Rich visuals overshadow plot and character development

Rating: 7/10 (6 August 2019)

It may be because we're in the TV Series era now, and used to slow character and plot build-up that typically goes with it. It might be because I had fond childhood memories of the original, which are now tainted by the harsh realisation that we tend to romanticise our memories.
But The Lion King's remake wasn't all there for me.
It most certainly wasn't because of the lush beauty of the CGI. Indeed, the visuals were stunning, life-like, and I'd pay handsomely to visit one of those paradise locations in real life. You'd also sort of half expect Sir David Attenborough to narrate the story. That might not even be such a bad idea after all, come to think of it.
But the story felt rushed at times, and key moments were bereft of the required emotional impact, such as Simba's mourning and sense of guilt.
It may be I was less impressed because, hey, it's a remake, and I already knew what was coming. But that could just be part of the truth. I think it was too realistic to still get away with animals bursting into song and dance.
And then there's the voice acting of Beyoncé. Her singing, well, nobody does that better than Queen Bee, and I seriously enjoyed her rendition of the classics. But her spoken lines for Nala sounded chronically underwhelmed.
Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh. Maybe we should just treat it as a new story. It's a children's film after all. And to any new, young, and impressionable viewer, it will undoubtedly be an overwhelming, visual display supporting a classic story that has proven its worth countless of times.