An OK remake: 6.5 out of 10 stars

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2019)

I've been watching The Lion King for 25 years since it was released in 94. I've watched it dozens of times; it is definitely in my top 5 favorite animated movies of all time. I went in to the 2019 version with very low expectations and while this is nowhere near the original, I think I'm just surprised that disney did not completely ruin this film for me. The pros:
1. The visual and CGI is perfect. No complaints there.
2. Disney did not deviate from the original. If they had strayed too far from the 1994 version, they really couldn't call it The Lion King.
3. Most of the songs were palatable
The cons:
1. With the exception of Mufasa, Timón and pumbaa, the voice actors were incredibly subpar. There was very little emotion, almost like you could tell they were reading. Some of the lines felt rushed and empty.
2. Beyoncé. I cringed every time I heard her voice. She's just not a good actress and literally the worst person they could have found to play Nala. And the songs she sang for the movie? Very forgettable. I could have possibly given the movie a higher score if she hadn't ruined it.
3. Beyoncé. Why is she in this movie again?
Overall, it's a watchable film, but don't expect to be wowed by much more than the visual aspect. I'm giving it a very generous 6.5