People are regurgitating reviewers

Rating: 8/10 (25 July 2019)

'Don't copy the original!' 'Keep to the Original!'
And on it goes, people spruiking what they hear and see by the professional reviewers.
I took my husband along today and warned him it was a remake, and basically the same, so he is did not go in with predetermined notions of wha it would be. I thought he probably won't like it, thinking it is a kiddy movie. It was not a small child's movie anyway.
Visually beautiful, with the natural beauty of Africa, and appropriate for the world we have been affecting. Sounds of Africa in the music and using the language of Africa. The music is the first thing my husband commented on.
The animals are so real and could be the actual African animals except we know they are not.
So what have we so far, beautiful cinematography and amazing music with the drums of Africa.
So, where's the problem? There is nothing or little that is new. That would have been deliberate. Empowering the female lion and making her more expressive, of course also deliberate. It is not a cartoon and less expression on the faces of the animals but it NOT a cartoon.
Judging a movie on what's it is not or does not even purport to be is not rational.
Have we become so jaded that we grade something on what we think it should be. It is a creation of its creators and they have made the movie they intended to be.
The animals are representations of people, some evil, some good, some funny, but all as intended by these particular creators.
I felt emotion that had been tapped before in the original. The music did that. The innocence of the cubs did as well. The beauty of the landscape did as well.
The message is the same...the circle of life. We are all connected.