this is a common approach across the entire movie, and it will either cause seasoned viewers to roll their eyes or to marvel at this familiar story come to life in a whole new way. For younger eyes, I can’t imagine it will be anything short of wondrous.

However, just as soon as I realized how closely this new movie adheres to the original I found it doesn't matter in the slightest, and that's all thanks to how the game-changing visual effects have the ability to transport to a dazzling world of majestic animals and serene landscapes. Every ounce of this movie is digitally rendered, but the detail is so vibrant, colorful and immaculate that it's like watching a deeply involving episode of PLANET EARTH, the lines between how a real lion looks in the wild vs. how one looks talking to his father are masterfully blurred. Favreau and the entire VFX team deserves mountains of praise for making this all look like it was shot on location and forever changing how digital environments will be created and filmed. Come to think about it, "Game-changing" somehow feels like an understatement.

It's via this rich tapestry of beautiful visual effects that experiencing this story once again doesn't at all feel like a chore, as it's so easy to marvel at the stunning scenery and get lost in the story in this endlessly captivating world. Little Simba is more adorable than any human brain could ever imagine, his fluffiness alone being worth the price of admission, and going on his journey felt like I was, in some way, doing it for the first time. From start to finish there is never a moment that didn't leave me breathless, sparking that movie magic that made me wonder how the hell what I was seeing was brought to life.

The story of Simba's exile and his rediscovery of who he is not something that needs reminding of, but the way the voice cast plays through it certainly is. One goal of the movie is to take this fantastical tale and make it seem as real as possible, and the performances of the actors match that realism. The most notable example of this is the work of Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villain Scar, who was originally brought to life with perfect, devilish theatricality by Jeremy Irons. But here, Ejiofor fills the massive paws brilliantly by delivering a more sinister and dark (but with tinges of sassiness) take that gives haunting depth into the scarred, gaunt look of the jaded lion. Similarly, the returning James Earl Jones replaces the authoritative, bolder stature of his previous Mufasa with a more precise, measured and wisened take, proving his genius as an actor by taking the character in two different directions and making it work wonders.

The rest of the cast is up to the challenge too, with JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph doing excellent work as the new young cubs, Simba and Nala, and with Donald Glover and Beyonce Knowles-Carter making the adult versions their own with natural charm and warmth. Beyonce, in particular, stands out thanks to Nala's more expanded role, giving her a passion and strength the character didn't have before. The rest of the cast — including John Oliver as Zazu, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, John Kani as Rafiki, (who is more spiritual and less over-the-top this time around) and Florence Kasumba, Keegan-Michael Key, and Eric Andre as the hyenas Shenzi, Kamari, and Azizi — all find ways to mine new depths to the characters. In some scene-stealing work, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen achieve the unthinkable and breathe new, hilarious life into Timon and Pumbaa, who have a natural, almost meta sense of banter that lends a more modern and welcome comedic tone. Much like the original, it will be impossible to leave the theater not having fallen in love with these two, even if it's just because bringing to life the twitchy, lack-of-chill visual of a real meerkat is sort of bizarre.

Even with the awesomely unreal visuals and terrific performances, both can only go so far is in how the animals are actually able to emote on screen, which isn't all that far. Granted, this is an understandable flaw, given that you can't take a photorealistic animal and give it big doe eyes and have them run about with a comically ajar mouth. But clearly, there are limitations to how the animals can look and convey powerful emotions in a way that's hard to ignore. Same goes for the musical numbers, which can have some energy but seem a bit clunky when focusing on the animal singers. Much of this is made up for thanks to the great vocal work and clever blocking that turns the tremendous landscapes into a stage (and other animals as active participants), meaning the musical numbers range from fine-pretty good. Still, sometimes the anger, emotion and spectacle of a scene don't hit as hard as they should because of these technical limitations, which is a shame given the musical moments, as the actual is itself so excellent. That being said getting Beyonce and Glover to duet is "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a sort of genius that you would be a fool to deny yourself.

What makes the story so special and unlike anything in the Disney canon is the dramatic scope and raw emotionality between the characters. Here the biggest emotional moments have a visceral, sometimes heartbreaking punch, with the use of lighting and scenery feeling both natural and spectacular. The ways the characters interact have a different kind of dimension thanks to a slightly expanded story from writer Jeff Nathanson, with Nala having more to do, and Scar feeling like a more complex character with righteous anger and a stronger sense of entitlement. These additions seem few and far between, but when moments like the Pride Rock finale feel grander and more engaging than before you can see where the team saw opportunities to expand and provide a new level of emotional, visual power with engulfing fire and hard lion claw blows. Helping hit those notes even harder is the music of Hans Zimmer, whose work with collaboration from Lebo and Pharrell Williams provides that same spectacular, unforgettable power with just enough new bits laced within to give it new layers and expand on the already sweeping score.

Scores of viewers may walk away from LION KING feeling unmoved and unswayed by what's new about the remake given what's also so familiar, but I for one am someone who doesn't always care if a remake of any kind borrows the same beats from the original source material. Like a musician covering a popular song or a new cast and crew reviving a famous stage play, what it all comes down to is how the new version takes the story and makes it feel fresh and captivating all over again. On that note, I found THE LION KING a stunning, thrilling, fun and unexpectedly funny experience that takes most of what made the original special and provides a whole new way to admire it. Other adult audiences may be divided between awe-struck and "over it", but for the audience this is primarily for — the young audience — they will get the gift of getting to see the wonder of this perfect story come to life, possibly for the first time, in a breathtaking, visually enrapturing way, and because of that this movie earns its crown as a worthy remake.