The Lion King movie review rating: Three and half stars out of fiveÂ
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba… goes singer Lebo M to the rising African sun in a lame reprise of the legendary opening sequence and I am instantly transported 25 years back to watching The Lion King (1994). Nostalgia, overwhelming and magical childhood memories flooded in and I was a kid again.
Jon Favreau’s impressive, light brown terrain-colour dominated live-action The Lion King remake will be a treat to a new generation of audiences, who have not seen the classic original. For others like me, this is more than just Deja vu, though with uncomforting echoes of Disney’s unending, tried-and-tested stampede of remakes.
Dare to make new?   Â
The Lion King (2019), leave aside some tweaks, is a frame-to-frame copy of the animation classic and yet a tad less compelling to the more colourful, powerful original. It is difficult to top a classic and Favreau doesn’t risk a brand-new take.
The wild riot of celebration and multiple expressions that animation allows is not replicated here, making this version a mere copy. I didn’t find it odd that amazingly real computer-generated animals suddenly start speaking. The voiceovers are superb, the visual recreation is breathtaking, there is some heart lost in all this spotless perfection over the endearing hand-drawn animation.
Maybe they could have done a full-blown musical with new songs? How about a remake without the animals speaking and only a main narrator telling the story? That would have been both realistic and daring.
Fabulous music & background score revisitedÂ
Just how terrific is the original score by Hans Zimmer and how about the lovely Elton John songs? Too good! So good, the makers don’t dare to change anything, except for variations in rendering and tweaks in the music. The original Tim Rice lyrics sparkle with wit and charm. The Circle of Life, Be Prepared, I Just Can’t Wait to be King, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, still beautiful songs.  Â
At one instance, a rousing Hans Zimmer score is replaced by ‘Spirit’ sung by Beyonce. It doesn’t have the same effect, but at least somebody dared to impress something fresh into the otherwise mandatory territory. The additional Be Prepared lyrics are OK.
Still intense and fun  Â
The stampede and the heartbreaking death still got me choked. A kid in the audience started wailing after the death scene. Simba’s ascending of Pride Rock gave me goosebumps again.
When the hyenas scamper after Simba, it looks scarier and darker than it did in animation, more like a forbidding cruel story for adults. Then Timon and Pumbaa step in for much-needed comic fun.
The Lion King voiceoversÂ
James Earl Jones reprises his iconic voiceover for Mufasa and stands out again. Donald Glover as the grown-up Simba is apt too, as is John Oliver as Zazu. I missed Jeremy Irons’ natural wicked baritone twang as Scar, though Chiwetel Ejiofor is growlingly good.
Beyonce does the Nala voice nicely, but the show stealers are Billy Eichner as Timon and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa. Their verbal sparring is genuinely funny and balances the dark drama. And they don’t hold back “farted” here in Hakuna Matata, nice cheeky touch.
The Lion King review Â
That touch of Hamlet, the entire sphere of various human emotions replicated in animals, the original screenplay of Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, adapted here by Jeff Nathanson is still the best that Disney has ever done for a story.
The Lion King (the 3D is a no show) remake is worth it for the new audience and those looking to relive the original, don’t miss it on the big screen, for old times sake.
