Animation Celebration Saturday - The Lion King (2019)

Disney, 2019
Voices of Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Beyonce Knowels-Carter
Directed by Jon Favearu
Music by Elton John and others; Lyrics by Tim Rice and others

Frankly, of the films Disney had announced that they were going to remake, this was the one I was the least excited about. Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Aladdin are all well-known fairy tales that were told before and will likely be told again. Pete's Dragon and The Jungle Book were a bit dated and had room for improvement and experimenting. The Lion King, on the other hand, as I mentioned in my review of the original film, remains a favorite of critics and audiences alike. How could Disney improve one of their most beloved films? Well...let's just return to the Pride Lands, this time in CGI, and find out...

The Story: Simba (JD McCrary) is the prince of Pride Rock in the African savannas. He wishes he could grow up faster and be just as respected as his father, King Mufasa (Jones). His uncle Scar (Ejiofor) tells encourages him to go to the elephant graveyards beyond the Pride Lands, as only the bravest lions go there. Scar wanted him there so the ravenous hyenas, lead by Shenzi (Florence Kasumba), would kill him and his best friend Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph), but Mufasa saves them. He's not as lucky when Scar lures him and Simba into a wildebeast stampede created by the hyenas. Scar lets Mufasa die and tells Simba he did it, forcing him to flee.

Simba is found by Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogan), a meerkat and warthog respectively whose motto is "Hakuna Matata" or no worries. They take Simba to the jungle, where he and their friends raise the cub on a vegetarian diet to adulthood. Meanwhile, Scar has let the hyenas strip Pride Rock bare. The lions and other animals are starving, and Scar is trying to force Queen Sarabi (Alfre Woodward) to become his mate. The older Nala (Knowels-Carter) flees to get help. Simba refuses to go with her at first...until Rafiki (John Kani) reminds him that his father is watching over him from the stars and will always be there for him, and that he shouldn't be afraid of his past.

The Animation: The animals themselves look gorgeous. They closely resemble their real-life counterparts; it feels like you could reach out and stroke the lions' fur, or feel the sharp tip on Pumbaa's tusks. The backgrounds are rich in golds and yellows in the Pride Lands, deepening to greens and golds in the jungle.

The realistic animation is a double-edged sword. For one thing, it feels like gold, green, sienna, gray, and brown are the only colors in Africa, with the occasional blue of Rafiki's face coloring or Zazu's feathers. The glowing colors were one of the best things about the original. The realism also severely limits the animals' facial expressions. One of the delights of the original Lion King is how Disney managed to make the animals expressive and still look like lions, hyenas, and meerkats. Here, the animals never really smile, laugh, or do much of anything. (Although they do manage to get a few funny looks out of Timon and Pumbaa, especially when Nala is about to come after them.)

The Song and Dance: One of the things I did enjoy about this one, for the most part, was the cast. Matthew Broderick had always been a little bland as the adult Simba. Donald Glover gives him far more personality, and McCrory is adorable as his younger self. A few people had reservations about the goofball Regan as sweet Pumbaa, but he gives him the right good-natured sell and works well with Eichner. Jones is just as good in his second outing as Mufasa, and Woodard is an elegant Sarabi.

What I liked best about this one was the improved villains. In the original, the hyenas are a bit creepy, but are mainly played for comic relief. Here, they're downright terrifying, especially in the elephant graveyard. Kasamba's Shenzi is a tough hyena queen who may bow to Scar, but sure as heck won't to anyone else. Ejiofor is less smarmy and more menacing as the brother who wants to rule and is willing to kill to get a mate and the throne.

Favorite Number: "The Circle of Life" is just as awe-inspiring here as it was in the original, with the sun shining down over the waves of animals and Rafiki drawing the powder along Simba's too-cute kittenish face. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is less cartoony but cuter, showing off the baby animals of the savanna as Simba wishes he'd just grow up faster. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is built into a number for Timon, Pumbaa, and the animals of the jungle, and it's hilarious...until Nala jumps in and breaks up the party. Rogen and Eichner also have fun with "Hakuna Matata," which is expanded a little to show off more of Simba growing into adulthood. Beyonce had a hand in one of the two new songs, "Spirit," a rousing chant for Simba as he returns to Pride Rock.

What I Don't Like: Even more than Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and the others...we didn't need this. Other than the change of mediums, darker villains, and two new songs (one over the credits), Disney didn't really bring anything new to the table. "Be Prepared" is shortened and is basically repeating the lyrics over and over; "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" doesn't feel nearly as romantic performed in the daytime. They've done this particular franchise to death already with two direct-to-home-media sequels, two TV shows, and a Broadway show.

Speaking of the Broadway show, like Beauty and the Beast, I wish the film had retained some of the songs from the stage version. "He Lives In You" is included on the soundtrack, but not in the film proper. "Endless Night" might have been a nice way to deepen the adult Simba and find out more about how he feels when Rafiki reminds him of who he is.

And as it is almost a shot-for-shot remake, it retains some of the more violent moments from the original, including the stampede and the attack of the hyenas in the elephant graveyard. You may want to try your younger children on The Lion Guard or, if you can find it, Timon & Pumbaa before coming to any of the movies.

The Big Finale: How could Disney improve on one of their biggest films? They couldn't. Unless you or your children are huge Lion King fans, fans of the cast, or are really bored this summer and want to see something for the family, I'd save the money and just rent the original again.

Home Media: The soundtrack is easy to find in all formats, including streaming and vinyl.

CD
Vinyl Records
Amazon Music