Fantastic remake!

Rating: 10/10 (17 July 2019)

I just watched this movie, as it was released two days prior to the world-wide release in Sweden, and I was blown away!
The 1994 film (which rightfully substains a spot on IMDBs 250 list) is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I've watched it many times growing up as well as an adult. This live-action adaptation manages to bring back the sense of fun, tragedy and hope that made the original such a masterpiece, as well as bringing some new things into the fold. You get a little more backstory for characters like Scar and Mufasa and whilst the film is mostly a faithful retelling of the original story, that was exactly what I expected personally, and that's not a bad thing at all in my opinion.
I went to see this movie to experience the story of The Lion King in live-action with a new cast of fantastic actors as well as some of the best CGI I've ever seen, and that was exactly what this movie delivered.
While I understand that some people might find the similarities to the original off-putting, I don't mind it at all. I don't watch these movies(Disney's Star Wars movies and Disney live action remakes) to see a whole new angle of the story, but rather as a homage to the movies I love.
However, as stated above, there are some appreciated tweaks to the story that made it compelling. For example, the hyenas, who were mostly just comedic minions in the animated movie, are more fierce and terrifying foes in this, and their leader Shenzi manages to convey some threat in the first act of the movie and later retains the title of secondary antagonist.
Some characters are a little different compared to their animated counterpart as well, most notable Scar, who in the original was more of a cunning and sly puppet-master, who, when it came to a fight, appeared to be somehwat of a coward. This version of the villain however is absolutely terrifying. He's still intelligent and manipulates people, but he also has more of a temper and won't shy away from a confrontation.
The CGI, as I mentioned earlier, is absolutely fantastic. You can never tell that you aren't looking at real animals, and I am truly amazed at what is possible with todays technology.
John Favreu truly outdid himself with this movie, and I say that about a man responsible for movies like Chef, Iron Man and the 2016 Jungle Book.
To me, this movie might even be supperior the the original movie, which I love as well, but the way they cleverly retold the story in live-action whilst still adding their own touch might put this a little bit above.
Truly a masterpiece, and I can't give it less than a 10 out of 10!