The Lion King (2019) Wasn't That Purrrfect.

Overview:

Come on guys, who hasn’t seen The Lion King by now? A young lion cub flees his kingdom after feeling responsible for his father’s death, and learns the true meaning of bravery.

Initial Thoughts:

Guys...listen. This film is 50/50. I watched this movie with my girlfriend and she loved it. I have a completely different opinion. I’m gonna bring up my bbygirl in this review a lot so, I’m gonna speak for the both of us. On a technical level, this film is great. Everything looks how it's supposed to look, animals move correctly, and the environments feel lively. It feels real. However, the realism has a downside...a big downside. Mainly, the color and lack of emotion from the animals. The songs here lack the spectacle that the original animated film had. For example, the song “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” feels so neutered here in comparison to the original. We had scenes of Simba and Nala riding on the backs of flamingos, the colors change when the song starts, plus there’s some slapstick humor. The remake’s version just feels so bland. It’s like cheese pizza. The only thing that feels right is the singing. My girlfriend liked this part.

Characters/Performances:

JD McCrary as Young Simba: Young Simba is just as pivotal to this story as adult Simba. McCrary is a good voice actor and an excellent singer. My girlfriend thought his voice was cute. As far as comparisons to the original go, there’s not much of a difference. Jason Weaver, the actor that provided young Simba's singing voice in the original, was slightly better.

James Earl Jones as Mufasa: Mufasa is sorta tricky here. On one hand, you have the challenge of trying to recast the iconic role of this character with a different voice actor. On the other hand, you run the risk of casting an 89 year old man for a voice acting role that he’s already done 26 years ago, when he was younger. Jones feels stale in this movie. It sounds like he’s just reading his lines and that’s it. I mean, I understand the choice to recast him. No one else sounds like him, could you imagine someone else being the voice of Darth Vader? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar: There’s two performances that I like in his film, this is one of them. Scar, as a villain, is just plain evil. He manipulates his nephew, kills his brother, and betrays everyone that trusts him. Ejiofor is perfectly casted here. It seems like he’s the only one that really tries. He also has the best song in this film, “Be Prepared.”

Seth Rogen as Pumbaa: Rogen was a solid choice for this role. Some casting choices are kinda no brainers and this is a great example of one. Seth isn’t that good of a singer though. My girlfriend didn’t think it was a big deal. Seth is good at playing himself and Pumbaa feels like the animal version of him.

Billy Eichner as Timon: This is the other performance that i really liked. Eichner was made for this role. I would argue that he’s better than Nathan Lane, from the original. Billy is no stranger to fast paced, loud, and talkative roles. That’s basically Timon. Timon is Eichner’s spirit animal.

Donald Glover as Adult Simba: This whole section is gonna be a hot take. I’m gonna come out and say it, Glover isn’t very convincing as a dramatic actor. He’s definitely not convincing as a dramatic voice actor. Simba should’ve been written to be more laid back and cynical like Glover’s character in Atlanta. Simba is so melodramatic. My girlfriend loves everything that Glover does, so naturally she loved this. Glover sounds like such a whiny little pussy(cat.) So Simba comes off as annoying over emotional wimp.

Beyoncé as Nala: Beyoncé plays Beyoncé. Maybe, she’s too famous because I don't hear Nala when she talks. Her line delivery is flat and uninspired. There’s no doubt that her musical numbers are flames. She’s fantastic in “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.” Me and my girlfriend agreed on this one, highfive Shantell!...no? Oh ok...Anyways guys, I’m totally not crying ahaha. Beyoncé’s acting peaked in Dreamgirls. Don't @ me. Please, don’t come after me, Beyhive.

Final Thoughts:

The Lion King 2019 is a shot-for-shot remake of the original. Who asked for this? I mean, I can understand The Jungle Book and Aladdin getting a live action remake, but this? No. There’s NO emotion from the animals and the realism is just too real, ya know? You can make something live action and still have it be cartoon-ish. I feel like my girlfriend showed more emotions watching this than the characters. Thank you, Shanny for watching this with me. I did not have a good time, but she did so it was worth it. Anyways, it’s ya boi Bryan, not showing any emotion whatsoever, peace.

Rate:

C-