A soulless CG fest - 2/10

by Jad Sammour

Starting off, I have a confession to make: the last time I watched The Lion King was 12 years ago, so my review will be criticizing it like it’s a first viewing. (but I still remember the emotions I felt while watching it). The Only reason I watched The Lion King was because of my love for it when I was a young kid. I am against the Disney live action remakes and it's the only one I saw.

First off, the opening scene gave me utter goosebumps but just after the soundless title card appeared, the film went downhill for me.

There is no denying that the CG work that has been put in the film is marvelous. I can write all day about how good the CGI is and what a masterpiece the artists have accomplished. I also have to praise Hans Zimmer’s score.

The film had the right atmosphere but the following ruined the experience.

-The voice cast: many cast members were really good my problem was with the chemistry and the inclusion of their voices. Mufasa, for instance, was amazing. James Earl Jones was great but his chemistry with the young actor who played Simba was so off that you can’t believe they’re in the same scene. To be honest, the mouth animation made it hard to be believable. I also had a problem with Donald Glover and Beyoncé: absolutely no chemistry and their voices felt disjointed during the dialogue and the singing.

-The whole fact of bringing it to live action had removed the “Magic” from the story and the make-believe.

-The first part of the film (young Simba) felt really disjointed and muddled with progression.

-The movie had no heart. Emotional scenes were poorly handled and had no emotional impact whatsoever. And characters’ turning points suffered the same problem.

On the other hand, the film had many boosts:

-The script was still good.

-Timone and Pumbaa were really really fun. Seth Rogen was a blast and his chemistry with Billy Eichner was so entertaining.

-The songs – most of them - didn’t feel forced or cringy.

-The score was great.

-The messaged that the film delivered.

-The visuals are Oscar worthy.

Overall, the film had many elements for success but fell short of doing so by miscasting, lack of creativity, and handling the film like it’s a 2D animated film with absolutely no creative effort.

It’s sad to say this, but I am disappointed.

Can you feel the love tonight?

 Not mine for The Lion King, unfortunately.

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