The Lion King
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: July 19, 2019
6.5
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 1132 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
672
Mixed:
198
Negative:
262
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User scoreBy dateMost helpful
4
JortigoJul 19, 2019
This tape is an exact copy of the animated version. In the visual aspect it is spectacular, but it is totally devoid of emotions and of the magic that characterized its animated version. Disney continues to ruin its great classics.
15 of 17 users found this helpful152
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4
DLK1124Jul 25, 2019
Just watched this last night with the family. This was the worst remake from Disney so far. No emotion, poorly cast and altogether a complete money grab by Disney. As if they don't steal enough money from the kids, they put this piece ofJust watched this last night with the family. This was the worst remake from Disney so far. No emotion, poorly cast and altogether a complete money grab by Disney. As if they don't steal enough money from the kids, they put this piece of trash together. Now, the effects are really cool and amazing that they can do such things on a screen. Visually, this movie was amazing and cool to see. We have seen most of the remakes and this was by far the worst. This is clearly the epitome of a cash grab only. They know parents will take their kids to this and by the time word is out how crappy this film is, it won't matter because BEYONCE IS IN IT!!! YAY!!! What a crock! Save your money and wait for Disney to do something original.… Expand
5 of 5 users found this helpful50
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5
chrisd19844Aug 6, 2019
This film is okay, but it got ruined by the terrible voice acting. I get that some companies want to throw a bunch of random singers in movies now rather than hiring actual voice actors but sometimes it just doesn't work. That random blackThis film is okay, but it got ruined by the terrible voice acting. I get that some companies want to throw a bunch of random singers in movies now rather than hiring actual voice actors but sometimes it just doesn't work. That random black dude that voiced the adult Simba was god awful and the chick doing nala wasn't much better. I guess they wanted to be "politically correct" and have black folks in the film, for better or worse.… Expand
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
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5
JLuis_001Jul 23, 2019
Ironically one of the greatest classics of Disney and one that will be a massive blockbuster is the film that comes to show the great failures of their live action remakes.

Undoubtedly this is the Lion King. We're watching the same film weIronically one of the greatest classics of Disney and one that will be a massive blockbuster is the film that comes to show the great failures of their live action remakes.

Undoubtedly this is the Lion King. We're watching the same film we saw animated, just now with real animals. - Obviously you know what I mean by real - The CGI work is incredible, I cannot say anything negative about it, but let it be clear that the conversion to live action doesn't work in everything and it will not work in everything.
I say this because there are more remakes of animated Disney classics coming and lately they haven't made anything memorable.

I can't say this film is that failure that many critics say it is because the story is good. We know it, because many of us like the original film, but exactly there lies the point: We already have the original film and the original works great. This remake brings nothing, absolutely nothing and that's where its defeat lies.… Expand
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
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5
imtheonlytyeJul 21, 2019
It was good, obviously because lion king was amazing, but it was just the lion king from 1994 with a better picture. It was very emotionless and mono tone. Pumbaa and Timon were hilarious though.
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
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4
renanwiserJul 21, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The screenplay is exactly the same, they added 30 min, but there's not even one new scene incorporated to it. Scar was completely transformed in a unidimensional character with no depth at all, lacking all the personality layers he was build with in the original animation. The songs were not improved and in some cases, as seen in Be Prepared, they were completely modified. The animation is unnecessarily too much real, making it hard for you to have any kind of empathy with the characters' emotional struggles. The new song by Beyonce is completely lost in the screenplay when they could write a new scene giving protagonism to Nala with the new song.… Expand
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
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4
SaintJames012Aug 9, 2019
The further I get from the day I saw this movie, the more I dislike it. There is absolutely nothing about this movie that does anything better than the animated one. Graphically it is beautiful, but other than that the movie is completelyThe further I get from the day I saw this movie, the more I dislike it. There is absolutely nothing about this movie that does anything better than the animated one. Graphically it is beautiful, but other than that the movie is completely forgettable. If you want a great point to which this movie shows its flaws, look no further than the song "Just Can't Wait to be King." Remember all the shenanigans with the animals and colors and aesthetic in the cartoon? Well since this movie is photo-realistic, that entire song boils down to Simba and Nala walking around a pond singing. That right there represents this film perfectly: Boring.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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5
Trineo99Jul 21, 2019
First of all, the special effects in this film are outstanding and you can see all of the effort that went into it. All of the animal's act like their actual animal counterparts if you saw them in the wild. Timon, voiced by Billy Eichner, andFirst of all, the special effects in this film are outstanding and you can see all of the effort that went into it. All of the animal's act like their actual animal counterparts if you saw them in the wild. Timon, voiced by Billy Eichner, and Pumbaa, voiced by Seth Rogen, stole the show in their scenes. They both were perfectly casted and brought some of the humour in this film. For the rest of the cast, I can’t really say the same thing. Don’t get me wrong Donald Glover/Childish Gambino, who voices adult Simba, and Beyoncé, who voices Nala, did decent enough jobs with their parts and I could easily hear them with their parts but others just needed a change in casting. My main problem with the casting was with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar I just couldn’t hear him as the villain. Trust me I tried to forget about Jeremy Irons but I just couldn’t. Jeremy Irons made this character iconic for a reason and I feel like if they got somebody else it would have been a bit better. This film added forty extra minutes on to the run time, probably to show off the effects, but you can feel it especially when they change something or add something in. For me, this happened at the ending where they changed not just one of the funniest scenes but also made a scene longer than it should have been. The songs in this version just didn’t give off the same spectacle as in the original version. The original used the sets and lighting to help bring you into the numbers this one has nothing to make you interested in them. At certain points, the lighting would change for no reason. What I mean is that it would be Day time and then just a couple of seconds later it would be dark. But hey, at least we have another great score by Hans Zimmer. In the end, The Lion King (2019) just doesn’t live up to the original. If nothing else is showing and you need to beat the heat this summer than go ahead and check it out but if not just stay home and watch the 1994 one. I give The Lion King (2019) a 5.5/10.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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5
ryang1790Dec 5, 2019
The best way to describe this film is soulless. It looks stunning, but the realistic animation shows its limitations when the characters can't express themselves like in the 1994 original. Factor in a play-by-play copy of the original, withThe best way to describe this film is soulless. It looks stunning, but the realistic animation shows its limitations when the characters can't express themselves like in the 1994 original. Factor in a play-by-play copy of the original, with very few added scenes, and you've got a soulless adaptation of a far superior animated classic.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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5
CharRev101Jul 23, 2019
The movie was flat and predictable. I was really hoping it would be good but I found myself sitting there waiting for the entertainment. Beyoncé is not a good actress either. Her voice was distracting and not fit for the role sorry. Not aThe movie was flat and predictable. I was really hoping it would be good but I found myself sitting there waiting for the entertainment. Beyoncé is not a good actress either. Her voice was distracting and not fit for the role sorry. Not a great movie at all. But me going to see it adds to the “box office success”.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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5
Josue_leninJul 25, 2019
They could have done such a better job but o well I wouldn't go see it save ur money and go see Aladdin
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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4
MnmsmumJul 29, 2019
Cant see why they bothered, its not live action but looks too real to be animated? Pointless. So if you have seen the original just watch it again.
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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5
DirigiblePulpAug 3, 2019
Sure the animation is incredible, but at what cost? At what point in the original animated film did anyone find themselves thinking, "Man this would be so much better with real animals?" No one. Not ever.

The animals show no facial emotionSure the animation is incredible, but at what cost? At what point in the original animated film did anyone find themselves thinking, "Man this would be so much better with real animals?" No one. Not ever.

The animals show no facial emotion (it's so real!) leaving all the heavy lifting to the voice acting (it's not real!) and the songs, while as good as ever, feel leaden and dead when played over Planet Earth footage of animals walking in circles and staring at each other.

It's not just that the photo realistic CGI is soulless, dead and de-anthropomorphized, it's that it doesn't suit this story at all. The film asks you to suspend disbelief that animals can talk and sing while also asking you to believe they are real flesh and blood animals. It's classic doublethink.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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4
Nobilis1984Aug 4, 2019
Ah, what is that? I think the beginning scene is awesome, but then it becomes more and more about Africa documentation. Disney movies just do not work as live action movies.
And why does Nala have an inappropriate voice? It just does notAh, what is that? I think the beginning scene is awesome, but then it becomes more and more about Africa documentation. Disney movies just do not work as live action movies.
And why does Nala have an inappropriate voice? It just does not fit.
I miss in the movie the soul and the thrilling feeling of the animated cartoon from 1994.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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4
FranzHcriticAug 9, 2019
This remake is, "a rather uninspiring thing." The visual effects team on this film deserves all credit given to them, but everything else stops short. I won't deny my bias at reviewing 'Lion King', growing up on the original. I can neverThis remake is, "a rather uninspiring thing." The visual effects team on this film deserves all credit given to them, but everything else stops short. I won't deny my bias at reviewing 'Lion King', growing up on the original. I can never fully appreciate this new CGI film, but that doesn't change the fact that it's bland, soulless, and completely unnecessary to make. I like the traditional animation of the original, and the original voice cast. I mean, come on. No Jeremy Irons?. The saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it" comes to mind perfectly when describing the new 'Lion King'.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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5
LinttaFlamingoOct 12, 2019
In 2015 Disney released a live-action remake of Cinderella. I found it to be pretty enjoyable and well made for what it was, but it was basically a shot for shot copy paste of the original one, and with a distracting Robb Stark showingIn 2015 Disney released a live-action remake of Cinderella. I found it to be pretty enjoyable and well made for what it was, but it was basically a shot for shot copy paste of the original one, and with a distracting Robb Stark showing Cinderella a tiny garden room with a bigass swing for some reason. Naturally that was an immediate sign that Cinderella wouldn't be the only remake of a beloved original; Disney would definitely make sure we get a dozen or two of these.

Lion King is already the third remake in 2019 and not the last one either, so at this point Disney has basically started spamming us in the face with these films, because aside from the technical side, it's not exactly hard to take a movie and make an identical one again. All the story work has already been done for them... by them???

I've seen it twice now, and I've got like nothing to say that you wouldn't get by just watching the OG one. It's Lion King again but without the colors and without the animated charm, but it does have great covers of the classic songs I guess. I didn't really feel the extra 30 minutes anywhere except in some unnecessary filler scenes. There was an extra song too for Scar that was alright I guess. He didn't really sing, he just kinda talked but in a half singing way. Some of the extra minutes probably came in since the movie treats you like you're a f*cking dumbass and shows you flashbacks of scenes that literally happen in the same movie, just so you would understand that scene even though it doesn't exactly require much.

This film gives you exactly what you can expect. Cinematic karaoke. Childish Gambino and Beyonce sing very well despite Beyonce's random show offs that sounded a lot more like Beyonce than a singing lion. But I mean she can sing and it's not like it's gonna ruin the original Lion King all of a sudden so whatever. There's nothing really wrong with the songs and they're most likely the thing you're waiting for constantly since the story parts especially during the second act are so f*cking boring. Not even Pumba could save the second act by sh*tting himself constantly since they just used lazy stock sounds and he was kinda just pushed to the back. The second act even has a goofy scene of a giraffe eating Simba's hair and then sh*tting it out so a cockroach can roll the s*it around until it breaks and the hair just so happens to be taken to Rafiki by ants. Sure it ends up having a meaning to the plot in the end but it's goofy as Goofy. Rafiki himself is still good though. He's barely in the film but he's voiced pretty well. All of the voice acting is pretty good in the end. James Earl Jones sounds fantastic once again and Childish Gambino is pretty good. Beyonce wasn't that great. It just sounded like Beyonce in the studio.

The CGI, just like in the other Disney remake movies, is amazing and the film basically looks completely real. Although that was never the point to be honest. The animated movie had a ton of charm because it was NOT realistic. The animals moved and smiled and laughed in an exaggerated way and that's why it was easy to care for them and the scenes were super entertaining. Here everything looks braindead because real lions can't even smile. Even the Mufasa death which is the most emotional scene in the original movie is kind of hilarious here. Scar decides to bltch slap Mufasa instead of throwing him down the cliff and the shot of Simba screaming looks really off.

This whole joint is just really goofy to watch and ended up being more comical than emotional. But sure, some scenes like Mufasa talking to Simba from the sky was still really powerful because you can't really f*ck that up, can you? One thing I absolutely have to give credit about though is the fact that Hollywood resisted the urge to put more feminist trash in this movie. They actually didn't do it!!!! It was so nice to see lions acting like lions instead of getting political and going full Emoji Movie like Aladdin did :D… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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4
MattBrady99Sep 19, 2019
A souless cash grab.

I can't believe this made 1 billion at the box office. Like why? It's literally the same movie! Some of the voice acting wasn't that good, especially Beyoncé who's extremely bad here. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a great actor,A souless cash grab.

I can't believe this made 1 billion at the box office. Like why? It's literally the same movie! Some of the voice acting wasn't that good, especially Beyoncé who's extremely bad here. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a great actor, but he was painfully miscast as Scar. They should've just brought back Jeremy Irons. Mufasa death scene was pretty laughable. The visual effects on the animals may look photorealistic and amazing, but soul and heart isn't there.

Overall rating: Can you feel the love this evening?… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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5
BitashNov 25, 2019
I have to agree that tha CG was absolutely amazing. What disappointed me was the voice overs!! Mufasa is a young father,James Earls voice was too old, making Mufasa sound old. Voice didnt match animation. I absolutely hated Beyonces voice forI have to agree that tha CG was absolutely amazing. What disappointed me was the voice overs!! Mufasa is a young father,James Earls voice was too old, making Mufasa sound old. Voice didnt match animation. I absolutely hated Beyonces voice for Nala! When it came to songing, it didnt seem realalistic...too much like Beyonce so it was distracting. Bad cast! The voice of Simba was awful, the singing was just bad. Timon and Pummba were only voice overs that seemed right.
I think they did a poor job on voice overs and the fact that it was sooo identical in every scene to the original cartoon, made the story not fresh or exciting. Wish they changed it up a bit.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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6
andre27Aug 4, 2019
Quando é nos dito que vão fazer um filme live action do Rei leão, fiquei logo em êxtase não fosse ele o meu filme favorito de infância e que vi vezes e vezes sem conta. Logo por isso tinha o hype em cima e estava realmente á espera de mais.Quando é nos dito que vão fazer um filme live action do Rei leão, fiquei logo em êxtase não fosse ele o meu filme favorito de infância e que vi vezes e vezes sem conta. Logo por isso tinha o hype em cima e estava realmente á espera de mais. Sendo assim:

-Aspectos Positivos: O filme está bonito segue toda a sequência original, as vozes de mufasa e Scar estão bem conseguidas e temos bons momentos recriados(Timon e Bumba estão muito bem em todas as cenas e são o ponto alto do filme)

-Aspectos Negativos: Aqui está o grande problema do filme, não existe emoçao nas personagens. O facto de estar tudo demasiadamente bem criado levou a que as expressões dos personagens não existissem e isso leva a que num filme em que a carga emocinal é tão grande eu não tivesse nenhuma.Para verem nem com a morte de mufasa me emocionei um pouco. Acho que isso prejudicou o filme bastante e foi o que não me o fez amar.

Em suma é um filme razoável em que a passagem para leve action está muito bem feita, mas em demasia o que nos deixa sem termos as emoções tão essenciais neste filme.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
DominArsenOct 27, 2019
Sublime the difference PC vs. Reality is so thin that now it's hard to realize the "possible really" compared to the "potentially possible because seen at the movies". My only disappointment is that animals do not really have charisma as theSublime the difference PC vs. Reality is so thin that now it's hard to realize the "possible really" compared to the "potentially possible because seen at the movies". My only disappointment is that animals do not really have charisma as the face has very little visible emotion #FanArt #ellejart. This or that fan really understood what this movie should be!

Sublime la différence PC vs Reality est si mince que maintenant c'est difficile de se rendre compte du "possible réellement" par rapport au "potentiellement possible, car vu au cinéma". Ma seule déception est que les animaux n'ont pas vraiment de charisme vu que le visage ne possède que très peu d'émotion visible #FanArt #ellejart. Ce ou cette fan a réellement compris ce que devait être ce film !… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
mashedtatterNov 18, 2019
While I'm impressed by how far CGI has come, this is truly just a soulless attempt at cash grab. It's nearly scene-by-scene identical to the original animated film and serves no real purpose. It may entertain small children, but fans of theWhile I'm impressed by how far CGI has come, this is truly just a soulless attempt at cash grab. It's nearly scene-by-scene identical to the original animated film and serves no real purpose. It may entertain small children, but fans of the original should just stay away… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
DubeauOct 25, 2019
The lion king is a CGI remake but it doesn't work on all levels. First the story is exactly the same. My question is why not add up something new ? The songs are there. Some are improved but some are just bland. Why not improved on the themThe lion king is a CGI remake but it doesn't work on all levels. First the story is exactly the same. My question is why not add up something new ? The songs are there. Some are improved but some are just bland. Why not improved on the them too ? As for the CGI most of them works and overall very beautiful. But baby Simba has a flagrant lack of expression while the adult counterparts have many. Why did they made the young Simba so facialy static ? I really did love the fights and chase scenes. This is about the best scenes in the movie because it actually exploit the 3d settings and amazing camera views. I really liked all the voices over. The Zimmer soundtrack still has long music pieces with no interruptions, moment of silence or soft music. That trend doesn't help the movie. I give it 62%. It was a cash grab and a miss opportunity to enhance the story, the music.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
YukyonAug 6, 2019
In the visual aspect it's incredible, but the characters lack a lot of emotion, it just doesn't feel as right seeing those photorrealistic animals singing.
The plot it's the same so there's no need to adress that.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
JokohamaAug 3, 2019
Same old touchy story, but now with realistic CGI, the magic is already gone.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
DrchoreOct 24, 2019
Disney Studios must stop milking this cow before traditional animation dies forever!!!
This is not a bad movie at all, but what these super-realism remakes add to the original one except animals with messed up fur?
(really, at least pleaseDisney Studios must stop milking this cow before traditional animation dies forever!!!
This is not a bad movie at all, but what these super-realism remakes add to the original one except animals with messed up fur?
(really, at least please look at nature documentaries, there is no healthy animal with fur like those.)
In the end, this frame by frame remake of 1994 movie adds nothing to a brilliant classic animation except removing something to add more realism. If you like animals, watching some documentaries is better advice.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
EtainMukanAug 3, 2019
I don't know if it's because my fondness for the original Disney animated movies colors my perception of the live action remakes, but I've been severely disappointed with every one of them except for Cinderella. The animals looked absolutelyI don't know if it's because my fondness for the original Disney animated movies colors my perception of the live action remakes, but I've been severely disappointed with every one of them except for Cinderella. The animals looked absolutely fantastic - if this were a nature show. But, as far as emoting and engaging the audience in the story, it just fails completely. I think it's just a limitation of transitioning from an animated medium to a live action one where anthropomorphizing the animals to express emotions would probably just look weird.

Many of the voice actors I also felt were flat. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, & Beyoncé's performances were just lifeless. Not to mention I could barely hear/make out the majority of John Oliver's dialogue. James Earl Jones was perfect and spot on as usual. The songs were good, not as good as the original imo, but still they weren't too bad. I missed the original "Be Prepared" and that Beyoncé song seemed so out of place. I would have liked to of had "He Lives In You" by Lebo M. actually in the movie instead of relegated to the credits, it's a great song.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
JessthespiderJul 29, 2019
"It looks good" Oh you mean the movie that they sunk too much money into looks nice. It's almost a shot for shot remake of a movie that didn't need to be remade. If you want to watch a movie with your kids or something than put on the lion"It looks good" Oh you mean the movie that they sunk too much money into looks nice. It's almost a shot for shot remake of a movie that didn't need to be remade. If you want to watch a movie with your kids or something than put on the lion King at home. This is a soulless retelling of a movie that didn't need to be retold. We need to stop paying for these colour by numbers remakes or Disney will just keep pumping them out. What's the point in doing something new when they can just remake the same story we've all heard a thousand times. The people who like this are killing movies and killing risk. They will not risk anything and we won't get anything new.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
RockemupAug 1, 2019
This is basically a tech demo. Amazing CGI quality. And thats where all my points go. Reinventing The wheel gets no points for ingenuity, concept, design, marketing.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
yagohliraAug 2, 2019
Average movie, but worth watching. Unfortunately it was just to profit.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
thegldtAug 7, 2019
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion...
can't act because a lion has no facial expressions in real life.
2019's The Lion King is a visual masterpiece marred precisely by its ambition to be photorealistic. It's insane how each frame ofIn the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion...
can't act because a lion has no facial expressions in real life.

2019's The Lion King is a visual masterpiece marred precisely by its ambition to be photorealistic. It's insane how each frame of this movie is computer-generated. I particularly loved the night sky timelapses that looked like they were pulled straight off a Nat Geo Wild archive.

For a movie called "The Lion King", the lions were unfortunately the weakest part of the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, they're animated majestically, but because the creative directive was to make everything look "realistic", the lions barely have any facial expression. In real life, a lion's happy face is the same as its angry face.

If the lions' faces can't do much of the acting, we now have to turn our attention on the voice talent. Donald Glover and Beyonce both have phenomenal voices—so iconic that I couldn't help but just see both music megastars in a cramped recording studio in California trying their best to deliver 25-year-old dialogue. I found Glover's voice too soft (read: cute) to sound like the grown lion portrayed in the film. And every time adult Nala was on screen, I just saw Beyonce, period. Bottom line: their voices are amazing, but their voice acting... let's just say the handicapped facial animation didn't do them any favors.

The combination of both issues (lions' photorealistic faces + recognizable voices) kept pulling me out of the magic.

So in the end, 2019's The Lion King is nothing more than a perfect Timon and Pumbaa feature. (My local cinema's reaction to those two prove that they were the highlight of this mediocre remake.)… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
A_YukiOct 15, 2019
It wasn't as good as the cartoon one. The charm of it wasn't there and it is sad to say that I didn't like the "Live action" one. To each their own. For me, the cartoon one is still the best, even today.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
AkuzaSep 7, 2019
Visually it looks beautiful, the story remains intact, most of the actors do a good job. The film on its own, is decent enough for anyone without any prior knowledge of the original, i wouldn't say it holds a candle to the orginal personallyVisually it looks beautiful, the story remains intact, most of the actors do a good job. The film on its own, is decent enough for anyone without any prior knowledge of the original, i wouldn't say it holds a candle to the orginal personally though. My main issues with the film are; majority of the cast just don't seem to show any emotion in their voices at all, especially young simba, looking like he wants to play when he should be distraught. the songs had no heart in them, especially scar where he was doing it more as if it was reading a book than rallying the troops.

the only good thing to come from this film are visuals and timon and pumba which are funny as usual.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
Kevin3Sep 12, 2019
El rey leon una mala copia de su versión animada con el mejor CGI de este año los animales de ven muy realistas pero en si una película sin alma
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
BlackVegetableSep 29, 2019
A real life version of the original Lion King. The movie is almost completely the same as the original, but then in real life. For me this made the movie feel repetitive and unoriginal, as it felt like I was watching a tweaked rewind of aA real life version of the original Lion King. The movie is almost completely the same as the original, but then in real life. For me this made the movie feel repetitive and unoriginal, as it felt like I was watching a tweaked rewind of a movie. On the bright side, the new images are great and the voice acting is also quite good (I loved John Oliver as Zazu).
Conclusion; feels like an unoriginal rewind of the original movie with some nice voice acting.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
tropicAcesJul 19, 2019
They sing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in broad daylight.

That’s it, that’s my review.
9 of 10 users found this helpful91
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5
MrMovieBuffJul 19, 2019
There is no denying that 'The Lion King' (1994) is one of Disney's most treasured animated classics that still impacts audiences today. So, you may ask; why did Disney want to tell the same story again, with the exact same execution? JustThere is no denying that 'The Lion King' (1994) is one of Disney's most treasured animated classics that still impacts audiences today. So, you may ask; why did Disney want to tell the same story again, with the exact same execution? Just because they can. 'The Lion King' has visual wonder and sweeping state-of-the-art CGI, but nothing else new to add. It's disappointing mainly because this is all handled by a talented and trusted filmmaker with Jon Favreau (who also directed 'The Jungle Book' for Disney), so you'd think his charm and creative input would be suited for this particular remake. Instead, I find myself asking, can you even tell that this was from the same director as 'Elf' (2003), 'Iron Man' (2008) or even 'Chef' (2014)? These films were able to showcase Favreau's talents as a storyteller, but realistically, any other director could have made this movie and the results would be mostly the same. You know the story, you've seen the film, you more or less love the film, both as a child and as an adult. The problem that lies with this remake is, just like my issues with the 'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) remake, it is shot-for-shot, quote-for-quote exactly the same as the original, warranting the existence of these remakes, mostly pointless. The cast do a pretty good job capturing the original spirit of the iconic characters, particularly impressive are Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, they bring their own comedic flair to these characters, and it works because it's the only thing that's different, but doesn't deviate from the original. At the end of the day, you can't accuse Jon Favreau for "disrespecting" the original movie because he made the exact same film. To most Disney fans, 'The Lion King' (1994) is as close to perfection as it could get, so you can't be mad at Favreau changing little-to-nothing. But to that, I ask, why tell the same story again in the exact same fashion? Only this time, things look more photorealistic. I understand the novelty that these live-action (I also understand this doesn't qualify as one) remakes is that it's like the animated originals, but it looks real. What you can achieve in animation, cannot be achieved exactly in animation. One of the common criticisms you may have heard is that the lions don't "emote" as much here as opposed to the original, but that's because the lions in the 1994 original had eyebrows drawn on them, not to mention that Zazu (voiced by John Oliver here) had big human eyes in the original. I admire Favreau for attempting something here, but I'd rather see him add his own trademarks to his films, whether they're original, or adaptations. 'The Lion King' doesn't showcase any directorial creativity, just cashing in on nostalgia. If you're going to remake a story, execute it in the most unique way you can, that's why 'Cinderella' (2015) and 'The Jungle Book' (2016) worked so well.… Expand
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5
ReplicanteJul 19, 2019
I found it unnecessary to remake a classic that is incredible to this day. I'm not saying the remake is bad, far from it, but it did not have to. It's like a BBC documentary telling a Simba story.
7 of 8 users found this helpful71
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4
MetempsychosisJul 20, 2019
Someone do something. Disney needs help. As in, an intervention.

Just came back from watching it and... It's The Lion King. You can't ruin the Lion King, but it's borderline cringe worthy. The only moment this whole thing has a facialSomeone do something. Disney needs help. As in, an intervention.

Just came back from watching it and... It's The Lion King. You can't ruin the Lion King, but it's borderline cringe worthy. The only moment this whole thing has a facial animation to go along with the feeling was when Sarabi recognized Simba. And even still, it seems like all their facial expressions are in the mouth. Maybe the producers were afraid the characters would look too cartoony, but I really feel like the facial animations where missing. The original felt much more alive because of them. Even their body language feels a little stifled, like those are animals that don't know they should be emoting.

In the same line, the songs feel lifeless. It's like they tried to make a live action remake of an original animated piece. It just loses its appeal in the translation... There is just so much more freedom that animation can give your characters when you're not obsessed with making the damn cats look so real they loose all identifiable emotion you could see on REAL lions.

I feel like they changed certain details, like Mufasa telling Zazu to turn around on Simba's pouncing lesson or the way Scar throws him off the cliff because of that and a lot of the impact was lost. Yeah, cats don't point with their claws. They also don't have kingdoms with succession laws and lionesses that are as proactive as a 1964 damsel in distress.

Speaking of that, poor Sarabi. Look at the scene where she's talking to Scar in the original. She looks like a goddamn queen with a hurt pride instead of a emotionless cat that is just staring like it's trainer is just outside the screen.

I also feel like the story didn't age that well. And since some scenes and dialogue was changed, I think they missed an opportunity to have the lionesses appear in the graveyard and help Mufasa kick some hyena butt. The point is, in this remake, their agency left a lot to be desired. It seemed that Nala was the only one that had a personality besides silent obedience and that was bad already in the original.

Finally, another opportunity was lost in not incorporating the sequel. Zira would've been a great counterpoint to Sarabi, IF she had stood up to Scar and the hyenas. Again, the lionesses felt like they didn't have much of an opinion. And that is when Timon and Pumbaa got a lot of other friends that really didn't need to be there. The whole scene about the tuft of fur was unnecessary, when the plot could've used some updating.

In the end, it's a remake that could've improved, but instead, it felt less alive, despite being more life-like; the songs lost a lot of their presence because of visual style that didn't keep up with the music; characters lost their dynamism and presence with an end result that looked like a Lion King themed tech demo or a National Geographic documentary trying to be cute with Lion King voice-overs.

It's not bad, but instead of hitting the nostalgia, it made me want to watch the original again. I was disappointed and I went in not expecting much. The nice visuals looked generic for being s life-like and I feel like the whole point of animation was lost to the producers. So, I don't care about how nice it looked: that was what damaged the movie as a whole.

Simba and Nala's reunion was... Goddamn Disney. Nala looked like she had come right out of a Christopher Nolan movie where she completely turned into a plot device to express how important Simba is and how much she loves him within seconds. You just don't do that to your characters! If I hadn't seem the original, Nala would've come out as that trophy romantic interest you give to the main character just because he's important to the story.

To top it off, the pacing felt so awkward. I don't really know why, but it felt like someone was going through the scenes checking boxes off a list instead of telling a story.… Expand
7 of 8 users found this helpful71
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5
Compi24Jul 20, 2019
We've reached a critical mass -- of sorts -- when it comes to these live-action remakes of Disney classics. I wish I could say that I have a hot take on this one, but I'm going to have to echo a lot of the points already being made by otherWe've reached a critical mass -- of sorts -- when it comes to these live-action remakes of Disney classics. I wish I could say that I have a hot take on this one, but I'm going to have to echo a lot of the points already being made by other filmgoers. Yes, the technology in play looks incredibly photorealistic. No, "photorealistic" is not synonymous with the word "aesthetic." Not always, that is. Yes, these are some pretty convincing-looking lions. Yes, that also means you get the added tradeoff of muted emotionality. I simply have to stand by my original opinion on the whole trend -- I don't see why we need to remake so many of these classic films. Yes, we now possess the technology to make these stories appear more realistic. But if trending closer towards realism is something I should come to expect from Disney (Yes. DISNEY.) then I'm not sure what the world's come to, where we all went wrong, or how to fix the problem.… Expand
6 of 7 users found this helpful61
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4
CasadelrobJul 20, 2019
Meh. The CGI was amazing but the movie felt really flat and by comparison to the original just did nothing.
If you have seen Lion King when it was originally in theaters, perhaps multiple times because it was so amazing, Skip this re-do. ItMeh. The CGI was amazing but the movie felt really flat and by comparison to the original just did nothing.
If you have seen Lion King when it was originally in theaters, perhaps multiple times because it was so amazing, Skip this re-do. It won’t ruin your memories of the animation, but it will do nothing for you past the initial wow of the first few minutes of CGI.
The songs felt flat, the characters (albeit real life if you will) felt even less relatable and lovable as their cartoon counterparts.
It just felt all in all flat to me. The best parts were a few clever rewrites on lines. Otherwise it was like watching James Earl Jones again as Mufassa dubbed over a National Geographic documentary.
I wish if they were going to do a full blown script repeat everyone would have returned. Heck, they may as well have just kept the original voice track and dubbed it over. It was meh. For me, just meh, at best.… Expand
6 of 7 users found this helpful61
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4
gxm143Jul 19, 2019
This is why traditional animation still matters, because unlike this film, it can show emotions on faces. The only way this Lion King can relate emotion is by voice, and actors such as Beyonce can't do that. Nothing original in the story.This is why traditional animation still matters, because unlike this film, it can show emotions on faces. The only way this Lion King can relate emotion is by voice, and actors such as Beyonce can't do that. Nothing original in the story. Stunning visuals, that's the best I can offer as praise. Truly disappointing. But I'm sure it will make a fortune. Just never be seen as a classic.… Expand
8 of 10 users found this helpful82
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5
monitomp3Jul 19, 2019
Not bad, but removing nostalgia is not much more than the same movie. New songs contribute very little.
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
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5
The3AcademySinsJul 20, 2019
The 2019 shot for shot remake of The Lion King has me siding more with the critics on this one. I cannot deny that the visuals are absolutely stunning. The voice acting and the voice cast are also really incredible. The problem is that thisThe 2019 shot for shot remake of The Lion King has me siding more with the critics on this one. I cannot deny that the visuals are absolutely stunning. The voice acting and the voice cast are also really incredible. The problem is that this shot-for-shot feels incredibly lifeless, and lacks the soul of the original. There isn't a lot of emotion coming from the photorealistic animals, and some songs and scenes are cut entirely. In spite of the technological achievements, it feels lazy and lackluster.… Expand
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5
bnallen81Jul 19, 2019
Maybe my hopes were too high for this remake, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I think most people expect the new version to reignite the same feeling they had the first time they watched the original, but my guess is this versionMaybe my hopes were too high for this remake, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I think most people expect the new version to reignite the same feeling they had the first time they watched the original, but my guess is this version just won't do that for anybody. First off, the storyline is exactly the same as the original version. So expect to feel the same as you did the 10th time you watched it and knew exactly what to expect with no suprises. Secondly, the character's voices and the acting were preferable with the first version and the remake definitely seems a bit second rate. The songs were better with the original as well. The visuals have improved tremendously with this one and some scenes are just visually stunning. But, the lack of expression on the characters faces really take away that feel-good-Disney-vibe that the original had. It was a good attempt at a remake, however, some of the casting , song choices, and the lack of new and unanticipated storylines are honestly where the film went wrong. It felt as if Jon Favreau thought "Well it's good enough, people will watch it because they loved the original." He would be right about that part except people won't LOVE the remake. It' just another mediocre remake that, to be honest, shouldn't have been made. Take my advice and wait to watch it when it releases to DVD.… Expand
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
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6
omarnazarioJul 19, 2019
Effective? Yes. Necessary? No. This film lacks the heart and spirit of the original. The sequences are shot by shot cut copies of the 1994 classic, which is fine, but...come one, guys. The film could've used a facelift, especially consideringEffective? Yes. Necessary? No. This film lacks the heart and spirit of the original. The sequences are shot by shot cut copies of the 1994 classic, which is fine, but...come one, guys. The film could've used a facelift, especially considering that most entries in the current animation-to-live-action-craze have added to the classics rather than bored us with an unnecessary reiteration of well know and well loved story.… Expand
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
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4
ColginatorJul 20, 2019
With the success of Faverau's Jungle Book and the leaps forward in CGI technology, it was only going to be so long before a Disney exec thought of doing a remake of their most successful film during the Disney Renaissance. But they were soWith the success of Faverau's Jungle Book and the leaps forward in CGI technology, it was only going to be so long before a Disney exec thought of doing a remake of their most successful film during the Disney Renaissance. But they were so preoccupied with whether they could recreate the Lion King almost shot for shot that they never stopped to think whether they should. The end result will undoubtedly be a massive money maker for Disney by capitalizing on the success of one of their greatest films, but it's also quite possibly the most creatively bankrupt film to come out this year.

We all know the plot of the first film and this remake follows the original almost verbatim. So much of the dialogue is just taken word for word out of the original and many shots are so identical that I'm convinced that they just used stills from the original as storyboards. Other than one extra scene showing how Nala set off on her journey where she finds Simba and some extended sequences following some random animals unrelated to the plot, including an adept metaphor for the film where we're forced to watch a beetle pushing around a large piece of dung, there's very little here which departs from the original story.

So if this does follow the original so closely then how did it turn out so bad? To start off with, as impressive as some of these photo realistic animations are this style wasn't well suited for the Lion King. Instead of having the expressionistic and lively characters from the original, we get these lions who are unable to emote and deliver on the films emotional moments. It's very difficult to connect with these characters since they just can't convey as much visually as the original was capable of and characters like Mufasa just don't resonate in the same way.

The original animated films more minimalistic style also works to its advantage so that shots flow together smoother and allows for quicker edits because we are capable of reading all the information in a shot in a shorter amount of time. The heightened realism of this remake just isn't capable of doing this as it needs to hold on its shots just so we can absorb all the information on screen. Plus on a more simplistic level, the original animation just looks better. The epic scale of some of the shots in that film feel permanently engraved in my mind, but whilst the remake has me appreciate the effort and time that animators must have put in to these shots it just doesn't deliver on the same sense of awe it attempts to recreate from the original.

Then there's the new cast and in spite of having a lot of great names attached to the film, it ends up feeling as if the characters are going through the motions of the story with little emotional weight. Very few of the performances are able to bounce off one another effectively and feel completely disconnected from their surroundings. This is with the exception of some of the comedic support like Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner and John Oliver who were all entertaining. Though this is partly because these seemed to be the only characters where the actors brought their personalities to the role and felt like they delivered on some funny lines.

But my biggest gripe of this film is it's complete lack of originality. Most of these remakes of Disney animated classics have copied the originals they were based on, but they all added at least something to the story. Even for as much as I disliked the live action Beauty and the Beast, they still made some attempts to improve characters like LeFou and tried to add their own ideas to how the curse works. But here they don't try to add anything substantially different to the characters or story, instead only adding new shots of the surrounding nature to show off the photo-realistic animation and pad out the films run-time. They even skip over some of the small moments that made the original film so incredible to begin with. One example is how they take out Rafiki's lesson about how the past can hurt and instead just cut to Simba running off to catch up with Nala. This is replaced by a montage of the two Lions running across the wild to a new Beyonce song, which feels completely out of place and was likely just added to the film so they could sell an extra Beyonce song on the films soundtrack.

Ultimately the film just feels like a carbon copy of the original. It's like listening to someone speak the lyrics to a great song, all the words are there but it lacks the same beat which made the song connect with you to begin with. Whilst it's not necessarily the worst film of the year, but it is definitely the most pointless.… Expand
7 of 9 users found this helpful72
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6
guilhermevmvJul 19, 2019
Technically and visually perfect animal representation but lacks emotion and charisma.
9 of 12 users found this helpful93
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4
Tony1984Jul 21, 2019
If it was an original production in its own right then I would be more forgiving but its not. It's an exact remake of the 1994 animated classic but in live action. It pales by comparison. Live action Lion King, whilst technically excellent,If it was an original production in its own right then I would be more forgiving but its not. It's an exact remake of the 1994 animated classic but in live action. It pales by comparison. Live action Lion King, whilst technically excellent, doesn't have a fraction of the charisma of the original. Talking animals need more human looking features to portray complex emotions. Animation just works better. That with some poor voice acting, especially Oliver and Eichner, leaves a rather uninspired production. Ok only… Expand
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
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6
Muskrat147Jul 22, 2019
After seeing the success of Disney's The Jungle Book three years ago, it seemed likely then that Favreau and company would return for future "live-action" remakes of previously hand-animated classics. However, when it was announced that,After seeing the success of Disney's The Jungle Book three years ago, it seemed likely then that Favreau and company would return for future "live-action" remakes of previously hand-animated classics. However, when it was announced that, before much else, the quite recent Lion King from 1994 would be the next to face a reboot treatment, optimism and hype soared. The cast was announced, with James Earl Jones returning. Zimmer signed on to adapt arguably his best score for a second outing, and the first teasers were released. The biggest of Disney's planned reboots was shaping up to be the best seen so far. And yet, wrong we were. As entertaining as this film may be for many, especially for those who have yet to see the original, the reimagined take on nearly every iconic sequence and moment feels lazy and uninspired. The grand appeal of the hand-drawn animation, with its bold colors and creative character design, has been replaced by photo-realistic recreations of real-world creatures. This was the biggest selling point for Favreau, having first applied this use of CGI to The Jungle Book. However, where it worked then, and managed to capture some of the emotion expressed in the characters; here, it fails to showcase anything close to the emotions seen in the original. Though very real in appearance and design, any attachment to these characters like that in the original is lost here. The iconic shots, moments, and beats are recreated, sure, but it is nothing more than that - a recreation. And quite soulless, to be frank. Every song is half as memorable as it was originally ("Be Prepared" taking home the trophy for biggest disappointment). The jokes are largely the same, yet less funny. The memorable quirks of Rafiki and Zazu have largely been erased, and instead they serve largely to aid in propelling the already well-known plot forward. The character seen in the animation is replaced by darker, albeit more realistic colors, and the shot design is less creative, and again, lazy. Though still entertaining to sit through and witness in the theater, The Lion King (emphasis on 2019) pales in nearly every comparison to the original, and sadly, only conjures up to be a basic and fundamental retread of the beloved classic.… Expand
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
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6
MrScallopsJul 24, 2019
It's the remake we never wanted and a movie doomed to never reach the status of the original. It's visually stunning, but apart from that it has no reason to exist.
3 of 4 users found this helpful31
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6
thefakepierreJul 22, 2019
Hard to see the emotion of the lines with all of the lions faces are blank. I think it should've worked if they used the Aslan like face animations. Some very important parts of the original were removed even though they already copied theHard to see the emotion of the lines with all of the lions faces are blank. I think it should've worked if they used the Aslan like face animations. Some very important parts of the original were removed even though they already copied the same exact movie. Weird. The only thing that brought this up to 3 stars are Timone and Pumba.… Expand
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6
GilbertoJul 25, 2019
I was certainly impressed with the photo-realistic visuals of this movie, and reliving this childhood classic with a new coat of paint was definitely pleasant, but thats all this remake has going for it. The Lion King (2019) is essentially,I was certainly impressed with the photo-realistic visuals of this movie, and reliving this childhood classic with a new coat of paint was definitely pleasant, but thats all this remake has going for it. The Lion King (2019) is essentially, the same exact movie from 1994 and that may warrant a pass for some, it did for me, but there is no denying that there is a sense of void within my gut regarding the whole ordeal because again, it is the exact same thing I saw years ago. On top of it all, as realistic and impressive as it may look, the new visuals effectively sacrifice the expressions of the characters and it made The Lion King, a story I know for a fact is charming and full of emotion, kind of emotionless- and it was dragging a bit at the end for me if I am honest, something that never happened with the 1994 animated original. Yet, despite this criticism I cant deny that the movie can provide joy- for starters, I almost teared up at the opening with the theme of The Circle of Life and realistic imagery recreating my childhood memories on the big screen, and Pumba and Timon are still pretty funny. It deserves a watch only for its beautiful visuals, which I believe are the most impressive CGI special effects I have ever seen, and its familiarity-but I really hope this kind of movie doesnt become a trend for Disney. The new life action remakes have all tried to recreate their originals, but they have also tried to feel fresh through new scenes, characters and pacing, but this one, is literally the same movie, and I dont think a new project like this can survive next time. Its a pass for now.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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6
TVJerryJul 23, 2019
Thank heavens for Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner! Without their hilarious comic characters, this film wouldn't have much personality. This "live action" remake of Disney's classic hit looks like an upscale nature documentary with voiceovers. InThank heavens for Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner! Without their hilarious comic characters, this film wouldn't have much personality. This "live action" remake of Disney's classic hit looks like an upscale nature documentary with voiceovers. In case you didn't know, everything was done in computers. The recreated scenery is beautiful with wondrous flora and fauna, but without the drawn style of animation, it lacks visual poetry and the animals feel cold and lifeless. The power of the narrative and the popular songs help propel the pace, but the magic is missing.… Expand
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6
LajaleaaJul 22, 2019
"I laugh in the face of danger."
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( 65/100 ) . Yo creería que Jon Favreau se sentía indeciso sobre dirigir ésta película o no. The Lion King se siente muy semejante al liveaction: The Jungle Book (2016), uno de los clásicos de Disney que"I laugh in the face of danger."
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( 65/100 )
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Yo creería que Jon Favreau se sentía indeciso sobre dirigir ésta película o no. The Lion King se siente muy semejante al liveaction: The Jungle Book (2016), uno de los clásicos de Disney que dirigió previamente. Pero mientras que The Jungle Book (2016) se siente muy solida y bien adaptada, The Lion King (2019) se siente sin magia e incongruente. La verdad es que The Jungle Book (1967) y The Lion King (1994) no son iguales.
La historia de Simba y Scar no es diferente, y en ésta película se trata de recrear al clásico del 94 de la forma más puntual posible. Pero mientras se cuida la linea narrativa, el estudio comete la grosería de descuidar la esencia de la original: la animación extravagante, las montañas de elementos que marchan y decoran a un musical salvaje, un entretenimiento visual que no solo construye un contexto social-animal, sino que lo exponencía de tal forma que estar dentro del **** de los personajes es una aventura tanto como estar en su mundo salvaje. Nada de eso está y, en vez, se sustituye por un paisaje natural que, aunque los efectos especiales son justos y se esmeran por construir un mundo natural bello con personajes realistas, minimiza, no solo el mismo valor de su moraleja, sino la memoria de un clásico animado. Por lo tanto, la película resulta como una lógica historia de injusticia en la que la redención triunfa sobre los celos interpretada por animales que hablan y cantan. Pero no todo es malo. No podía esperarse menos de HansZimmer, que recrea la esencia y energía musical tan bien que le queda grande a la misma película. Yo lo nomino como mejor música original del 2019.
Parece que Disney no se detendrá con su intención de alimentar la nostalgia del público a través de experimentos cinematográficos que, si bien algunos tienen más éxito artístico que otros, solo nos confirman que "Nada pasa del mismo modo dos veces." (Aslan).
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I would think that Jon Favreau felt uncertain about directing this film or not. The Lion King feels very alike to the live-action The Jungle Book (2016), one of the Disney classics remake that directed previously. But, while The Jungle Book (2016) feels solid and well adapted, The Lion King (2019) feels magicless and incongruous. The truth is that The Jungle Book (1967) and The Lion King (1994) are very different.
The story of Simba and Scar is the same one, and this movie tries to recreate the 94 classic in the most accurate way. But while the main focus is to take care of the narrative line, the studio commits the atrocity of neglect the essence of the original: the extravagant animation, the mountains of elements that march and decorate a wild musical, a visual entertainment that not only explains a social-animal context but also exponentiates it in such a way that being inside of the wildness of the characters is an adventure as much as being in their wild world. None of that is in here and, instead, it's replaced by a natural landscape that, even though the special effects are fair and works hard to build a beautiful natural landscape with realistic characters, it diminish both the value of it's moral and the memory of an animated classic. Therefore, the movie ends up being a logical story about injustice in which redemption triumph over jealousy played by animals that can talk and sing. But not everything is bad. It could not be expected less from Hans Zimmer, who recreates the musical essence and energy so well that it feels bigger than the actual movie. I nominate it as best original score of 2019.
It looks like Disney won't stop with its intention of feeding the nostalgia of the public through cinematographic experiments that, if maybe some of them have more artistic success than others, only prove that "Things never happen the same way twice." (Aslan).… Expand
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6
Jravese388Jul 21, 2019
The voice acting left much to be desired. Kinda killed it for me. That being said, the movie was an emotional and nostalgic experience for me and I’m glad I saw it
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6
LunalalaJul 22, 2019
It’s fine... Nothing perfect... Nothing horrible... It’s basically the original with worse singing and with worse acting. I bumped it up a point for Seth Rogen. That’s all their is too say...
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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4
ROFLoomJul 20, 2019
I really really wanted this movie to be good. When I saw the teaser back in November I was convinced this was going to be an absolute masterpiece, hands down Disney's best live action film with Jon Favreau at the helm (even though Jungle BookI really really wanted this movie to be good. When I saw the teaser back in November I was convinced this was going to be an absolute masterpiece, hands down Disney's best live action film with Jon Favreau at the helm (even though Jungle Book really didn't do much for me, Iron Man and Elf are great movies at least). I also almost always disagree with critics. I liked Aladdin, it had weaknesses that easily could've been avoided (Jafar, like what in the actual hell were they thinking?) so I wanted to disagree with them on this too. I was so surprised when I saw it was getting mediocre reviews. But I really do see what the critics meant. This movie felt like a manufactured, corporate check list. "Oh okay, now we gotta do this scene, now this happens" with no fluency or flow to it. Like Nala shows up, they say hi real quick, then they're just in love walking off together. It felt so damn forced. Like barely a conversation... and then "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was during the day? Took so much away from it. Timon and Pumbaa weren't awful, just worse versions of the original. I'm not one of those people that is pissed Disney is remaking their films, I like the concept of live action versions of these, but make them GOOD. Not corporate printouts. Either studio execs are getting involved again or the directors just don't give a **** The ending was so rushed and by the numbers. The lines felt like they were just being read. And Donald Glover was far from the right choice for Simba. Just didn't fit the role. I felt like it was hard to give a **** about him once he was an adult. And the song sequences were okay, but they tried too hard to keeping it as realistic as possible. Just make it look realistic and make the animals do cool **** like they did in the "Just Can't Wait to be King" animated version. Elephants can't actually fly but they made Dumbo look somewhat real and fly. Dumbo's design was actually great, it looked real but still stayed true tot he cartoon. Also, I don't know how you make Mufasa's death not sad but they managed to pull it off somehow. Many of the lines were attempted to be said differently and it just sucked. "Long Live the King" was pretty bad. Also the hyenas were terrible. I loved them in the original they were hilarious. These new ones were so instantly forgettable it's crazy. Also bad voice casting, when hearing the voices is so bad it takes you out of the movie because they just don't go together, you know you cast the wrong people. Beyonce was like fine, nothing special. Only great thing I can say was Circle of Life. Rafiki's part was really dialed down. He had a lot more dialogue in the original, a lot more expression and emotion. All the characters did. Circle of Life was good, visuals were great, the heart and soul were just gone. And the way Simba defeats Scar is different and just lazy. Sometimes they tried to compensate by just flooding the movie with music. The music is great but it needs to be used to compliment the story and emotions, not distract us from them. And some parts were so slow, like that mouse Scar captures in the original, it like follows that thing for like 1-2 minutes just scurrying around before Scar even shows up. I know most of this was negative, I'd say it isn't the worst it could have been, but could have been so much better. I don't see why they don't just bring the same voice actors back? They're like all still alive, they brought James Earl Jones back, why not Jeremy Irons, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin. Why not have Ed, the moronic silent hyena? He had me dying in the original. Overall, this movie did feel like a corporate cash grab. The fact these movies just say "Disney presents" instead of "Walt Disney Pictures Presents" has corporate written all over it. Disney is losing it's heart, soul and creativity in favor of money. And there's nothing wrong with a company making money, but do it with some dignity.… Expand
5 of 8 users found this helpful53
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6
BerikJul 23, 2019
The Lion King (2019) is in every sense of the word a carbon copy of The Lion King from 1994. Except, it misses all the things that made that movie good, and this movie is just the empty husk that remains.

To be clear, The Lion King (2019) isThe Lion King (2019) is in every sense of the word a carbon copy of The Lion King from 1994. Except, it misses all the things that made that movie good, and this movie is just the empty husk that remains.

To be clear, The Lion King (2019) is NOT a bad movie! It just misses some very important elements that the original had. By going the direction of Live Action (which is basically just CGI) the expressiveness of characters is lost, as emotions don't come across through facial animations. Animals have the same empty stare on their faces (Which is more realistic ofcourse) but don't express the emotions that should go with their lines.

The visuals on screen are very beautiful, but do little for the movie. The music sounded muted, and didn't match what was happening on screen. Which is surprising considering the original movie did this right, but in this version the music feels downgraded. Considering the voices are done by popular people rather than experienced voice actors, this feels cheap. That brings me to the next point: The voice actors.

There are a few characters like Simba, Nala and Scar that have voice actors that don't seem to match very well. Especially when 'Can you feel the love tonight' starts playing, there's a lack of harmony between Donald Glover and Beyonce. One is just talking, and the other one tries way to hard. A shame.

In this version, Scar actually has a backstory! He's the brother of Mufasa (a.k.a. Lion on steriods) and was beaten in a power struggle to lead. Thus he became the scarred lion that hates his brother. Other than this though, Scar is not at all impressive as a character. What's left to say? Disney clearly doesn't care about the quality of their rushed remasters, so why should we? My recommendation: Watch the original movie from 1994. You'll enjoy it way more than this movie. I give The Lion King (2019) a 6/10. It's an average movie.… Expand
3 of 5 users found this helpful32
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6
TyranianNov 24, 2019
One of the better 'live-action' remakes but basically not as good as the original in every way. Visuals are amazing though.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
naufri27Nov 19, 2019
Visualmente destacable. Más todo el cariño, simpatía y entusiamo de la original, no está por ninguna parte.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
AxeTAug 14, 2019
The original is my all time favorite Disney animated film. This faithful somewhat unnecessary reboot is not live action but 100% animated contrary to reporting, and its amazing technical feat is the only reason it's a valid remake of anThe original is my all time favorite Disney animated film. This faithful somewhat unnecessary reboot is not live action but 100% animated contrary to reporting, and its amazing technical feat is the only reason it's a valid remake of an adored classic. It drags but it's impossible to tell if due to having seen it before or would also do so for new viewers.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
ImaginaryCriticJul 28, 2019
This Lion King is just... I don't know where to put it honestly. Its a cash grab definitely and its totally random. I'm glad they stick to the script but it doesn't work at all. I found myself in a position where I didn't know why I wasThis Lion King is just... I don't know where to put it honestly. Its a cash grab definitely and its totally random. I'm glad they stick to the script but it doesn't work at all. I found myself in a position where I didn't know why I was watching it and I really wish I didn't.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
wales7388Sep 20, 2019
when the movie try its tries its somewhat best but ultimately didn't think big enough. the musical numbers were a HUGE dissapointment
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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6
zNeverSleepingOct 13, 2019
Acredito que as pessoas assistiram o filme com uma concepção totalmente errada do seu proposito, muito por conta do marketing talvez. Esse remake, aos meus olhos, tem como objetivo mostrar a historia de outra maneira, graficamente. Isso nãoAcredito que as pessoas assistiram o filme com uma concepção totalmente errada do seu proposito, muito por conta do marketing talvez. Esse remake, aos meus olhos, tem como objetivo mostrar a historia de outra maneira, graficamente. Isso não impacta em nada o primeiro filme, até porque, você deve assistir o primeiro para, ai sim, assistir este. E levando isso em conta, o filme não peca em nada, seguindo fidedignamente até as expressões faciais dos animais - na medida do possível, é claro - com um fotorrealismo inimaginável até então.

Não sou um fan avido da obra original, sendo assim, não sou muito critico e, por conta disso, entendo sim a desaprovação, mas pelo menos a mim isso não afetou em nada, só aumentou a experiencia!… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
EliseLewisJul 22, 2019
Loved every bit of this movie! Reminded me of my childhood! From the beginning to the end I could not look away!
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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4
DarknlovleyJul 30, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movie lacked a lot of emotion and they took away scars be prepared song the only thing good about the movie was the visuals… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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5
Kai82May 8, 2022
Despite the amazing special effects it is the inferior version of Lion King. To be fair I am not sure how I would rate it without the original movie. It could also be a case were I see it as inferior but the things I recognize from theDespite the amazing special effects it is the inferior version of Lion King. To be fair I am not sure how I would rate it without the original movie. It could also be a case were I see it as inferior but the things I recognize from the animated movie damping a lower rating. The original was one of the best Disney movies. However they „borrowed“ heavily from Kimba the White Lion from Osamu Tezuka. If you ask how heavily lets say if it were in reverse Disney would have unleashed hell and sued them into oblivion. There is even a reference or side-blow by the Simpsons in one episode. To be fair I must also admit that they used some original themes. The movie is a recreation from the original and very accurate. It is the story of the lion Simba who is the son of the king of lions Mufasa. The kings take care of the pride lands but nothing is as easy as it seems. Mufasa has a brother named Scar who wants to be king instead. It is a coming of age or self discovery story transferred in the animal Kingdom with motives from a Shakespearean play. There is a lot more to the story that I cant spoil but will say the story was always entertaining and a lot of use put this in the favorite Disney movies list. It has a lot of great characters like Timon and Pumbaa who transcended the movie and became the stars of their own show. This is not surprising as they are funny, enjoyable and have a dynamic like only a few duos in Disney movie history. There is of cause Mufasa himself who is a role model for a good and wise king and his brother Scar who is one of the best antagonist in Disney movies. I must also say Simba and Nala are great together. If you like the original you find this very familiar. It is a recreation and quite fateful. What makes it worse is the realism. In the animation they took a lot of effort to transfer the emotions into facial expressions which with the voice actors gave really good results. Here the realism took this away so it is inferior. Also why make this movie when the original is already excellent is an often asked question. I see no benefits except the impressive special effects but like I said those took away a strength. The soundtrack is mixed. I enjoyed the original and they use a lot of great songs like “Hakuna Matata”, “Circle of Life”, “Can you feel the Love tonight” and “Lion sleeps tonight”. It has however not the same impact as back then despite never being bad. Overall this is a remake that was not necessary and can be skipped. The animated movie is the better version.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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4
sanctuarydecineDec 25, 2021
This movie makes no sense, it's pretty much the same as the animated but some how worse. This is the most cash grabby movie of cash grab movies. If Disney wanted to show off some new CGI they should have made a completely new story instead ofThis movie makes no sense, it's pretty much the same as the animated but some how worse. This is the most cash grabby movie of cash grab movies. If Disney wanted to show off some new CGI they should have made a completely new story instead of remaking a beloved classic. This movie is unnecessary and boring, but at least they made a billion dollars and got the oscar nomination for Visual Effects. Because that was obviously their goal. I really don't like this movie, it looks good but whats the point of pretty visuals without any substance.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
eagleeyevikingMay 27, 2020
Disney's live action-remake is a technically masterful but creatively inept live action remake of the 1994 classic.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
Voodoo123May 15, 2020
Lion King 2919 is at its best for the 5% of times when it is being original but for the most part it's an eerie blue planet on drugs line by line rehash of the superb original animated movie (the original was released in 1994 by an at theLion King 2919 is at its best for the 5% of times when it is being original but for the most part it's an eerie blue planet on drugs line by line rehash of the superb original animated movie (the original was released in 1994 by an at the time reluctant Disney who were certain the animated musical was a dead genre). I only wished this was more than just a simple (albeit technically accomplished) cgi remix.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
CarrickApr 10, 2020
Although it looks great, the animation is very awkward-looking throughout the movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
MovielovieFeb 13, 2021
Didn't love it and found it a little boring. I was a kid when the original cartoon version was released and had such high expectations for this version. We took our children so they could have their own memories. Needless to say, I wasDidn't love it and found it a little boring. I was a kid when the original cartoon version was released and had such high expectations for this version. We took our children so they could have their own memories. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed that they didn't update and refresh the storyline more. I'm pretty sure I'll never watch this snoozefest again and will opt for the original version.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
Simon-JJul 14, 2021
What a shame that the film didn't really work. Contrary to some of the comments here, I don't feel it was merely a 'lazy cash grab', I mean, look at the incredible artistry that went into it. But I agree with some of the professionalWhat a shame that the film didn't really work. Contrary to some of the comments here, I don't feel it was merely a 'lazy cash grab', I mean, look at the incredible artistry that went into it. But I agree with some of the professional reviewers that identified how it was a real mistake that the characters couldn't emote properly due to the photo-realism.

For me, this flaw became critical, leaving the overall film as a strangely vacuous experience. I knew something was amiss when the stampede sequence was neither scary nor sad, a scene which made such an impact on me in my childhood; Hans Zimmer's powerful score is not enough to counteract those furry, soulless faces. Live-action 'Mulan' was much more successful, but hardly any metacritic users agree with me...… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
Cusi9sAug 13, 2023
This movie is beautiful but the movie has no feeling between the characters.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
HghdvbAug 13, 2023
This movie is beautiful it has a beautiful story but the characters have no chemistry and no feelings.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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