Phenomenal visuals yet emotionless

Rating: 2/10 (30 March 2020)

The thought of attempting to outdo a family classic was bold. For many, the soundtrack, emotions, and even the script has been so etched into our skins that this remake had become pointless. The realistic visuals are incredible but comes with several downfalls: the colors lack the vibrancy of the animation, settling for a 'diverse' palette of yellows and browns, and the animals are emotionless, causing the movie and its characters to feel flat. But more than anything, the script and voice acting were the biggest letdowns. Many of the key scenes were rushed and voice acting did not include the same level of details that were present in the animation. It was as if the actors were simply reading to complete the scene rather than attempt to add any necessary emotions. This is unfortunate as the film already heavily relied on the voice acting to bring forward the emotions which the expressionless, realistic animals could not. It had gotten to the point where, for the first time in 23 years, I did not cry during Mufasa's death.
Shenzi and the hyena gang were a definite improvement by being less comical and more cruel. However, I could not get pass the lack of impact of this film which I really wanted to love. Not only did Disney recycled their old scripts word-for-word, but they have also reinforced the notion that live-actions of a great animation will rarely be good. The Lion King was no exception.