The Lion King (2019)
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen
Synopsis:
The young son of King Mufasa is caught in the plot of his sinister uncle.
Impressions:
The novelty of these live-action (or pseudo-live action in this case) remakes of the Disney classics has worn thin for me. The fact that Disney pumped out three in one year (not counting the direct-to-streaming release of the Lady and the Tramp remake) really feels like they're desperate to burn through the catalogue and be done with it. This is perhaps the straightest remake they've done so far and perhaps because it plays things so straight, fans of the original are going to notice more the various changes to the dialog and delivery, to say nothing of all the recasting. James Earl Jones is the only original castmember to return, but at his age you can tell he's having some trouble putting the same power into the performance. (Nevertheless you'll probably be hard-pressed to find anyone who'd want to see someone else voice Mufasa.) Chiwetel Ejiofor does a decent job of delivering the menace of Scar, but his performance doesn't have the same range as Jeremy Irons and the lifeless rendition of "Be Prepared" falls miserably flat. The only new tune "Spirit" is pretty lame as well. All told, it's a solid film that would probably come off much better if it weren't trapped in the shadow of the far superior original. It's well enough worth a watch for curiosity's sake if nothing else. I would say that it's one of the best of these remakes for whatever that's worth.
I was too kind to this film, as I tend to be on a casual viewing. Any merit to this film is only its pale reflection of the vastly superior original. As with all these remakes, it never should have been made. It's a shameless cashgrab that banks entirely on nostalgia for the original. A canny business decision in this case, but one that's devoid of artistic merit. Because the original exists, there's no reason for this other than to serve as a cautionary tale. If we go by my original, mostly superficial observations, I could say this was a take it or leave it deal, but I'm going to come down harder and say that you should pass on it. (I'm tempted to go even further, but there are worse entries in the lineup of these remakes more deserving of the flames.)
Rating:Avoid It