By Olan Corcoran
The Lion King (2019) review
The Lion King 2019 is a beautiful recreation of its 1994’s masterpiece . The film is directed by Jon Favreau who recreated the Jungle Book in 2014 .This film takes photorealistic animation to the next level above and beyond the Jungle Book , at times the film even falls into the uncanny valley(used in reference to the phenomenon whereby a computer-generated figure or humanoid robot bearing a near-identical resemblance to a human being arouses a sense of unease or revulsion in the person viewing it.).
Having grown up with this film in my Nana’s house on VHS this film holds a special place in my heart . The 2019 counterpart sticks to its predecessors beautiful visuals, now . The level of detail on each character, background or center screen is phenomenal and in one scene imparticular the film shines though and through in the level of detail . Those who have seen the film will know that this is the where Rafiki (a guardian of the Pride lands ) finds out that Simba (price to the throne) who was presumably dead is alive .
The score in the film is outstanding and all actors in the new remake have brilliant voices especially James Earl Jones who reprises his role from the original, but it is Hans Zimmer’s beautiful score that connects the whole film to the original , it is like being back in my Grandmother’s house re-watching the original film. Without that score the film wouldn’t have made me feel the nostalgia that I felt.
Overall while the film is an almost shot by shot remake of the original 1994 classic , it lacks a certain charm and color that the original had . This is due to the films textures which are more realistic , yet are more plain and dull in some scenes but are jaw breaking in other parts . For instance the circle of life is a shot for shot recreation of the original and it is by far the highlight of the film. Where as “I just cant wait to be king “ lacks the blast of colors that the original had in its scene. There is also a lack of the song “Be Prepared “ which is one of my favorite Disney villain songs . This is due to the reimagining of the role of the hyenas . In the original they were very effective comedic relief and seen as “slobbering mangy stupid poachers “ . In the remake of the film they have less comedic purpose and are more threatening. This is sticks to the more realistic approach of the film .
The comedic aspect to this film really works due to two characters who in my opinion were spot on . These would be Billy Eichners “Timon” and Seth McFarland’s “Pumba” who worked brilliantly as a team in the film as a comedic duo. The comedy at times can be dark and crude with innuendos thrown left , right and center but it had the audience laughing ever time .
Overall my verdict is that the Lion King 2019 is a brilliant film , it is visually stunning and is by far Disneys best remake this year , although I must account for my bias towards the film , I think that film is definitely a 8/10 and a must see for fans of the original .