Amazing

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2019)

I don't understand why there's so much aversion to this film. The CGI is breathtaking. I had goosebumps during the opening scene. Shot by shot, this is what I remember, but now looking like a NG documentary. I expected an Attenborough voice-over to kick in at any time.
The film stays faithful to the original, scrapping some scenes that make it feal less 'realistic' (it's also quite strange to have the idea you're watching a nature documentary and all of a sudden a lion starts speaking) and including more real to life animal behaviour. People who criticise the animations for lack of emotion should closely watch the mannerisms of the animals. Their postures, ear twitches, movements, they are filled with non-human emotions. The animators are trying to realisticallu depict animals and have thus avoided using too human-like emotions.
Rafiki finally looks like a baboon, Simba has blue eyes as a young cub and later on his eyes turn yellow (like with real lions). Timon and Pumbaa are superbly done and their nee friends are not annoying at all. Some iconic scenes have been changed or adapted, which feels a bit disappointing for fans of the original, but it works for this movie.
On its own, this movie is really good. The only thing that bothered me was Beyonce taking the lead in some songs and the inclusion of one of her own songs, replacing another short but good song from the original. But that's personal taste I guess. All in all, I was really pleasantly surprised!