Disney’s Live Action remakes have divided fans around the world and rely on the nostalgia factor for a large cash in. While the live action Aladdin earlier this year was able to add, change, and even improve upon the story, Lion King takes the safe route and remakes the original almost shot by shot.
The visuals are stunning and do look like a nature documentary, however, with the same story as the original I do not see why people would ever want to watch this version over the original. One of the great aspects of Disney’s original Lion King was the stylization of the characters. The expressions that the animated lions had were expressive and emotional, a depth is missing in a realistic lion. With a loss of emotion from the original, the voice cast really needs to shine to provoke the same feelings. Luckily, the voice cast is superb and is the standout part of this film.
My favorite is John Oliver is perfectly cast as the snarky bird, Zazu, part of the council to the King. His dry humor and wit made some of the funniest moments in this film. I also believe he had the most original or added jokes in the movie. Timon and Pumba, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan, respectively, add so much to their iconic characters with their stellar voice acting. They have great chemistry with each other and have many hilarious moments.
This live action version is definitely a fun watch. I would equate it to a broadway interpretation, its entertaining, nostalgic, and always leaves you thinking about how good the original was. I would recommend that everyone see this once. I do not believe this version will leave its mark or be known as a superior version. My kids will still be seeing the original version over this one. But I will show them both and let them decide which they prefer.
