oh well, what can I say? It's not bad as critics say, at all.

The CGI animation needs to be really talked. It's **groundbreaking** for real, the way it was "filmed" and choreographed in Virtual Reality, giving a sense of real freedom on the gorgeous computer sets created. There are scenes where _The Lion King_ simply throws at your face the ability of building scenes and shots that could easily be taken from a BBC Earth documentary.

But we need to talk about the elephant in the room, that every critic smashed, that is the bland voice animation in favor of the realism in the animals. It's not that bad for real. In fact, the movie conveniently hides some of the "would-be weird" mouth animation in some of the musical parts because of that carefulness and takes some risks with other scenes.

In terms of voice acting itself the real winners are Timon and Pumbaa, voiced by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen respectively. They completely steal the show even with lines from the original and blends super nicely with the animals, especially Timon, because a meerkat is simply as funny real as animated. Chiwetel Ejiofor's Scar was more "villain" and less "cunning" like the original, putting a sense of danger with his plan and therefore the movie is a little darker because of that. The _Be Prepared_ was transformed into a drama and suspense "song" revealing more the horrible plan that is [spoiler] to kill his brother and king.[/spoiler]
Donald Glover and Beyoncé were a surprising combo, especially, because I thought I wouldn't be able to separate the superstar level, especially with Beyoncé, and pretend I wasn't seeing a lion being a world-star diva. But it works, most of the times. There are times where you say "oh that's so cute look at them" and there are times when you just imagine Nala belting in Coachella vibes for a hundred thousand people :sweat_smile:.

In terms of music production, it still maintains the quality associated with the original's soundtrack. Just from the beginning with Lebo M. returning with his full power for _Circle of Life_, but also passing with the obvious star vocalist Beyoncé creating a beautiful rendition of Nala's _Can You Feel The Love Tonight_ with Donald Glover as well, showing that she has a trained and connected voice, using mostly the riffs and runs in head voice mixed with that Disney's touch to it. Also the new music from her, Spirit, was a nice surprise connecting two parts of the world of _The Lion King_. (Also keep for the credits to hear a new song from Elton John which was a nice addition as well).

These are the main parts of the movie. Some will like it, some will love it and some will prefer the original afterwards. But there's no denial that it wasn't just a bland remake. There were talent involved, from the CGI animators to the music producers and performers. It's a great tribute to one of the best animated movies of all time, showing a new modern light to it and introducing a beautiful story to the younger audience.

the '94 animated classic was the first movie i ever saw in theaters, so i went in with an open mind and open heart; nostalgia was on my side but i knew nothing would replace the lion king that i grew up with. i was so excited for this movie, but not nearly as much for the fact that it's the lion king as the fact that it's a complete masterpiece that showcases how far we've come with digital effects and animation. i spent the entire movie constantly amazed by how real everything felt; i mean there were talking animals and the movement of the mouths felt as convincing as the rendering of waterfalls and the sand dunes under simba's feet.

did i miss the full be prepared song? sure. was i disappointed that the hyenas didn't giggle and stage whisper 'mufasa' to each other before the song hit? duh. but there were things in this movie that the original didn't have, and they worked. donald glover and beyonce duetting together was as bizarrely perfect as you could imagine it to be. seeing the aftermath of simba running away after the stampede is heartbreaking on a whole different level when you're an adult, and not a little kid. this scar is genuinely upsetting on a level that the original never quite was, most likely because he was less stylized and more gritty. the hyenas weren't quite as much a source of comedic relief but i definitely lost it when azizi called the cubs "a midnight snack". also, keegan michael key as a neurotic hyena who just wants his personal space? nothing has ever been more perfectly cast in the history of disney.

everyone cast in this version did the characters justice, and then some. but i think the accolades for this movie should absolutely go to the animators and effects artists; they brought real, genuine emotion and life to the eyes of completely digital animals, ones who weren't meant to be seen as cartoons or parodies of the real things. they made this movie feel so natural and authentic that you could start to believe you were watching a nature documentary - at least until zazu or timon come screaming across the screen anyway.

watch this first and foremost for the incredible graphics, and then for the cast that stayed faithful to the original while bringing new and memorable moments all the same. it does the remake thing the right way.

I Liked The Movie And It's Story But 99% of The Story Line was Same As The Story Line of 1994's The Lion King

VFX:
No Doubt The Picture Has One Of the Best VFX I Have Ever Seen, It Also Got Nominated For Best Visual Effects In The Academy Awards. But Unfortunately 1917 Won The Award

Comparison:
You May Have Noticed That It's Rated Less Than The Previous One The Reasons I Think Is Firstly, We Didnt Get A Chance to see A New Content Instead The Old Story was copied.
Also, They Tried To Make The Movie So realistic That The Reactionreaction Of the Lions were Same in Every Situation even if They were On a Funeral. In The First Part This Thing Was Perfectly Done But This Time it was Missing

Hindi Dubbing :
Seriously I Have No Problem with The Hindi Dubbing The Cast was Perfect Like ShahRukh Khan or Asrani or Sanjay Mishara and How can we Forget Shreyash Talpade.
one Major Problem was The Songs was Also Dubbed which I Think Maked The Movie a Little Worse also They Called Their Home as "Gaurav Bhumi" I Was Like "What?"

Pros:
Visual Effects
Strong Story Line
Box Office
Cons From The Previous Movie Covered

Cons:
Voice Artists
Same Content
Dubbed Songs

Final Thoughts:

For Those Who Have Seened The First Movie -

It Totaly Depends On You If you are Interested To watch The Same Story Again
With Better Animation Or not.

For Those Who Haven't -

Should Watch


Low Ratings

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :)

I don’t know how I should start, but I guess I’ll address something that people might ask: yes, it’s a SPOILER-FREE review. Why? Well, the story might follow the same essential plot points, and the characters might have similar narrative paths, but there are so many details that make this movie stand on its own. From tiny little improvements to moments of the original that wouldn’t make sense in a realistic environment to adjustments to character’s backstory, musical moments or other significant parts. With that said, I need to discuss the controversy surrounding this remake, but I won’t take longer than one paragraph.

People need to understand that these Disney’s remakes aren’t here to replace the originals. They’re here to honor them, and bring their stories and characters to this new century so that new generations can have an additional look at something they love, and 90s kids can remember why they love these films so much. Emphasis on the “additional” part of that sentence. Then, people also need to get their preferences right: would you want to watch a shot-for-shot remake or something entirely different? Or a blend of these two? If you don’t know what you want, you might be in danger of turning into a hypocrite if your speech goes from “I don’t want these copy-paste remakes” to “they changed that specific moment, why didn’t they keep it the same?” Just be clear on what you wish. If you simply don’t want Disney to do these remakes, then just don’t watch them. Don’t go online try to beat it to the ground with negative comments if you haven’t seen the movie. Moving on …

I love it. I absolutely love it. I cried the exact same 4 times as I did in the 1994’s original. My whole body got chills during the opening sequence, which is one of a few things I love more about the remake than in the original. It’s NOT a shot-for-shot remake! I don’t understand how so many critics are calling it so. Either people’s memory of the original faded or someone clearly didn’t watch the same film. I can write a whole review of 1000+ words just describing the new stuff. Of course, the story goes through the same iconic moments in the same way, and some dialogues are extensively repeated, which was something that I was hoping they developed more. Despite that, I still feel that the scripts have a different take on it from the voice actors, even James Earl Jones.

One proof would be that I cried on a scene that I never felt like it in the original. I don’t know if it was how it was shot (one of the various different angles that the remake provides of known scenes) or if the dialogue just has more impact this time around, but the point here is that this remake is NOT a cheap copy-paste. I always look forward to seeing what they come up with to solve or adjust some questions that the originals leave us with. Let me just write that Jeff Nathanson has some truly brilliant changes/additions. Remember people criticizing Scar’s look when the first teaser came out? With just ONE WORD, its entire physical shape, scar, and past are explained. One word. Imagine that. There are little elements like adding a word or a sentence here and there, and it makes so much more sense with the character or the story in question.

Speaking of Scar, Chiwetel Ejiofor is astonishing. Scar might be my favorite character of the remake. He’s more menacing and scarier, his voice is darker, and his arc is better explored. Jeremy Irons will always have that iconic voice associated with the character, but Ejiofor did a crazily good job in replacing him. However, if there’s one voice that I could never watch another actor do is Mufasa’s. I have no words to express how emotionally powerful James Earl Jones’ voice is. As soon as he says “Simba” in the reflection scene, my eyes drop waterfalls. His voice is an emotional trigger, let’s call it that. I love Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) even more this time around. Their scenes are hilarious, and the characters’ relationship keeps being a standout. Oh, and if you were worried that the hula scene would never be as good let alone surpassed … You might need to rethink that. Also, I enjoyed the stretched last act (I found the original’s final battle too abrupt), and I would advise parents to be careful showing this remake to (very) young kids since the violence on display feels much more real (duh).

JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright-Joseph (young Nala) are amazing, and their voices are crystal clear while singing. Donald Glover and Beyoncé (adult Nala) are also terrific, and their voices are even better. The new music Spirit fits better in this remake than Speechless in Aladdin. Moving on to the music, it’s another aspect that I genuinely think the remake does better. Hans Zimmer proves that he can bring an old score of his back to life in a much more robust, epic, and passionate way. Every song feels more prominent, every soundtrack feels a lot more impactful and stronger. Be Prepared is the only one that goes through a significant change, and while it might sound a bit strange at first, I love it more each time I listen to it. It’s a score that will never be forgotten, and this remake just helped people remember how great it is. Oscar-winning score.

I left the best to last: the visuals. I can’t possibly describe how impressive and eyegasmic the CGI is. Animals talking was never an issue (people keep sharing GIFs or short clips and immediately started complaining that it looked awkward … a 30-seconds video without context watched on a laptop will never give you a hint of how the movie will actually be). Yes, the expressiveness of the original animation can’t be achieved, but going as far as saying that the film lacks soul or that the characters don’t emote is just inaccurate. You don’t need a PhD to understand that a lion with its ears down or up means different things. There are tiny little movements in the animals that are so complex that I’m still astounded how they were able to do it. If a bug flies near their faces, they flinch or move in such a characteristic way that I felt like I was truly watching real animals. Once again, Oscar-winning VFX.

I don’t really have major problems with it. Minor gripes with a few things, but the biggest one would be the lack of more uniqueness. There’s no element of surprise in regards to the story or the character’s decisions. We always know what’s coming, so we’re prepared (no pun intended) for anything they through at us because, well, we’ve seen it before (with the exception of one particular scene that made me jump out of my chair and I think not a single person will be able to avoid it). I find the “animals don’t emote” argument one of the biggest nitpicks in the history of cinema. It might be true that they lack the emotion of the original animation, but going as far as saying that they show absolutely no emotion is just hating for the sake of hate. Same goes for people criticizing the fact that Can You Feel the Love Tonight is sung during broad daylight … In the original, it isn’t nighttime as well.

Finally, I just want to address the “these remakes aren’t necessary / no one asked for these” discussion. No one asked for the 1994’s movie until it came out. People didn’t know they needed it. Seriously, everyone needs to realize that these remakes aren’t here to replace the originals. How many of you have watched The Lion King (1994) or showed it to someone in the past 10 years? How many times have you heard its score in the same period? I bet that most of the answers are simply “none”. That’s how important this remake is then! It makes you go back, it makes everyone remember how incredible the 1994’s film is, by keeping its essence while being able to stand on its own. Jon Favreau did a tremendous job, and I hope he gets recognized for it.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if the story is identical if we cry all the same. It doesn’t matter if we know what’s coming if we still feel nervous and worried about the characters. The Lion King (2019) is one of Disney’s best remakes so far, on par with The Jungle Book. Its VFX are game-changing, its score is more powerful and emotional than in the original, and the story carries the same heartfelt impact. James Earl Jones’ voice is everything. Timon and Pumbaa are even funnier. Ejiofor’s Scar is the best character in this remake. I have no flaws to point out, except that it follows the exact same path that the original’s story does. I wish it would be more distinct, but I can’t lie to myself, I love it deeply. One of 2019’s best movies. My #1 spot will be hard to decide… Go watch it! I can’t wait to see it again!

Rating: A

**Its not as bad as Cats or Star Wars 9.**

Disappointing and inconsistent. 2019 seems to be the year where the big movies were made to look good, but are in reality vapid and this is no exception.
This looks good mostly (except when Simba is a "teenager" and a lack of genitals means that the animals do not look really real), but everything else is below average. Also, the "real-ness" of the animals make some scenes way more scary for children.

The choices made in this are....strange.
-The voice casting is weird (some African sounding, some American, and others in between) - like there was no plan.
-Extra scenes and dialogue do not add to the movie and even lessen it when compared to its predecessor.
-The way the songs have been re-done/ recorded are just wrong and **this is the first Zimmer score that I have not liked** in....forever (it feels like he just phoned it in).
-And a baby warthog suddenly appears at the end near Pumba, but no mother...WTF?
There is still a plot though, so there's that... which means its better than the shambles that was Rise of Skywalker or Cats.

Yet another movie to forget.