Derivative and unnecessary

Rating: 3/10 (7 August 2019)

Once again, Disney lacks original thought and makes the same exact movie. While the CGI is incredible, it somehow took away from the personality and feeling of the characters. I enjoyed Billy Eichner's Timon but that's the only nice thing I have to say about this.
One of the hallmarks of the original film was the music. Somehow, they made it worse with Seth Rogen's uncharming off-key singing in Hakuna Matata, the what-the-hell-was-that speak-singing dumpster fire they turned Be Prepared into, and the lackluster visual choreography that accompanied I Just Can't Wait to be King. They underused Beyonce and missed out on an epic opportunity to give Nala a solo. I don't know how they whiffed on not having Beyonce sing Shadowlands from the musical.
Other Disney remakes like Beauty and the Beast used the extra screen time to fill in some plotholes. The Lion King didn't do that. Why not show a flashback of young Mufasa and Scar and delve into how their relationship became so poisoned. They could've shown more of the struggle the lionesses had while Scar was in power. Also, how did Simba get so good at fighting? How did he go from not being able to pin Nala to suddenly beating Scar in a fight?
Overall, a disappointing and uninspiring cash grab by Disney. Save your money and don't bother with the theater. If you're dying to see it, wait until it comes onto a streaming service.