A beautiful but ultimately shallow adaptation.

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2019)

So I just saw The Lion King at the theater. Honestly after the disappointment that was Dumbo and the mediocrity that was Aladdin my expectations were pretty low. How could Disney possibly make anything that could live up to the iconic animated classic? Overall I have to say I enjoyed the film. Sure it wasn't perfect and it was a shameless cash grab, but I still had fun watching the movie and it is sure to please a new generation of viewers.
Of course everyone knows the plot of The Lion King. It is one of the most iconic animated films of all time. Honestly very little is changed regarding the plot. Ninety-five per-cent of the film was a near shot-for-shot remake so don't expect anything original plot wise. The film hardly reinvented the wheel, but the original Lion King was a blatant copy of another film so that's not really a negative.
Where the film really shined however was the CGI and set design. This may have bene one of the most incredible lookingDisney films I've ever seen. The CGI was rich and layered and really captured all of the diverse characters. On top of that, the setting was simply beautiful and wonderfully designed. In every way the film was pure eye candy and absolutely captured the beauty of The Lion King.
I also have to mention the soundtrack. The original Lion King has so many incredible songs. I am happy to say the new cast really did a great job recording the classic songs. It was hard not to smile and burst out into song while at the theater. There really was not a bad performance song wise. The entire cast perfectly replicated the magic of the original songs in their entirety.
The film had an absolutely phenomenal cast, but John Oliver and Seth Rogen really stole the show. I was skeptical about Seth Rogen but he perfectly captured Pumbaa and made the character his own. John Oliver was absolutely perfect and easily delivered some of the best lines of the film. Of course as expected Donald Glover and Beyonce were all around great and James Earl Jones was iconic as ever.
That all being said the film was hardly perfect. With so much of the movie being a shot for shot remake the question has to be asked why even make the film? The new songs for the film were unmemorable and I was sad to see the film change a number of iconic scenes for no reason. The movie also toned down quite a bit of the comedy and whimsical factors that made the original so mesmerizing as a youth. While the CGI was beautiful the attempt to set the film in a realistic tone really hurt what made the original so special. The character design just seemed like it had a problem emoting with the line delivery.
I also really had a problem Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar. His voice never really matched the character and the changes to the song Be Prepared definitely were a step backwards. The same can be said for the entire cast of a hyenas. Some of the delivery of the lines were also a bit questionable from the young actors playing Simba and Nala.
Ultimately the biggest problem with the movie was not with the film itself but with just how iconic the original Lion King was. It would be near impossible for someone like myself who grew up on The Lion King to not unfavorably compare this to the animated film. That doesn't quite seem fair however to the film as a whole.
This was easily the most entertaining and well-made adaptation Disney has produced so far. For a new generation I could easily see this becoming a classic. However for those of us who grew up singing Hakuna Matata this is sure to feel like shallow and unnecessary adaptation. A 7.25 out of 10.