Loved It

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2019)

So I think I'm the target audience for this movie: I've loved the animation since I was 5, it has one of my favorite soundtracks ever, and I love spin offs including the Broadway show and Disney World's show. They would have really had to screw up for me to not like this.
I had one issue with this movie: Can You Feel The Love Tonight had too much daylight. I hope they pull a George Lucas and fix this for the Bluray releae.
What I loved: The animation was absolutely INCREDIBLE. The realism of the animals and environment, the little touches, just everything was mind-blowing. The lion cubs looked so cute and soft that I just wanted to pet them. The parts that were playful and fun in the original were also playful and fun in this movie without being cartoon-y. The voices were similar to the original, with the notable exception of Scar and Shenzi, but I still enjoyed those performances. Timon, Pumba, and Zazu were great and just as amusing as in the original. Most of the jokes have been updated, which keeps the movie entertaining and gives some new-ness. The music was great. I especially liked the opening song, I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Hakuna Matata, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Can You Feel The Love Tonight seemed a little weak, but I feel like the theater I went to also didn't have the volume up high enough.
Overall, this is not movie made for critics. but for fans and kids, and I think it's great.