Lacking in everything but animation

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2019)

The Lion King was easily the movie I anticipated most upon hearing it was being remade - and seeing the movie I grew up with being so starkly lackluster in comparison to the original was heart breaking.
The animation was incredible - the opening scene and Circle Of Life were easily the best parts of the film. Everything had been meticulously animated, and the overall finish was gorgeous- absolutely stunning. I applaud every single person working on the animation for not only making the original into 'live action', but for altering the over the top scenes from the original into real life scenes that captured the same essence.
That being said, nothing in this movie is without its flaws. The songs were lacking in emotion and strength. 'I Just Can't Wait To Be King' radiated an energy of boredom, and it seemed as if everyone singing wasn't prepared to. Yes, it was entertaining but it lacked any power the original had. Of course, no one could compare to the original voice actors, however it seems like they didn't try. 'Be Prepared' was cut down so much, and was altered so much that there was hardly any point of having it in the film. 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' was easily the best song in the film.
Timon and Pumba were easily the best part of the film - as they exuded the energy the original did They seemed to have chemistry and was overall enjoyable. Most of the characters in the film felt boring, perhaps that is just coming from someone who loved the original, but it seemed like they weren't committed to doing the original justice in the acting department. Even when Mufasa was killed, I didn't feel the sadness in Simba, I didn't feel the malice Scar had for him.
The fight scene between Simba and Scar was the most visually appealing scene to me - and had they been more into their roles - I believe their animosity would have been more tense and enjoyable.
I can appreciate the movie for what it is, and had it not have been based on the original, it would have stood out more to me.