Review Summary: Beautiful, but unenergetic remake really misses original's mark.
Disney has been in the remake game for a little while now (going on almost a decade). And while they've proven financially successful for the most part, a lot of them haven't quite escaped from getting mixed reception from critics. And now I'm understanding why. Coming out of Lion King, I must admit, despite some cool things here, this felt more like a cash-grab attempt than any other remake from the Mouse House yet (but, aren't they all supposed to be cash-grabs?).
Here's the thing. Part of what made the original Lion King work so well wasn't just the animation and the songs, it was the personalities of its' characters. From Scar to Zazu to Rafiki, to the hyenas and Timon and Pumbaa, the characters exuded a specific personality that made the movie fun and entertaining. They didn't take the stakes seriously per se, and just elevated the whole movie from a straight "Hamlet" adaptation to something even more interesting.
This new version lacks that personality bigtime. Not saying the film doesn't try, it just feels like a meh attempt to replicate what came before. Some of the voice performances, in particular, feel like they are lacking energy altogether (more on that later). And, it doesn't help that the more "realistic" lions don't emote nearly as much as their animated counterparts. I will say, in the film's final third (starting with a fun rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), the energy thankfully does pick up a little bit and that carries over through most of the remainder of the film.
As far as the voice performances go, Beyonce is the strongest of the new cast members. I was nervous about her casting, but she does a decent job as Nala. And it's really nice to hear the legendary James Earl Jones back as Mufasa, though his voice has aged some (it has been 25 years, after all). The production team gives his character a royal musical entrance of sorts, which was nicely appropriate. J.D. McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph are solid as young Simba and Nala, with good singing voices.
The rest of the cast, however, is a mixed bag. Donald Glover sings OK, but his acting pales a bit in comparison to Matthew Broderick from the original. Chiwetel Ejiofor is an inspired choice to voice Scar. But, his delivery of many of Jeremy Irons' original lines are less than inspiring. In the meantime, Billy Eichner sings well as Timon, but falls flat on the speaking part. In contrast, Seth Rogen does fine speaking as Pumbaa, but clearly can't sing very well. John Oliver might be the weakest link of the cast, however. His Zazu feels forced, and doesn't come anywhere near Rowan Atkinson's memorable performance.
Perhaps the biggest mistake out of updating all the characters has to be the Hyenas. Honestly, what made them memorable in the original has been made forgettable in this version. (I did hear they were changed because of apparent racist overtones in their original portrayals) But seriously, the material they are given is lazy and really could have used some work. Florence Kasumba is no Whoopi Goldberg either (and Keegan-Michael Key is pretty much wasted in his role).
As for the songs, the soundtrack update is pretty decent. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is definitely the strongest update, with Glover and Beyonce doing a nice duet. "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" cleverly combines the movie's instrumental with the Broadway musical's added effects to a mostly winning combo (the only part that doesn't quite gel is Zazu). The scenes with these songs don't match the original, however. "Hakuna Matata" ends well, but starts off pretty disappointing (mostly due to Pumbaa's lack of a decent singing voice). The opening "Circle of Life" is very good (with Lebo M.'s original memorable opening vocals intact), as is its' closing reprise. Meanwhile, "Be Prepared" is limited to just its' final verse (surprisingly), with very little singing. Ejiofor seemed very much up for the challenge and the instrumental is great, but I'm puzzled at why the filmmaking team passed on doing the whole song.
Meanwhile, this rendition's strongest asset is definitely the visual effects. Carrying on the groundbreaking work done in The Jungle Book, Jon Favreau really makes this movie a stunning spectacle. It's almost as if the film turned into a Disneynature film of sorts. A few scenes from the original are also given a creative, new perspective thanks to the technological advancements. It's difficult to believe this was all CGI, as its' easy to get swept up in the believably realistic environment. The only visual update here that doesn't quite work is when Simba has a spiritual encounter with Mufasa. It's not nearly as effective as how the animated film pulled it off.
It's also great that this rendition didn't go off on crazy rabbit trails. Despite being a half-hour longer than the original, the script stays true to the original. The pacing remains very solid too. There's one or two new scenes added in to give Nala and Sarabi a little more to do, and they fit pretty well without overstaying their welcome. However, there's a minor weakness here too. Screenwriter Jeff Nathanson tried to include a lot of the original's most memorable lines of dialogue here to the point where it almost feels like a page-by-page replay of the original. This isn't bad per se (it is a remake, after all), but some lines of dialogue didn't necessarily need to be transferred over from the animated version.
Hans Zimmer returns from the original to update his score, and is very successful. His inclusion of even more African tribal sounds and other orchestral moments are excellent additions to the classic themes from the original. Meanwhile, Elton John and Tim Rice return to write a new song for the end credits called "Never Too Late". It sounds different from the remainder of the soundtrack (fast-paced), which I believe was for the better. Beyonce also includes a new song titled "Spirit", which while not a bad song, is out-of-place in the film. The song is used when Simba starts heading back to Pride Rock, instead of the memorable running close-up and breathtaking background music from the original. It probably would have been better off in the credits.
I know I talk about how Disney movies played a big role in my childhood. Lion King was definitely one of those cornerstone movies. The music and the characters definitely were things that were instantly memorable. I played the PC games. I watched the sequel (and in-betweenquel Lion King 1 1/2 is still in my DVD drawer). I had the stuffed animals. (And, I saw the 3D re-release of the original back when this blog started.) It was a craze in the late-90's that was almost impossible to miss.
When it came to this remake, I had some high hopes. Jon Favreau (who also directed Elf and Iron Man, not to mention acting in the MCU as Iron Man's butler Happy) had done a fantastic job with The Jungle Book three years ago, and seemed to be on a roll. I can understand why Disney gave him the keys to this classic.
Yet, the final result is a very mixed bag. Based on the personality and fun (and thrills) that was in Jungle, I thought if anyone could update Lion King well, he could. Turns out I was wrong. There's a lack of energy here that is hard to not notice. Some of the voice casting choices that sounded good didn't turn out to be good ideas. And, the script perhaps hews a little too closely to the 1994 original (but finding the right balance is difficult to begin with, so this can be more forgiven).
In the end, this Lion King is a bit of a letdown. That doesn't dismiss its' artistic merits. Favreau has made a visual spectacle that definitely shines and shimmers. And, to his credit, he keeps very true to the original story without dragging it out with out-of-place exposition or unnecessary new characters. But without the much-needed (and missed) personality, humor, and energy, I can only say this remake is OK at best.
And, at worst, I can also say now that Lion King is one Disney movie that really didn't need an update or remake after all. The original is a great movie on its own. If it ain't broke, why try to fix it?
My Score: 6.0/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing....
Rating: PG (for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements)
Age Recommendation: 8 and up
Violence: The peril and action in the original are amped up in this realistic rendition. Lions jump, roar, pounce and scratch at each other. No blood, but its' still a bit scary in places (particularly Scar and Simba's and the lions' and hyenas' final fight). Hyenas are seen ravaging around and eating an antelope killed (distance shot with nothing seen). We see the wildebeest stampede put Simba in peril. Mufasa is battered by a few before jumping and then being thrown off back into the pit. Scar digs his claws into two lions. Timon and Pumbaa headbutt other animals. Hyenas smack into one another. A monkey uses his staff to whack hyenas as well (similar to the cartoon).
Language: The film is free of profanity. There is one thing I'll note. In the original, Pumbaa is stopped short in "Hakuna Matata" of directly addressing his flatulence issues (Timon breaks the fourth wall and says, "Not in front of the kids!"). In this version (with a PG rating), he is allowed to finish that sentence singing, "every time that I fart!" (Timon says: "you disgust me!")
Adult Content: Simba and Nala purr and rub against each other romantically at the end of a song. But nothing really salacious at all.
Drugs/Alcohol: None.
Other: Like in the original, Pumbaa farts a handful of times. Simba is commended for a loud burp. We witness a dung beetle roll a ball of giraffe feces at one point.
Elsewhere, Scar deceives Simba (and later the lionesses) into believing the future king is at fault for killing Mufasa. The lionesses are treated horribly by Scar, letting them eat last in the hunt. Rafiki uses shaman techniques in a few scenes.
